The View Spring 2018

Spring 2018 | VOLUME 37

SUPER SMART

GIRL! Latina McIntyre’s

Life Comes Full Circle

Dr. Jon Kayne Exemplifies Real Learning for Real Life

GRANDPA GOLFER Age-Defying Don Byers Joins Bruins Squad Royal Caribbean’s Morris Offers Travel Advice

The Magazine for Alumni and Friends of Bellevue University

Spring 2018 | Volume 37

STUDENT SPEAKER SHARES ADVICE

Cover: Latina McIntyre has founded Super Smart Girl to help inspire and teach young girls life skills, teamwork, and positive self-image. McIntyre’s military experience, life experience, and her Master of Public Administration degree help inform those efforts.

Table of Contents Leia Baez…. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 London Swinney…. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5 Latina McIntyre…. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7 Don Byers… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9 Dwight Morris…. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11 Dr. Jon Kayne…. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13 Avi Kahn…. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Bob and Susan Knapp…. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Jason Johnson…. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Navigating by the

Mission Statement •

Bellevue University effectively engages students in earning awards and degrees that prepare them to thrive in a connected, competitive world.

•

We provide students with a powerful foundation for personal value creation, instilling the confidence they need to take control of their lives and to be responsible citizens of the global community.

•

We teach the value of a free market, capitalist economic system and the importance of preserving our American heritage of a democratic and free way of life.

Vision The vision of Bellevue University is to be the premier open access university in the United States.

Values • Integrity in all we do • Belief in the transformational value of education • Student-centric • Market-focused • Innovative

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Decorative stars that adorned her high school bedroom served as motivation and inspiration for student speaker Leia Baez. A similar star was left on the seat of each graduate during the 2018 Winter Commencement Ceremony.

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Leia Baez’s Bellevue University degree has already started paying dividends. The student speaker at the 2018 Winter Commencement ceremony graduated with a Master’s of Public Administration (MPA) and is currently the Public Information Officer for Douglas County. She landed the position just six months into her MPA program.

“The fact that I was pursuing my MPA and was interested in government operations was impressive to the hiring committee. I absolutely love my career as a Public Information Officer and I hope to continue to grow in this position,” Baez said.

Baez’s role with Douglas County includes serving as a media spokesperson, writing press releases, arranging press conferences and interviews, and managing social media platforms.

“I love that my job allows me to serve the public and the taxpayers of Douglas County, providing them important information that pertains to the community they live in,” she said. “As a journalist for 14 years, I also enjoy that I get to combine my passion for writing and interest in government operations into one career.”

Online Flexibility Baez called upon some of those skills when she addressed her fellow graduates on Saturday, Jan. 27 at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs.

“I hope my story inspires my fellow graduates to never give up – even during the most difficult times in life. My message is focused on embracing the challenges, setbacks, and failures in our lives because they force us to grow and teach us the most about who we are.”

After graduating from Bellevue West High School, Baez earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and worked as a Deputy Online Editor at the Omaha World-Herald.

Bellevue University’s online classes appealed to her as she considered options for pursing a graduate degree.

“That was a huge draw for me as a full-time journalist and a mother. It meant a lot of late nights studying, but the flexibility was key. Pursuing my MPA at Bellevue didn’t take away my time as a mom or an employee,” she said.

“I also had many friends receive both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Bellevue so I always knew about the opportunities there.”

Baez’s daughter, six-year-old Stella, helped her mother celebrate during the Graduation Open House event. “My daughter is the real reason I am so driven,” Baez said. “I want her to see firsthand that we can accomplish anything we put on minds to.”

“I am grateful to have learned a lot about public policy and leadership,” she said, “which I use on a daily basis in my career.”

Baez and her fellow graduates hit a significant milestone when they walked across the stage during commencement, and she has three tips for those considering taking those first steps down the same path.

Baez’s family served as a support system as well as a source of motivation, especially her six-year-old daughter, Stella, as she pursued her degree.

1. Surround yourself with supportive people: Baez credits her family for lending a hand and for pushing her toward her end goal of graduation.

“My family is my rock. I can always count on my parents and my brother and sister-in-law to encourage me to never give up on my goals,” she said. “They would also step in to help with my daughter whenever I needed additional time to meet up with classmates or write papers and study. But my daughter is the real reason I am so driven. I want her to see firsthand that we can accomplish anything we put our minds to. I want her to know that the opportunities in front of her are endless.”

