Student Testimonials

“When I first heard about consulting with the Center for Social Value Creation, I was excited about the opportunity to gain experience in a new career field while giving back to the community. I was also excited when I learned I had been selected to work with South Dakota Head Start Association because I had the opportunity to utilize my social media skills to increase awareness about Head Start programs. Before starting the project, I was nervous about working with the executive director of the nonprofit organization and wondered if he would make time for my teammate and I and if he would take our recommendations seriously. After the first teleconference my nerves were settled because Buddy, the executive director, was a nice guy that was dedicated to the project and extremely responsive to our emails and phone calls.

(L to R) Eric Walthall (MBA '12 UMD), Buddy Seiner (Executive Director, SDHSA), Brian Whittaker (MBA '11 UMD)

As we worked through the consulting project, we learned more about the structure of SDHSA, their operations and the limited resources available to Buddy. Due to his limited resources, Buddy allowed us to help him by executing some of the social media tasks, such as linking their blog to Facebook and Twitter as well as setting up an email distribution list for each of his committees. Communication throughout the project remained constant and we even had the opportunity to fly out to South Dakota to meet Buddy in person and work through a majority of the project.

In Sioux Falls, we realized communication there was much different than that of the Washington metropolitan area. The people we met and locals we saw were very rarely on smart phones. When working with people across a state as large as South Dakota, smart phone and constant email communication is vital to management and delegation.

At the end of the project, we provided Buddy with a report that included a process to use his social media tools, recommendations on how to get more people involved in monthly meetings, and a check list to asses potential partners. Six months after completing our project last Fall, Buddy has incorporated many of our operational recommendations into the SDHSA three year strategic plan, received more participation on social media campaigns, and gained more sponsors for the annual conference this year.

Consulting for SDHSA only increased my interest in changing to a consulting career path. It was a positive experience that allowed me to learn about the importance of addressing potential interpersonal issues that might be limit productivity early on in the project. CSVC has provided me with another avenue to give back and make an impact in the community. As I complete my MBA, I hope to find a full time position where I can utilize my professional skills to improve business processes while creating a social impact in the future.”

-Brian Whittaker, MBA 2011, Smith School of Business, University of Maryland