Rex Hammond, StudentRex Hammond is the President of the Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce. He has managed chambers of commerce since 1984 in South Dakota, North Carolina and Georgia prior to moving to Virginia four years ago. Rex is a graduate of South Dakota State University with a degree in Journalism. He pursued an MBA degree at Lynchburg College and has done graduate work at East Carolina University and the University of North Carolina. He graduated from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organization Management at Stanford University. Hammond has additional career experiences as a newspaper editor, a congressional press secretary, a legislative lobbyist, and an aide to the Governor and Lt. Governor of South Dakota. He is the executive secretary for the Committee to Advance the TransDominion Express, a chairman for the strategic planning committee of the Region 2000 Workforce Investment Board, vice president of finance and board member for the Virginia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, a board member for Lynch’s Landing, a board member for the Institute of Manufacturing Technology, a board member for the Region 2000 Economic Development Partnership, a workforce committee chairman for the American Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives and the chairman of the Central Virginia Council of Chambers. Rex was named 2002 Chamber Executive of the Year by the Virginia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. He was also named North Carolina Chamber Executive of the Year in 1992.
Eric Greiner, Student
I’m a 32-year-old part-time MBA student and full-time GE employee. I’m married with a wonderful 9-month-old boy. I grew up in Maine but during my college career ended up here in Lynchburg, VA. I received an undergraduate degree in History from Liberty University in December 1996. I have also completed graduate business coursework at both Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia. I plan to graduate from Lynchburg College with an MBA in May 2004. Two years ago I had the opportunity to participate in an International Business Consulting course with Virginia Tech, while traveling for two weeks to Maribor, Slovenia. I performed e-commerce research and made business recommendations for Zavarovalnica Maribor (Insurance Company of Maribor). I have a diverse working background having worked as a roofer, in a paper mill, as a long-haul truck driver, and as a homebound instructor. I have worked the past six years for GE Financial Assurance, here in Lynchburg, VA. At GE I have served as a Business Analyst, Project Manager, IT Program Leader, and currently as a Six Sigma Black Belt. In the Black Belt role I drive process improvement projects for all Licensing activities in Lynchburg, Richmond, and Gurgaon, India. My graduate experience has been excellent. Every semester I have learned something valuable and instantly transferable into my current job. It has been a large contributor to my success as a GE employee. Completion of the MBA here at LC will only be a step in my personal development and education. I look forward to continuing to learn and grow. I highly recommend that MBA students look for any and all opportunities to expand their knowledge and experience. Look for ways to take what you are learning out of the classroom, either into your current job, a local internship, or an international course such as the Quebec trip. Such experiences significantly deepen understanding of the concepts taught in the classroom to practical application in the business world.
Kim Chi-To, Graduate 2004
Kim To joined the MBA program in the fall of 2002. Kim is a first generation Vietnamese immigrant who came to the United States when she was six years old. Kim grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. She has worked in industries as varied as banking, non-profit, consumer goods marketing and municipal government. She worked in business environments ranging from large corporate entities, grass-roots organizations, elite cultural foundations and small entrepreneurial businesses. Before entering the full-time workforce, she attended a progressive, hippie liberal arts college, learning for learning’s sake with no regard for practical application. She graduated from Oberlin College, a college where there was not even a Business Department – gasp! She graduated with a major in English Literature with a concentration in Creative Writing and a Psychology minor. She spent her junior year in London, England studying theater and anthropology. She had envisioned a post-college bohemian life of traveling, reading, writing and making great memories while contributing to society with a socially responsible career.Sometime during her idealistic year working with “at-risk” children in Atlanta as a Program Coordinator for VISTA (AmeriCorp), her stint as a Marketing Communications Specialist with a dotcom company during the Internet boom, and her expatriate years of living and working in Greece as an Assistant Director of an archaeological science laboratory, she decided she wanted to settle down and plant roots. Having conquered (or rather temporarily appeased) their wanderlust with four years of living and traveling abroad, she and her husband chose Lynchburg, Virginia to plant roots. Kim is currently working in the Budget Office of the City of Lynchburg. Kim decided to enroll in the MBA program to gain a broader understanding of business administration and to sharpen her analytical skills in order to grow professionally. “I have two boys both under the age of five so when I started the MBA program I was very concerned about taking on too much and causing my personal, professional and academic life to all suffer,” Kim explained. “But the opposite happened. First of all, Lynchburg College designed the MBA with working professionals in mind so it’s easy to fit into my schedule.” “Then, of course, there are other positive consequences,” Kim continued. “I come to work with ideas from class that I can apply to my job and contribute to my workplace. I have undeniable proof that my husband is a supportive spouse and a wonderful hands-on father. Best of all, without any effort, I’m instilling a love and respect of learning and achievement to my sons. One of the reasons why my oldest is so excited about starting kindergarten is because he wants to study like mommy. He’s probably one of the few four year olds who can tell you all the grades from pre-kindergarten through a doctorate program, and he’s looking forward to graduate school – that is, after he becomes a baseball player and an astronaut.”
Gretchen Gravely, Graduate 2003The Lynchburg College MBA program has exceeded my expectations by leaps and bounds! Coming from a liberal arts undergraduate background I was a bit anxious about entering the program, but the prerequisite classes required and the knowledgeable professors made the transition a positive one. I have worked full-time during the program and my professors have always encouraged me to pursue projects and papers that are relevant in my field. This has proven extremely beneficial since the emphasis is actually applying the classroom to the professional world. One aspect of the program that has been wonderful is the relatively smaller class sizes which prove advantageous in discussions. I have also had the privilege of becoming better acquainted with my classmates and their work experiences and challenges. The professors seem to thrive in the intimate educational environment as well; they challenge us as students and as professionals. The professors are accessible and often provide their home numbers or cell phone numbers in case we need to contact them. I was recently asked by the Dean of the College who my favorite professor has been and I can not honestly answer that question because they have all been wonderful! I appreciate the fact that the LC community is open to me and I can feel free to ask a former professor for assistance with a professional circumstance. If a student is involved in the program even Dean Messerschmidt is able to call her by name! The program offers many exciting opportunities; I had the pleasure of a study abroad trip to Quebec City and having dinner with Janet Reno!