2.

Get to know your professors and classmates: She encourages students to make a point of meeting some classmates and professors in person, if possible, and believes those interactions help build better relationships and can help with career networking.

3. Don’t give up: Grad school is not easy, Baez said, but she recommends that students lean into to the coursework.

Spring 2018 | 3

London Swinney posed in front of the MGM lion in the lobby of the Las Vegas hotel and casino. The lion is adorned with a pink ribbon, while the base of the display reads VEGASSTRONG to commemorate those lost in the October 1, 2017 shooting.

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London Swinney in front of the fountain in the mansion portion of the hotel. As Vice President of Casino Operations at the hotel, Swinney is in charge of gaming operations at the resort, including table games, the race and sports book, and poker.

“The program was so comprehensive. They really have it designed very well.

Bellevue was one of the first ones to the market with a really good, comprehensive, online program.”

Visiting Las Vegas? Luxor and New York, New York are nice, but it’s London that makes the MGM Grand Las Vegas the place to be. And, as the Vice President of Casino Operations at the iconic Vegas hotel, it is London Swinney’s responsibility to ensure your stay is the best it can be.

“I knew I probably couldn’t get a nice apartment on what I was making,” she said. “I told my dad I wanted to learn how to deal cards just to make some extra money. He tried to get me not to do it. He said, ‘You’re going to make too much money and then you’re not going to finish your finance degree.’”

Swinney, a 2009 graduate of Bellevue University with a Bachelor of Science in Management, is in charge of gaming operations at the resort, including table games, the race and sports book, and poker.

Father Knows Best

“I oversee about a thousand employees and really a lot of things from guest services to employee relations to analyzing profitability of customers,” Swinney said. “I spend a lot of time with guests and employees.”

In addition to those responsibilities, Swinney contributes to the overall direction of the organization and offers input on the latest in casino and hotel trends.

A native Las Vegan, Swinney attended the University of Nevada-Las Vegas out of high school, but was itching to move out of the house. However, she recognized that paying rent on top of tuition would be a stretch.

Swinney did indeed take fewer and fewer classes. It was somewhere around 15 years later before she began thinking about school again.

“I was Director of Casino Operations at New York, New York,” she said.

“It wasn’t about advancing my career; it was more about my own self-satisfaction. I had young children at the time and wanted to set a good example. I never wanted to give them a reason not to finish their education.”

Still, fitting in classes around her work schedule was going to be tough at a traditional school. Bellevue University, which Swinney had learned about through a colleague, offered an online management program. The cohort format, in which

students take one class at a time with the same group of people, was also attractive to Swinney.

“I went online, started looking, and I was amazed,” she said. “They had a plan. You know you’re going to take this class, this class, and this class. I just methodically went through the program and was able to complete it. They just made it so organized and easy. Counselors were there that would answer any questions as well.”

Worldwide Reach Once enrolled, Swinney engaged with students from around the country and even around the world.

“We had students in the military in Afghanistan. There were students in Connecticut. There were students in Texas,” she said. “That’s what I found the most fascinating about it. I was organizing a chat room with students from all over the world.

“The program was so comprehensive.

They really have it designed very well.

Bellevue was one of the first ones to the market with a really good, comprehensive, online program.”

Spring 2018 | 5

SUPER SMART

ALUM STORY WRITES NEW FOR YOUTH

Latina McIntyre’s life has truly come full circle.

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Thanks to lessons she learned from her Grandma Essie, she’s seeing two organizations she founded achieve success in motivating young women to be as McIntyre describes it “sweet, smart, and goal-oriented.”

McIntyre, a 2010 Master of Public Administration graduate and proud Air Force veteran, explains that both entities, which share the name “Super Smart Girl,” are focused on helping girls be the best versions of themselves. “Super Smart Girl is built on love and positive exploration,” she said. There is a non-profit club that engages young girls ages 2 through 18 in community service events and educational programs in order to stimulate critical thinking skills, life skills, teamwork, and positive self-image, as well as a for-profit LLC that provides mentoring services to girls in three age groups.

