The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management prides itself on being made up of a diverse range of professionals from across the graduate business education and corporate landscapes. Our Board of Trustees is no exception, with representatives from each of our 20 member schools as well as alumni and leaders from some of our corporate partner companies.
Through this monthly series, we encourage you to go behind the scenes with us to get to know members of our Board of Trustees, beyond just their professional titles, as they respond to a series of fun, thought-provoking questions.
Cynthia Saunders-Cheatham, Assistant Dean, Career Management Center, SC Johnson College of Business, Cornell University
How do you start your day every morning?
I run almost every morning. Well, a light jog may be a better definition of what I do — but I do about 2.3 miles every morning. I also download a few New York Times articles to an app that reads them to me while I am getting dressed, commuting to work or doing other tasks. Having the articles read to me saves me a lot of time, and the voice technology has gotten so much better in recent years.
What is your favorite thing about the work that you do?
My MBA concentration was marketing, and I worked in corporate in marketing and brand management for 15 years before transitioning to career management. At Cornell, I initially advised MBA students targeting marketing careers. In spite of the additional industries that I have advised in and the leadership role that I have, I still see myself as a marketer at heart. I seek to understand the skills needed by various industries and recruiting companies, and I use that knowledge to help our students best position themselves (using their resumes, networking, social media, etc.) for those opportunities. I also stay abreast of business news so that I can talk to companies about the skills our students have and how they can meet their business needs.
I also love working with our students and helping them achieve their career goals. I am their biggest cheerleader!
When it comes to food, what is your guilty pleasure?
Fried seafood, especially fish, oysters and shrimp. I also enjoy steamed crabs and eastern North Carolina barbecue. I grew up in northeastern North Carolina, not far from the Outer Banks and Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Va.
Corey M. Dortch, PhD, Associate Dean, Evening MBA Program, Goizueta Business School, Emory University
If you didn’t have to work, how would you spend your time?
I would be a travel blogger. As a child, I frequently read about places around the globe — both near and far. Enchanting stories from these places allowed my imagination to run wild. Since then, I have been blessed to visit over 40 countries and experience things that I once dreamed of: majestic animals roaming freely while on safari in South Africa, seeing the spectacular show of the Northern Lights in Scandinavia, hopping from country to country on trains with my bride throughout Europe, the peace of the shepherding in the New Zealand countryside. As a blogger, I would share my lens of the world and spend my time immersing myself in cultures different from our own and sharing the stories of the people there.
How do you start your day every morning?
I try to start each day with thanksgiving. When I hear my toddler, I remind myself to be thankful for ears that hear, and because I hear him, he is alive and well. I consider that my family and friends are generally OK — especially if I don’t have an urgent message from them — and I am thankful. I listen to inspirational (insert gospel) music, sing along and offer thanks and gratitude to God as he allows me to tackle a new day.
What is your favorite thing about the work you do?
I am fortunate to work with highly driven and intelligent people. The opportunity to challenge, be challenged and complete projects from start to finish motivates me. This year in particular, I have taken time to appreciate the chance to redesign and rethink how we deliver a world-class educational experience. I am confident that we will continue to rise to the occasion because of the dedication and commitment of our teams.
Amy Mitson, Interim Co-Executive Director, Admissions & Financial Aid, Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College
What is the best piece of advice you ever received?
Make it your own. My first boss at Tuck shared this advice with me at a point in time when I was finding my feet. This simple statement is equal parts empowering and inspiring. This said to me that I am in my job for a reason and I am trusted and encouraged by my team to contribute uniquely to our shared work. It’s a handy mantra when I need a pep talk!
When it comes to food, what is your guilty pleasure?
There are many great Italian restaurants and delis where I grew up in Rhode Island. Eggplant parmigiana is a labor of love to make and a guilty pleasure to eat. I miss it and try to replicate it often.
What is the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
Living in the great state of New Hampshire for the last 20 years has lent to many outdoor adventures for me. One of the most memorable was joining the Upper Valley Running Club and running up Mt. Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast. While there were points where I was definitely going at a snail’s pace, I made it up under my own steam. I have often channeled the resolve required to run uphill for two hours when trying to solve sticky problems in life and work.
The post Behind the Scenes with the Board of Trustees: Get to Know Amy Mitson, Cynthia Saunders-Cheatham & Dr. Corey Dortch appeared first on The Consortium.