Path to Leadership 

“The goal is to help BakerRipley employees get a better idea of what it means to make strategic decisions at the top of the organization, which would mean deciding how best they can help the community,” Carlin said. “We’re giving them the tools and ways of thinking that help them feel better about the decisions they make in the most rational, reasonable and ethical way.” 

The custom program is an offering from Bauer College's Office of Executive Development, designed to address employee needs identified by BakerRipley. Ranging from Foundations of Accounting for Nonprofits to Executive Communications courses, Carlin said the program is valuable to employees at various points in their careers. 

“Everyone benefits by being reminded of things that they once knew and have since forgotten,” she said. “Not all executives have an MBA. Not all executives need an MBA. But everybody in organizations, whether for-profit or nonprofit, can benefit from learning new things.” 

BakerRipley Director of Leadership Development and Training Leonard Nelson previously participated in a Bauer Mini-MBA session and said he experienced firsthand how executive education can help nonprofit employees gain applicable skills and build upon what they already know. 

“I learned something in each session that I could take back and actually use in real time, so that's what we choose to do with this custom program,” Nelson said. “We want to make sure that we are giving our leaders the tools and resources that they need currently and in the future. We're looking at succession planning.”