Girls who acquire those skills, believes McIntyre, will have a bright future. “The Super Smart Girl model is bridging the gap between the local community and youth,” she said. In 2017, Super Smart Girl members engaged in educational activities with a historical museum where they learned to polish silver and maintain museum artifacts; put together Hurricane Harvey care packages; and collected and donated books for St. Jude’s and Shriners Hospital for children, further reinforcing the non-profit organization’s literacy-based, educational mission.

Another visible sign of Super Smart Girl’s message of positivity is “The Super Smart Girl Book,” which was recently published by Mascot Books.

Written by McIntyre and accompanied by illustrations by Eric Quzack, the book tells the adventures of Royal, a fierce and respectful young girl. According to McIntyre and her book’s heroine, Royal, Super Smart Girls are capable of excelling in reading, math, cooking, and fashion, while also demonstrating that they are loving, respectful, helpful, kind, responsible, and authentic to those around them.

Currently, girls in several age groups from North Carolina, Georgia, and South Carolina, where McIntyre and her family now reside, are members. But the Super Smart Girl map will likely expand soon. “I plan on obtaining national accreditation and I have a workshop that I will be launching,” said McIntyre.

Wherever she goes to spread the story of “sweet, smart, and goal-oriented girls,” her husband and best friend, Elston Ray, and her two sons and stepdaughter, will be cheering her on. “Our boys are excited and anticipating the release of the

Girls in several age groups from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia are members of McIntyre’s group. McIntyre is working on expanding the group. “I plan on obtaining national accreditation and I have a workshop I will be launching,” she said.

boy version of the book. My husband is happy to be a part of the vision and growth of the book.”

McIntyre believes that her Grandma Essie, who always made time to help others, would be rejoicing in her success if she were still alive. “Royal is the little girl that I always wanted. Her love for life and people is the love that my late grandmother instilled in me.”

Putting Her MPA to Work McIntyre credits her Bellevue University degree as instrumental to her efforts to build Super Smart Girl. The 41-year-old former special education teacher, who was raised in Brooklyn, New York, says she has used all the skills she learned in her Master of Public Administration program, including: • Communication skills. In her role as CEO of Super Smart Girl, LLC, and the Super Smart Girl non-profit, McIntyre communicates with people of all ages and from all walks of life, including customers, community leaders, program participants, vendors, and more. “I write, I present, and I talk to the media and to parents and the girls who participate every single day,” she said.

• Partnership skills. McIntyre puts her partnership skills to the test when she interacts with community leaders to establish new chapters and when she sets up activities for her budding young leaders.

• Engagement skills. McIntyre makes a point of staying close to her customers by attending family festivals and children’s events throughout the year. “Parents ask me when I will be setting up a chapter near them for their girls, and for their sons, too.”

• Planning skills. McIntyre is looking ahead to writing more of Royal’s adventures and plans to collaborate with illustrator Quzack on three more children’s books.

• Finance skills. McIntyre is responsible for the finances for both her start-up limited liability company (LLC) and for the non-profit organization. Classes like Finance for the Public Administrator prepared her to identify funding sources and structure a budget for the real world.

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BELLEVUE

ATHLETICS

Byers tees off at the Midland Invitational at the Tiburon Golf Club in Omaha. Byers shot a 7-over 79 at the event.

GRANDPA GOLFER 61-year-old Don Byers Joins Bruin Golf Team

Don Byers, 61, still remembers the particulars of a chance round of golf last summer at Champions Run Golf Course.

No, Byers didn’t hit a hole-in-one on this round, nor did he play out of the ordinary. But what Byers did do during the round was contemplate taking a big step out of his comfort zone.

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During that round a seed was planted for an idea for the grandfather of four to head back to college and to hit the links as a member of a college golf team. Thanks to a stroke of genius idea generated by friend-of-a-friend Rob Brown, the men’s golf coach at Bellevue University, the idea was planted in the mind of both Brown and Byers.

Brown, who was quickly impressed with Byers’ drives off the tee and sure-fire short game during the round, jokingly suggested to Byers that he should join the golf team at BU. “I was teasing him and said ‘Wow, I wish you had some eligibility left.’ I said, ‘Wow, you’d be a great player on our team and we’ve never had someone over 22-years-old,’” Brown recalled.

The thing is he wasn’t exactly joking with the 61-year-old.

“He kept pestering and I thought he was kidding,” Byers said with a laugh.

