REAL-WORLD SOLUTIONS, THE MILLSAPS WAY

REAL-WORLD SOLUTIONS, THE MILLSAPS

WAYby John Sewell

YATES CONSTRUCTION, SANDERSON FARMS, TRUSTMARK, C SPIRE, CONTINENTAL TIRE, SOUTHERN FARM BUREAU CASUALTY AND OTHER COMPANIES FROM AROUND MISSISSIPPI HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON.

When their executives are looking for programs through which they can build the next generation of leaders for their businesses, they look no further than the executive education programs developed and presented through the Else School of Management at Millsaps College.

From the long-standing Business Advantage Program (BAP) to the newer Advanced Applied Leadership Program (AALP), there is a no shortage of options for busy working professionals interested in building stronger career skills. The Else School is also now offering customized development programs and a graduate certificate in data analytics. These nondegree professional development programs offer comprehensive training ranging from one-day workshops to customized education courses that last nearly a year.

The Business Advantage Program was started in 2009 and offers classes during the fall semester to working professionals with no prior business education. Participants come from all walks of life — government agencies, nonprofits, entrepreneurial enterprises and even the clergy. The program covers the fundamentals of accounting, economics, marketing, finance, business law, and management. To date, more than 250 people have completed the BAP in great part due to the generosity of the Hearin Foundation, which has graciously provided scholarships for many civic leaders, budding entrepreneurs and leaders of nonprofits.

“The Business Advantage Program is the perfect fit for the professional who is looking to leverage his or her calling—whether that calling is in health care, law, advocating for others, or pursuing artistic endeavors,” said Dr. Blakely Fender, professor of economics, J. Armistead Brown Chair of Business Administration and director of EMBA and MBA programs. “The program provides the business knowledge required to put professional passions to work in the context of an organization or business.”

Whether it’s a physician completing the program to help them with their practice or a CPA looking to develop their leadership and career skills, the executive education programs present a distinct growth path for those who enroll.

“People are able to get a taste of what we are doing here at Millsaps — offering a personal experience with instructors who genuinely care about their program participants,” said LeAnne Brewer, director of executive education with the Else School.

A 1988 magna cum laude graduate of Millsaps, Brewer returned to Millsaps and the Else School on a part-time basis in 2017 after a career in sales and nonprofit management. She moved into a full-time role in 2018 with the first class of the AALP and graduated from the Executive MBA program in 2019. In her current role, she oversees a broad range of course offerings for those in the prime of their career as well as for others who may be retired but are still interested in enrichment and selfdevelopment.

The AALP has been one of the fastest developing of all the programs, growing from 11 members in the first cohort to 31 members last year. Brewer said the growth has been driven not only by the quality and content of the programming, but also through the public support of some of the state’s largest businesses.

“Sanderson Farms is our biggest supporter, sending eight to 10 people each year,” said Brewer.

Jennifer Franklin, manager of training with Sanderson Farms and a 2019 AALP Fellow, echoed the positive impact of the program.

“It offers real-world solutions to management issues through any level of management,” Franklin said. “Many times we go to training and may or may not bring anything back that is practical and relatable to our role in an organization. This training is different.”

Brewer cites the program’s faculty as a key to its success. Longtime faculty from the Else School, including Dr. Ray Grubbs and Fender, lead specific courses in strategic leadership, critical thinking and decisionmaking. Deirdre Danahar, MSW, MPH, LICSW, PCC, and Chuck Sampson, MBA, both professionals in leadership development and organizational effectiveness, bring their specific backgrounds to the AALP for courses in high-impact communications, productive conflict and cross-functional collaboration.

The demand for the AALP has been strong enough that it will be expanding to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. By adding a new cohort in March 2022, local industries in the area will have the benefit of the Millsaps experience in their own backyard.

Another key to the success of executive education has been the design of course offerings specific to a company’s needs.

“We’re honored to work with C Spire on a customized program called C Spire Leadership Vision,” Brewer said. “Each year, we work with the company to develop content for a group of eight to 10 people who go through their program. Their senior leadership loves the results they get working with Millsaps and sending their teams off campus to a distinct learning environment. The cohorts that grow from that experience really establish some nice cross-collaboration within their company.”

The Continental Tire plant in Clinton, Mississippi, has also established itself as a strong partner with the executive education programs, said Brewer.

“We’ve done presentation skills training to four different groups, plus coaching and professional development with their lead technicians. This work has also opened the door for the exploration of other opportunities with Continental for programs customized to their needs.”

However broad or specific the course offerings are through the Else School’s executive education programs, Brewer says it comes back around to the core of the Millsaps experience.

“We’re not teaching people what to think, we’re teaching them how to think,” she said. “So much of what we do is helping them think about how to do their job differently — more thoughtfully and more effectively. It’s the Millsaps way.”