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Poole College, Shelton Leadership Center Partners in a Shared Commitment

 

In fall 2012, NC State Poole College of Management and the General Hugh Shelton Leadership Center, based in NC State’s McKimmon Center, formed a new relationship, based on a common commitment to leadership and ethics.

“The things that translate from the military to the corporate world are all about business. Human resources, logistics, a bottom line: you have to manage all of these in the military and in business,” said Admiral Ralph “Benny” E. Suggs, (retired) and now executive director of the NC State General Alumni Association. 

“Many positions in the military are analogous to being a chief operating officer or a chief executive officer,” Suggs said. NC State University and the Poole College of Management recognize this, and have produced some of the best and brightest individuals in both arenas. 

At the university level, NC State has graduated more flag officers than any other university in the country, Suggs said, with the exception of the service academies. “More than 60,” he said, adding, “I wouldn’t be surprised if we missed counting a few.” A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark where the officer exercises command.

Suggs, a retired Admiral of the U.S. Navy, has a rich history in both the armed forces and industry. He served in the Navy for 30 years, in numerous roles, from Deputy Commander in Chief of the U.S. Special Operations Command, to the Director of Operations for the U.S. Atlantic Fleet. 

In time, Suggs transitioned to the business world and Harley Davidson, where he was director of the Harley Owners Group and led the development of “Harley Davidson University,” which was recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of the best corporate training programs in the country in 2004.

He also said, “You have to follow your passion.  If you don’t, one day, you’re gonna look back and regret it.  Even if you fail, you’ll fail magnificently.  Ultimately, it’s about doing things for the right reason.”

General Hugh Shelton, executive director of the Shelton Leadership Center at NC State, is another example of NC State’s history of exceptional military graduates.  Shelton, who graduated from NC State with a degree in textiles, had a decorated career in the military and has served on the corporate boards of major companies, from Anheuser Busch to Red Hat. 

In the past year, through his work with the Shelton Leadership Center, Shelton has been building relationships with the Poole College of Management to bring  professional development and value-based leadership training to the school’s future business executives.

“We’re excited about the partnership opportunities with the Shelton Leadership Center and the Poole College of Management. We’re in our first year of partnering together and are exploring ways we can complement the excellent work being done now at Poole,” Shelton said.

“Our new director, Dr. Chris Hitch, is working with the North Carolina State Executive Education (NCSEE) team in Poole College to help design and deliver top quality executive development,” he said. 

In the past year, the college’s Executive Programs has delivered two programs for civilian employees of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). Hitch also is working with the Shelton Center’s youth development programs, with the goal of extending program opportunities to high school students throughout the state.

“One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in my career both in the military and with my work in corporations is that we are more alike than we are different. Businesses tend to highlight their differences and that’s important to find ways to stand out in the crowd,” Shelton said.

“Yet, at the core of leadership, there are timeless and enduring values that the most effective leaders exhibit on a daily basis,” he said.

“Those are the five cornerstones we emphasize with our Shelton Leadership Center: honesty, integrity, diversity, social responsibility, and compassion.  We emphasize these in our youth development programs, our collegiate student development, and our work with executives,” Shelton said.  “You have to exemplify these values on a daily basis to lead others. If you can consistently exemplify these values, you stand a much greater chance of success, no matter if you decide to serve others through business, public service, teaching, the military, or as a solo entrepreneur.”

As the Poole College of Management and its Jenkins graduate programs continue to grow, the reputations of Admiral Suggs and General Shelton will be borne out by a new generation of exceptional leaders. 

Michael Zapata, who graduated in the first class of Jenkins MBAs, is a prime example of how the program has produced top-notch leaders from its earliest days. Zapata, who served in the North Carolina Army National Guard as an undergraduate at N.C. State and flew combat aircraft while on active duty, was part of the first group of MBA students in the Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization (TEC) program in the MBA program, and has been a successful technology entrepreneur.

“The military taught me how to focus on the mission objectives and also how to study. Learning to fly combat aircraft involves a lot of stick time but also a lot of academics,” said Zapata.

“Throughout all of my civilian and military positions I have continued to make regular use of what I learned at NC State.  The military decision making processes and course of action selection are invaluable skills in the business environment, and they teach you how to turn off the emotions and make the tough decisions that are needed to succeed,” he said.

The current class of Jenkins MBAs includes a number of military students, including Crista Wagner, who served in the Army as a Medical Logistics Officer for eight years prior to starting graduate school in Poole College.

“I've been stationed at Fort Bragg and Fort Jackson, with two deployments to Iraq during that time. I'm still on active duty, and hope to continue my service until I retire at 20 years of service time,” said Wagner.

“Being in the Army has helped me learn to manage my time and prioritize. These skills have easily translated into success in the MBA program,” she said. 

“As a medical logistician I'll be able to use the skills and knowledge gained from my MBA to improve the Army Medical Logistics Enterprise. Having a better understanding of the business sector in general, and specifically supply chain management, will allow me to translate that into improvements for the Army's medical logistics supply chain,” Wagner said, adding, “I'm excited to take what I learn here at NC State and make improvements to the Army's procedures and processes that ensure the right product is on the battlefield at the right time, to help save lives.” Wagner also has a fellowship from the college’s Supply Chain Resource Cooperative.

Excellence in business and military leadership, woven into the heart of N.C. State and its business programs, has helped these schools advance and excel.  Graduates of the past and present have repeatedly emphasized that the lessons learned, in both the armed forces and modern industry, are invaluable and timeless.

“It is a small world, and all these worlds regularly converge,” Zapata said, adding that, “In December, I had the opportunity to participate on a panel at the Shelton Leadership Forum, a program created by one of the greatest military leaders of our time, General Hugh Shelton, held at NC State University, and focused on entrepreneurial innovation. How great it is to be part of the Wolfpack!”

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