“But he was recruiting me and I just didn’t know how that worked.”

The sales pitch was simple: Enroll in a few classes at Bellevue University. Fulfill a lifelong goal of pursuing a college degree. Play some golf.

The proposition seemed reasonable to Byers, who at one time was enrolled in college, but who lost his baseball scholarship due to an arm injury.

With the idea firmly planted in his head and the support of his loved ones, the husband, father of three, and grandfather of four decided to try and chase that lifelong dream and enrolled at Bellevue University for spring classes.

“It was always in the back of my mind [to return to school],”Byers said.

Byers will make the transition from business owner/operator to now college student. Byers has over 30-plus years of experience owning and operating Byers Insurance Agency and will now balance his work and home life with being a collegiate student-athlete at age 61.

He admits the balancing act could become challenging once classes start and the season gets in full swing, but said the key is keeping his priorities in order. He said his family and work life come first with school and golf coming second.

Although Byers’ decision to enroll in college at his age is uncommon, it’s not unheard of. But his choice to play collegiate athletics at his age will now put him in select company. In fact, by all published accounts, Byers will now be one of the oldest college athletes in the United States in recent history.

Byers will soon join the company of other publicized older athletes like Tim “Pop” Frisby, who walked on and played on the University of South Carolina football team in 2004-05 at the age of 39, and a former 61-year-old

61-year old Omahan Don Byers (right) exchanges a fist bump with his teammate Inaki Aldao, 20, of Buenos Aires, Argentina during the Midland Invitational on April 17, 2018.

field goal kicker for NCAA Division III Faulkner University in 2011.

His case is unique, though, because he will be playing under the bylaws of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The NAIA eligibility rules do not include age limitations and doesn’t force student athletes to adhere to a “five-year clock” like that in the NCAA, which says athletes have five calendar years in which to play four seasons of competition and the one-year grace period after high school graduation.

“It’s incredibly unique,” said Brown of Byers’ situation. “Both his willingness and adventure to take it on is amazing.”

Although Byers has yet to start classes, he’s already started prepping for the golf season by participating in required team CrossFit® workouts with other members of the team. The brutal workouts have tested Byers both mentally and physically.

“I found out how out of shape I am now,” Byers said with a laugh. “I’m not finely tuned anymore and I’ve lost flexibility. It’s pretty impressive what (my teammates) can do.”

Senior Fernando Arzate said he’s been impressed thus far with Byers’ willingness to put forth the effort during the workouts, despite his limitations.

“The first time we did CrossFit everyone wanted to see how the grandpa was and he was like ‘OK guys, I’m done,’” Arzate said. “But we said, ‘Oh, that’s the warm up.’ But he’s been working out and doing a great job.”

The BU golf team kicked off the second half of their season with their first spring event at the Battle at Primm in Las Vegas on March 19-20.

If Byers makes the travel team, he’ll have the chance to make his collegiate golf debut in front of his family with hopes of putting his 40-plus years of experience over the competition to good use.

Overall, Byers said he’s just taking school and golf one semester at a time and is hoping to simply enjoy his time at Bellevue University and out on the golf course.

“I think I can play on the travel team and it’ll be a semester-by-semester thing. I would love to be on the golf team for four years. That would be great,” he said. “But by then I would be 65.”

By Tyler Schuster/Bellevue Leader Originally published Jan.11, 2018 Reprinted with permission

Spring 2018 | 9

Royal Caribbean’s Dwight Morris says…

LEAVE YOUR

Troubles BEHIND

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As the Manager of Investigations for Royal Caribbean, Dwight Morris wants travelers to enjoy their stay on any of the than 50 ships in global cruise company’s fleet. Leaving one’s problems on the dock is a great way to kick off that vacation.

When that doesn’t happen is when Morris’ job comes into play. A 2009 graduate of Bellevue University’s Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration program, Morris oversees a Miami-based staff of six senior investigators that handle all of the issues that might require police intervention for the fleet. That can include up to 140,000 people at sea at any one time. While the incident rate is much lower than one would find in a city of the same size, it is enough to keep Morris and his team busy.

“We handle the problems that occur on board in which you would normally call the police,” Morris said. “People don’t check their problems. They bring them on board and we deal with them.”

Should an incident occur, Morris’ team will guide the on-board security team on how to manage the situation.

