COBE begins second year of Executive in Residence program

Radford University's College of Business and Economics kicked off the second year of its popular Executive in Residence program with Amy Nisenson, executive director of The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation, visiting and speaking with the college's faculty and staff.

During her one-day visit, Nisenson spoke to students in two separate management classes about careers in the nonprofit sector. In addition, she met with COBE Dean George Low, talked with faculty about grant writing and met with students, including the COBE Ambassadors.

"They want to understand what it is like to work in the nonprofit community," Nisenson said.

Nisenson lauded the importance of the Executive in Residence program and its benefits to the students. "It's important for them to meet and hear from other professionals and to understand what positions are out there," she said. "It's important for them to meet real-life people in varying stages of their lives and careers."

Nisenson began her role as executive director of The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation in May 2009. She is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the foundation and the annual allocation of $3-4 million in grants.

In addition to her role as the foundation's executive director, Nisenson works with small and emerging nonprofits in the Richmond community in a consultant role, assisting with grant research, grant writing, board development and other functions associated with sustaining a nonprofit. Nisenson teaches classes at the University of Richmond in the Institute on Philanthropy, Tidewater Community College and Volunteer Hampton Roads.

"We were thrilled that Amy Nisenson was willing to come and share her time with us. She brought her wealth of knowledge and experience in the nonprofit sector to our students and helped them realize the potential of careers in this important and growing area," COBE Dean George Low said. "Business students have much to offer nonprofit organizations, which are more likely than ever before to need skills such as finance, marketing and management to be successful."

During the fall 2014 semester, COBE introduced the Executive in Residence initiative, a program designed to expose the college's students and faculty to current issues affecting today's business world.

Program organizers invite participating executives to visit campus for two or three days and engage with students, faculty and the campus community through such opportunities as classroom sessions and lectures, one-on-one meetings and campus-wide forums.

The COBE Executive in Resident program continues Oct. 27 with Prabhat Jain visiting campus. Jain is the founder and president of Virginia Transformer Corporation, one of the largest transformer manufacturers in the United States.