Article By: Clark Leonard
Leaders from the University of North Georgia (UNG) met with an array of local business representatives during the Nighthawk Impact Tour with the goal of deepening relationships with the companies and ensuring alignment of talent development with talent demand. The tour showcased the integral role UNG plays in workforce development, enabling faculty and staff to engage with students and alumni employed by these companies.
According to the latest University of System Georgia figures, UNG makes a $737 million annual economic impact on its region.
Held from June 24-26, the tour highlighted UNG’s commitment to three of President Michael P. Shannon's strategic big bets:
"We are grateful for these companies and their willingness to partner with UNG. It was insightful to hear what they are looking for in our graduates and the challenges they are facing," Shannon said. "We are committed to preparing our students to contribute meaningfully to the workforce both as interns and when they graduate."
Shannon and others from UNG met with leaders from the following entities:
Brad Majeres, vice president of operations for DataPath, expressed gratitude for UNG's visit.
"The UNG tour was a valuable opportunity to engage with UNG to explain our business and to share specifically the skills that we need for interns and graduates to have to help us be successful in our business and for us to learn more about UNG's educational programs. As we discussed, DataPath employs interns and/or co-ops from various disciplines including hardware and software engineering, business, IT, and cybersecurity to support us each semester, and it's clear that UNG provides this type of talent," Majeres said. "Having the opportunity to discuss these topics with the UNG leadership and faculty was extremely meaningful and reassuring to us that both our company and students will benefit in the long term. We are pleased to be partnering with UNG."
Lindsey Brown, '23, graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) in marketing with a concentration in digital marketing. She works as a digital content producer for Mansfield Energy. Through help from UNG Career Services, she started at Mansfield as an intern while an undergraduate student. Now that she’s a full-time Mansfield employee, Brown is pursuing the Cottrell Master of Business Administration (MBA) online from UNG.
"My digital marketing degree laid the foundation for my future. UNG helped me learn the instruments of how a business operates and what would make me more competitive when applying for jobs," Brown, a third-generation alumnus, said. "Now, through the MBA program, UNG is continuing to pave the way for my future success."
Cristina Del Rio, a senior from Gainesville, Georgia, pursuing a B.B.A. in accounting, is a tax intern for Mansfield this summer. She first heard about Mansfield at a Beta Alpha Psi meeting.
"UNG prepared me for my internship because there are numerous helpful resources on campus and on the university website. I followed the online interview recommendations and successfully completed both interviews," Del Rio said. "Although gaining experience and learning about the real-world aspects of the accounting field was my top priority, my favorite part of the internship is the people."
Dr. Jeff Turk, dean of the Lewis F. Rogers Institute for Environmental and Spatial Analysis, said the tour was a valuable experience for everyone involved.
"We visited some incredible places and saw some of the many exciting things happening in industry and agriculture in our region," Turk said. "It also helped inform the group in ways that UNG can further support industry and the local economy while also providing employment opportunities for our students and graduates."
Dr. Juanfra DeVillena, senior vice president of quality assurance and food safety at Wayne Sanderson Farms, enjoyed speaking with the UNG leaders. He has two sons who attend UNG, one of whom plays on the soccer team.
"It's special to me because I have two Nighthawks there. It's a great school," DeVillena said. "To me, it's a chance to give back to where my kids are getting the foundation for a career."