“When they pull into port everything’s ready. The on-board team has all witness statements, suspect statements, and victim statements. They have all the pictures. They have whatever is necessary to assist law enforcement,” Morris said.

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Morris started his career in law enforcement in 1988 as a police officer with the City of Virginia Beach. He advanced to detective and enjoyed a 17-year career with the Virginia Beach Police Department before moving into the private sector. Morris had earned an associate’s degree through Arundel Community College in Maryland, but knew he needed additional education to further his career.

A referral from colleague and fellow Bellevue University alum Tina Sinclair helped steer Morris toward Bellevue University.

“I could not have come here without a degree,” Morris said. “It was the door. It was the gateway. That’s something that I knew early on. That was the kick in the pants that I needed. If you’re going to go anywhere you have to have a bachelor’s degree.”

“She had nothing but good things to say about Bellevue University,” Morris said. “I looked around at a lot of different colleges, did my due diligence, but Bellevue University turned out to be the perfect fit for me.”

Dwight Morris, on the deck of the Navigator of the Seas, leveraged his Criminal Justice degree from Bellevue University to land a job as Manager of Investigations for Royal Caribbean.

Once enrolled in the online program, Morris formed a collaborative relationship with Adjunct Instructor Tony Infantino, as well as with his fellow classmates.

“Collaboration within your department and your team is huge,” Morris said. “Group projects in class help develop that mindset. Those challenges that you have to work through will directly impact your success in a corporate environment.”

Morris landed his job with Royal Caribbean shortly after graduating in late 2009 with a 4.0 grade point average. The cruise company encompasses Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and several other lines. The Symphony of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world, launched in April 2018.

So Morris set about the task of juggling work, family, and school.

“The advantage to the online program was, if I was in a hotel room travelling, in the evening I could sit in my room doing homework and writing papers,” he said.

Support from his wife, Kathy, was key as well.

“When I was a student at Bellevue University, I was hard on myself. I was bound and determined that I was going to earn As,” Morris said. “I devoted almost every free moment to perfecting my work. She made sure that everything else was being taken care of. I am so fortunate that she is that kind of person.”

Morris leads a team of six senior investigators in his role as Manager of Investigations for Royal Caribbean.

Morris’ role does not put him out to sea often, but he has taken more than a few cruises with Royal Caribbean. It’s taken him to exotic locations like Rome, Barcelona, and the South of France.

“You’re leaving Spain and the next morning you wake up in Italy. The next day you’re in France,” he said. “It’s really a lot of fun to get a taste, a flavor, of each country.”

While the European trips have been fun, Morris puts Alaska at the top of the list. “The Alaskan itineraries are really, really special. The beauty is unbelievable.”

Of course, Morris knows better than anyone the key to a successful vacation, regardless of destination – travel light.

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Meet Dr. Jon Kayne, Professor of Clinical Counseling and Psychology at Bellevue University. Kayne not only teaches the program, he is a practitioner; a living example of Bellevue’s motto – “Real Learning for Real Life.”

Kayne, however, didn’t become what he is today overnight.

From his youth, Kayne wanted to serve humanity.

“As long as I can remember, even when I was a kid in school, I wanted to be of service to others. I enjoyed helping others,” he said.

It took Kayne years of hard experiences to figure out the best way to go about that. He entered college right after high school, but only lasted one semester; college wasn’t a good fit for him at this time in his life, he said. He then tried the military.

“I was one of those idealists who, back in those old days, joined to serve my country and fellow citizens,” he said.

Though he enjoyed his military experience, it wasn’t his passion. So, upon his return to civilian life, he tried college again while working a variety of jobs, but he still wasn’t satisfied.

“I was then provided with an opportunity to work in the Middle East in Israel. After a few years working on a border settlement, I came back home and tried college again, but it still didn’t click for me so I became a law enforcement officer. Keep in mind that I joined law enforcement with the mindset that I was going to be helping people.”

Finding His Niche Two college tries, the military, law enforcement, and overseas work turned out to be, though he didn’t realize it at the time, necessary life experiences teaching him a very important lesson.

“I came to the realization,” Kayne said, “that the idea of helping people was not a hero-kind-of thing where you’re going to rescue people, but instead they really needed someone to listen to them and work with them. With this new realization I was propelled back to college and from that point on there was no stopping me. I got my master’s in clinical social work, then my first job in the field, and while working full time I got my doctorate.”

