Elizabethtown College’s M&M Mars Executive Lecture Series was created four years ago by Sylvester Williams, associate professor of business law and the chair of E-town’s Business Department, as a means of bringing insights from regional senior business executives to the campus community. The lecture series is intended to provide knowledge about the business environment in central Pennsylvania and explore the myriad of opportunities that exist for students and other companies.
“The collaboration with Mars and other firms provides our students with firsthand exposure to businesses they might end up working for after graduation,” said Williams. “Our students can learn about the businesses, meet the leadership from the firm … and most importantly, understand the complex nature for how businesses operate in society today.”
In addition, community members have the opportunity to hear about subjects integral to running a healthy business, and other firms in the community benefit by learning about businesses with which they might partner to support their products or services. All audience members can learn about changes taking place, which might affect what they do.
“I am most excited about the fact that we are able to attract so many quality businesses in the region,” Williams noted about the line-up of speakers.
In the past three years, the M&M Mars Executive Lecture Series has hosted 70 senior-level executives, many of whom hire E-town students for internships or permanent positions. Williams said he’s excited to be able to showcase regional firms that help retain more of E-town’s students in the Pennsylvania area after graduation. “The lecture series helps to show them what is available in this market and provides them with direct access to the firms’ leadership to learn about the businesses.”
The free lectures take place at 11 a.m. on several Fridays each month in the College’s M&M Mars Room or Hoover 212.
The series opens Friday, Sept. 11, with James Clark, a digital consultant with Target Digital and John Bowser, president and CEO of Target Media USA.
The remaining September lectures include:
Friday, September 18
Ethan Demme, president and CEO of Demme Learning in the M&M Mars Room of Leffler Chapel and Performance Center
Friday, September 25
John N. Snader, president and CEO of Brethren Village, in the M&M Mars Room of Leffler Chapel and Performance Center
See the full fall calendar for lectures in October, November and December.
Contact — Sharon Kain at kains@etown.edu or 717-361-1270