A new leadership team is taking shape in Sonoma State University's School of Business and Economics Career Center. Human Resources Management Professor Susan Flannery Adams has been appointed interim Director of the Center. She joins interim Internship Director and Marketing Professor Dr. Kyuho Lee and Accounting Professor and Accounting Forum Club adviser Joe Standridge in the restructured department.
The Career Center connects business and economics students to approximately 300 internships and nearly 100 professional mentorships each year. The Accounting Forum helps place more than 100 students in accounting positions annually.
"The School of Business and Economics is now recognized as a major employment pipeline for the North San Francisco Bay Area," says Adams. "Workforce development programs are vital to this growth and we look forward to building on the hard work and passion to inspire students with opportunities and activities that lead to life-changing career connections."
Adams has 18 years of human resources experience in both nonprofit and corporate environments, with expertise in implementing HR systems and programs. She currently teaches HR management courses in the undergraduate, graduate, and professional development programs at SSU. Previously, she was head of HR at PNI Sensor Corporation in Santa Rosa, and held senior positions at Booz Allen Hamilton and United Methodist Homes.
The consolidation of SBE career services, including the corporate partnership program, internship and mentorship programs, and Accounting Forum activities, is intended to raise the visibility of the Career Center and provide a central location for its programs. Under the Standridge's guidance, the accounting program has become a feeder program for top-tier accounting firms in Northern California, including PricewaterhouseCoopers.
"The strategic partnership between the Accounting Forum and the Career Center aligns our efforts to best serve students as they transition from classroom to career," said William Silver, dean of the School of Business and Economics. "It allows important community relationships developed over many years to benefit from the resources of a dedicated career office. And it brings exciting new leadership on board to continue to meet the needs of young professionals and a vibrant workforce economy."
Adams and Lee replace Sarah Dove and Duane Dove, respectively, following their recent retirement after a 20-year career at SSU.