I have been doing private therapy on the side, so I am both faculty and a practitioner. I’m busy and I love it!”

These “side jobs” include seeing vets at Bellevue University’s Military Veteran Services Center. He’s the statewide clinical director through the Nebraska Department of Emergency Medical Services for a critical incident stress management program serving traumatized first responders and he serves in the Douglas County Department of Corrections as an advisor for its veterans unit.

Growth Spurt Kayne has watched Bellevue University grow over the last 21 years, especially under the leadership of its President, Dr. Mary Hawkins.

“Dr. Hawkins’ vision has taken this university from being just another private university to being a contender within its class and I am proud to be part of this endeavor.”

Kayne believes Bellevue’s Master of Science in Clinical Counseling degree, accredited by CACREP, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, is special.

“What makes Bellevue’s program unique is that just about our entire faculty have ongoing experiences seeing clients themselves. Many people who go into college teaching stop doing the counseling and focus only on the teaching, but we live up to the motto, ‘Real Learning for Real Life.’”

Kayne has touched so many lives, especially those of his students. Diane Braun, an Adult Behavioral Health Clinical Supervisor with Lutheran Family Services (LFS) in Omaha, Nebraska, says of her former professor and now mentor: “Dr. Jon Kayne is my mentor and I am so grateful that I get to continue to work with him in the outside world. I remember the first day I walked into my master’s class, I was so nervous wondering if I should take this big step, I just wanted to run out of the room instead. Then in walks Dr. Kayne calming me through his wisdom by saying, ‘The first thing you have to learn how to do is just listen; let them tell their story.’ I never turned back after that. Those simple words stuck with me.”

Kayne was finally living his passion, not with a night stick or M-16, but with his ears, providing life-changing service to others. After many years in the clinical counselling field, he came to Bellevue University.

Upon hearing about testimonies of former students like Braun’s, Kayne thankfully said, “I wouldn’t be doing this if influencing students wasn’t my goal.”

“I joined the Bellevue team in 1987 where I designed the professional studies programs and the accelerated degree programs. The whole time I have been teaching at Bellevue

Dr. Kayne encourages those who think they are getting a late start in life. It took him many years to be able to live his passion. “I absolutely believe if I had not done all those things I would not be as good at what I do as I am today.”

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KAYNE EXEMPLIFIES Real Learning for Real Life Working on trauma with veterans at Bellevue University’s Military Veteran Services Center is among the many ways that Dr. Jon Kayne serves the community.

Spring 2018 | 13

Bellevue University MBA Part of Kahn’s CEO Toolbox Avi Kahn believes that with the right tools, you can build a better future.

That’s part of the mission statement at Hilti North America, a multinational company that develops, manufactures, and markets products for the construction industry.

Kahn cites a Bellevue University Master of Business Administration (MBA), which he earned in 2009, as one of the tools that helped him rise from an account manager position with Hilti in 2006 to president and CEO of the company in January 2017.

“While I was an account manager, I identified the need to broaden my skill sets and get immersed in big business issues. My leaders and mentors at the time saw that getting an MBA showed a level of commitment to become a better manager; and at the same time, Hilti supported me with our education reimbursement program which is even more robust today,” Kahn said. “Getting an MBA isn’t an end. My Bellevue MBA was a great foundation for the continuous learning and executive education programs I’ve taken since then.”

During his MBA program, Kahn absorbed the knowledge from his professors, as well as his fellow students.

“I loved the group work – working with students from across the

country and around the world who had different points of view and ways to look at things,” he said. “I also enjoyed the virtual discussions.”

During his days as an account manager, Kahn did aspire to a management position and was encouraged by mentors within the organization.

“Everyone who wants be in leadership has a vision to work toward. I was no different,” he said. “When I started as an account manager in San Francisco, driving a Hilti car, visiting customers and demonstrating products, I looked up to my managers and mentors who encouraged me to challenge

myself and further my education. As I moved up through the organization in continuously more challenging roles, becoming general manager of our Canadian organization for six years was a fantastic opportunity to learn what it takes to be president and CEO for Hilti North America.”

Listening to his employees, the way his mentors and managers listened to him, has been a key component in Kahn’s success.

