Lunch and Learn Series Brings Real Life Experience to PNP Students

The PNP program is hosting an exciting Lunch and Learn series this fall!

Successful Nonprofit Leadership, Bob Giannino-Racine - Executive Director, ACCESS
Oct. 2, 11:00-12:30 p.m. (SMG 114)

Careers in Nonprofit Finance & Operations, Mitzi Fennel '92, Nonprofit Financial Consultant
Oct. 16, 11:00-12:30 p.m. (SMG 206)

Careers in Global Social Impact: Microfinance

Acction International

November 13, 11:00-12:30 p.m. (SMG 114)

Careers in the Public Sector: Can you really make a difference?

Peter Rowe '84, Deputy Superintendent for A & F, Brookline Public Schools

Lexi Dew '04, Analyst, Government Accountability Office

November 27, 11:00-12:30 p.m. (SMG 114)

We are planning the spring series Lunch and Learn series now. If you're interested in speaking about your career experience this spring, please contact Karine McClosky at pnpclub@bu.edu.

Getting to Know Other Alums

Joe Carper, Class of '82

Director of Operations, Appalachian Mountain Club

Q: When did you begin working for the Appalachian Mountain Club?

JC: Four years ago, in the fall of 2003. It was wonderful to return to New England again after nearly 20 years in the Washington, DC area.

Q: What are some of your job responsibilities?

JC: AMC's mission is to promote the protection, enjoyment and wise use of the mountains, rivers and trails of the Appalachian region. As Director of Operations, I oversee our network of mountain huts and front country outdoor education centers in New England and northern New Jersey; our educational programming initiatives for youth and adults; our merchandising efforts; the activities of our twelve chapters and thousands of volunteers; and the organization's management information team and the Board, I also contribute toward the development of the organization's long-term strategies.

Q: How did the PNP program help prepare you for the workplace?

JC: The program helped me make the transition from my previous work as a counselor working with emotionally disturbed youth to non-profit management, with a focus primarily on organizations having a large earned income component of their operations. While the basic accounting, operations management, and marketing skills I learned at BU have been extremely helpful, even more important were the case-based courses that required us to think as senior managers-analyzing the issues, identifying the important constituencies, and formulating strategies and action steps. That methodology has proven helpful over the years across a number of positions and organizations.

Q: What were a few of your favorite things about PNP and/or BU?

JC: My fellow classmates, especially the fellow full-time students with whom I spent hours in study groups, preparing for exams, etc. The mix of full and part-time students and the diversity of their work experiences. Everyone was so very supportive of one another. The PNP faculty was superb and extremely available outside of class time. The internship opportunity also.

Q: Could you tell us about some of the key projects you're working on?

JC: AMC is very concerned about many of the trends in outdoor recreation today, especially the trend of fewer youth engaging in unstructured outdoor activities and having meaningful connections with the natural world. We believe the future of conservation depends upon such experiences.

We are working hard to find ways to engage more young people in the outdoors-from increasing the number of youth agencies we work with, to training more outdoor youth leaders, to increasing attendance on our overnight environmental education programs aimed at middle school-aged kids, to expanding the number of family camps we run at our outdoor centers that can introduce folks to the outdoors, to engaging our volunteer community in developing more family and youth-friendly programming.

While funding for these kinds of programs comes, in part, from grants and contributions, we also support these programs from surpluses generated from our lodging operations, so much of my time is spent trying to figure out ways to increase our occupancy-including more aggressive group sales efforts, improving the level of guest amenities, and improving the quality and variety of the free programming we offer all our guests.

Q: What are some of your or AMC's more recent accomplishments and/or challenges-an interesting new program AMC is doing, etc.?

JC: One hundred years ago, the AMC was instrumental in helping pass the Weeks Act, which created the White Mountain National Forest-a recreational treasure today for many of us in New England. Now, we are equally engaged in helping preserve the One Hundred Mile Wilderness in Maine, a beautiful expanse of forest and lakes ranging from Monson to Mt. Katahdin surrounding the Appalachian Trail corridor. As a landowner of 37,000 acres, we are practicing sustainable forestry, developing a four-season recreational infrastructure we hope will attract many to the area, and helping promote economic development in the region through nature-based tourism.

If you'd like to contact Joe, please email him at: jcarper@outdoors.org.

PNP Club Update

This year the PNP Club has over 100 members! Attendance for the first few Lunch and Learns has been fantastic. More than 25 students have been able to attend each L&L. Alums interested in speaking at a Lunch and Learn or on the PNP Panel at Symposium (February 9, 2008) should contact Club President Karine McClosky at pnpclub@bu.edu

Upcoming events for the PNP Club include a potluck, more lunch and learns, and the coorindation of a school-wide fundraiser for the Salvation Army's Adopt-A-Family. Also, first year students are already thinking about internships and second year students are thinking about their next career move, so keep BU PNPers in mind!

PNP Program to Launch Annual Appeal

Annual Appeal 2008
This year marks the beginning of a new campaign, which we invite you to join. The Public and Nonprofit Management Program is reaching out to our 680 alumni to create new opportunities for current and future PNP students.

In February of 2008 we will be sending you an appeal letter asking for your contribution to support our gaining momentum. Between now and then, we would like you to take some time and reflect on your experiences at BU and your summer internship and how they got you to where you are right now. We hope that this time will prepare you to join us in our march toward an increasingly robust PNP program. Thank you in advance!

FORSE 2007: Forum for Social Entrepreneurs

The first regional conference dedicated to social entrepreneurship was held on Friday, November 2nd at the School of Management. More than 200 leading social entrepreneurs, donors and investors, concerned professionals, alumni and thought-leaders committed to social change and innovation attended. This event was sponsored by TiE-Boston, The Deshpande Foundation and the Boston University Public and Nonprofit Management Program.

Please seehttp://management.bu.edu/exec/elc/ForSE/Index.shtml for more information.


First year students Kezia Koo and Meghan Blute-Nelson enjoy the post-session festivities.


An overflow room observes the "pitch"

sessions of new entrepreneurs.

Brazilian Field Seminar Last Summer a Success!

Twenty lucky School of Management students visited multi-national corporations, local companies, social enterprises, and NGOs in Sao Paulo, Rio, Campinas, Santos and Belo Horizonte for 10 days in May to learn first-hand about sustainable business and global social enterprise. This year's trip will enroll another 20 students. If you have any Brazil connections you want to share with us, please email Kristen McCormack at kmac@bu.edu.

Boston University MBA students and trip leaders Kristen McCormack and
Jose Pedro Lins, gather for an evening celebration with GSM alumni in Sao Paulo.

Planning Underway for 2008 Link Day

Save the Date: February 22, 2008
The PNP Club is pleased to announce its Seventh Annual Link Day, a one-day consulting event that matches non-profit organizations with teams of BU MBA students, faculty, and alumni for a day to solve a specific organizational problem. Students gain valuable consulting experience while making a difference for a community-based agency; nonprofit and public organizations receive pro bono consulting to help resolve critical organizational issues; BU professors and alumni add real-world experience while providing guidance and leadership to student teams.

The Link Day Planning Committee is currently accepting applications from nonprofit organizations that would benefit from a team of consultants. There are also sponsorship opportunities available for this year's event. Please contact pnpclub@bu.edu with your interest or referrals. Some of last year's sponsors included AIDS Action Committee, State Street, Citizen's Bank, Genzyme, and on campus groups such as the MBA Council, the Graduate Programs Office, and the Feld Career Center.

To read about last year's Link Day, click on the following link to an article from the Boston Business Journal: BU's Link Day matches MBAs with area nonprofits