Change agent Worcester to keynote NJC Business Day

***Press Release***

Registration for event due by March 1^st

By Barbara Baker

Following a two year hiatus, the popular “Business Day” coordinated by the Northeastern Junior College Business Department returns in 2013 on March 6^th with an impressive line-up of workshops and speakers. The college encourages employers from throughout Northeastern Colorado to participate in this event by attending themselves, or sending employees to campus for the day.

This year’s theme is “Get All In” As business operators, manager and employees, every day you evaluate where you’re at business-wise. You determine what you’ll  be doing next and with whom you’ll be doing it. “We also decide how we’ll go about doing it, “ says Amanda Kerker, a professor in the business department who sponsors the Business Club on campus which is helping oversee the event. “When we are engaging in business or employment activities, sometimes we only test the waters, perhaps put a toe in, maybe a whole foot, but leave one foot safely on the deck ready to jump back out if it doesn’t go well,” she says. “Then  there are some people out there who just jump in—they are all in.” Kerker goes on to say that those who are all in are often way more committed to the work they do, believe there is purpose in the work they do and often see the greatest results. They make all the positive difference in a company’s operational success.

“At this year’s Business Day, we will  explore the concept of pushing all our chips to the center of the table in the game of life – especially as it relates to leadership, our life choices, and our relationships,” explains Kerker.  “How do we, and when should we, become the type of person who removes the caution and puts actual skin in the game.  If you are the type of person who finds yourself indecisive or concerned about the consequences, programming at this event will help encourage you to find the courage to pursue your passions and discover the potential that comes with going ‘all in’,” Kerker says. This same philosophy will be conveyed to students on campus attending the event who are pursuing degrees. Until they realize that they have to get ‘all in’, they may be just half-heartedly challenging themselves academically. 

The luncheon keynote speaker, Jake Worcester of Peak Solutions in Fort Collins, has a message that will coincide with the theme of the day entitled, “All In--Discovering Your Full Potential.” A natural leader and successful change agent, Worcester specializes in putting systems in place to provide a connection between theory and application.  He travels the country working with organizations to develop lasting change and build sustainable training and development initiatives.

The event will open at 9 a.m. with a rotating workshop series featuring a number of current topics including: “Recession and the Mortgage Crisis” presented by  Bob Hagerty, Wall Street Journal Reporter (via Skype), “Protect Yourself Online” presented by  Bill Dolan, Sterling Police Department, “Social Networking in Marketing Your Business” presented by Amber Schliesser, Bank of Colorado, and “Careers in Finance” presented by  Shanan Doherty, Pilkington Financial.

A group of workshops follow again at 10 a.m. including: “Positive Impact--How to be an Employee Everyone Fights to Keep” presented by  Worcester; “Cool Tools- Productivity Apps”  presented by  Beth Kitts and Brenda Perea; “White Collar Crime-Accounting”  presented by  Kevin Hyland of the  Colorado Bureau of Investigation, and a repeat of Dolan’s  “Protect Yourself Online”

During Worcester’s Positive Impact workshop,  he uses the example that if you have two employees, both technically competent, but you can only keep one, how do you decide who you keep and why? He will help answer this question by telling the employer what to be looking for. He will also tell the employee what to be offering if he or she wants to be the type of person that the company will fight to keep.

A third group of workshops will happen at 11 a.m. and includes a repeat of several of those offered earlier in the day with the addition of one on “Careers in Management” given by  Nicki Swedlund of  Maurices. This rotating schedule should give everyone attending an opportunity to gather as much information from workshops as possible.

All events will be held at Hays Student Center on campus. The cost to participate in the 2013 Business Day is only $20 and includes lunch on campus. To register, email Sherrie Lichtenwalner  at sherrie.lichtenwalner@njc.edu or call her at 521-6637. There is also online registration at www.njc.edu/businessday or you may do it in person at the office located at 214 Philliips Whyman Hall on campus.

You must register by March 1^st.