Fort Valley State University

A program that sharpens the professional skills of tomorrow’s business leaders was recently launched at Fort Valley State University. The new Business Executive Training (BET) Program, is modeled after FVSU’s Cooperative Developmental Energy Program (CDEP). “We’re trying to link our business students with the best that the industry has to offer,” said Dr. Isaac J. Crumbly, vice president of career and collaborative programs and CDEP founder.

Thirty students in the business department who maintain a 3.0 average or higher and have earned 30 credit hours will participate. “We want to expose the banking and finance community to FVSU’s top business and economics students. We’d also like to have our students work with these industries, as well. It’s a win-win situation. It’s similar to the model used in the ’80s to connect CDEP students to the energy industry. One of the best ways of forging excellent relationships is to have your students work as interns.”

After introductions at the kick-off event, students listened as representatives from Robins Federal Credit Union described their work in the mortgage and lending industry. “I love my job. I like being able to look people in the eye and know we’re offering lower rates than banks. You need to have good people skills and compassion for others,” Lana Whiteley told the group. Whiteley is a mortgage lending executive at Robins. She also discussed the importance of maintaining a good credit history to land a job and buy a home.

A regular lecture series featuring local, state and national business leaders is a mainstay of BET. Eventually, the organization plans to link students to internship positions at companies in the community.

For additional information regarding the program, please contact Annette Johnson, executive assistant to the vice president of career and collaborative programs, at (478) 825-6611.