“I get a lot of satisfaction from working with Hilti team members across North America, listening to their ideas and acting on them when possible,” he said. “For instance, based on employee input, we recently launched several new employee benefits including flexible working arrangements, sabbatical leave and increased education reimbursement.”

Kahn knows firsthand the difficulties that come with juggling work, family, and other obligations, while pursuing a degree. He also knows the benefits.

“It’s worth the effort to manage a full-time career and family while seeking further education. It helps to work for a company like Hilti that appreciates and supports personal development with tuition reimbursement, flexible time to attend classes and workshops, and mentoring support.”

Avi Kahn rose from an account manager position with Hilti North America all the way to president and CEO of the company.

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University President Dr. Mary Hawkins poses with Susan and Bob Knapp in front of Bellevue University’s Benefactor’s Wall in the R. Joe Dennis Learning Center.

The Knapps are strong believers in the benefits of education and sponsor the University’s annual Signature event.

Knapps Believe in University Students, Mission Omahans Robert “Bob” Knapp, Jr. and his wife, Susan, got involved with Bellevue University nearly a decade ago at the recommendation of his long-time friend, Michael Fuchs, a former member of the University’s Board of Directors. The Knapps have since become supporters and advocates for the University and sponsors of its fall Signature Event programs.

“We have attended the Signature Event since the first one in 2009, and have told others about it as well,” Bob Knapp said.

SIGNATURE EVENT SPONSORS The annual Signature Event enables community leaders to meet and hear nationally known speakers discussing politics, business, history, and the importance of America’s foundational values and principles like personal liberty, responsibility, and free enterprise. The Signature Event program originated a decade ago as a way to raise the profile of Bellevue University’s required undergraduate Signature Series courses, which promote American vision and values and advocate active, engaged citizenship. “I especially like that the Signature Series courses are a requirement,” Knapp said.

customers, but there’s not much you can do about regulations,” he said.

AMERICAN DREAM SUPPORTERS The Knapps are strong believers in the value and benefits of education. Susan taught third grade for a decade in the Omaha Public Schools. Last year, motivated in part by a challenge-matching grant from the William and Ruth Scott Family Foundation, they made their initial contribution to Bellevue University’s American Dream Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarship support for financially needy and underserved students in the Greater Omaha area, many who are the first in their families to attend college. Typical scholarship recipients include minority and low-income students, single parents, career-changers, community college transfer students, and working adult students. “We don’t have children ourselves, but we have the means to help others with college. These students are serious about their education, and this a way we can help them reach their goals,” Knapp said.

A fourth-generation family business leader, Knapp is the former president of Omaha Box Company, a manufacturing firm founded in 1890 and one of Omaha’s older companies.

He sold the company to Minneapolis-based Liberty Diversified International in 2016.

Bellevue University awards about $1.25 million in donor-funded scholarships a year and provides a variety of support systems such as career and academic coaching, and financial counseling, to help students succeed. About 1,000 students apply for scholarships annually, and approximately half receive scholarships.

Knapp, who studied business at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, remains active in a part-time consulting role at Omaha Box Company, which has a workforce of about 50. He is optimistic that having a more pro-business administration in Washington can help rein in unnecessary regulations. “You can deal with your employees and

Recently the Knapps’ names were added to the University’s Benefactors Wall of Recognition, located in the R. Joe Dennis Learning Center on the University’s main campus. The Wall formally acknowledges individual, corporate, and foundation donors that have provided six-figure or higher cumulative support benefiting the University, its students, and mission.

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Dogs Dominate Security Management Grad’s Career Jason Johnson’s career has gone to the dogs — and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Johnson, who has earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Security Management from Bellevue University, is the founder of Project K-9 Hero, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that helps raise donations to offset the medical, food, and death benefits for retired Police K-9 heroes.

“After spending my 24-year career in the military, police, and federal law enforcement field, I had the honor of working with nearly 2,000 K-9s and military working dogs at all levels,” Johnson said. “Once they retire from service, the majority of the agencies they worked for do not have programs in place to assist them in retirement. We are growing at a rapid rate with over 8,000 individual donors and 25 K-9 Heroes we are taking care of, and we have an additional 30 applicants (dogs) in waiting.”

During his military and civilian police career, Johnson accumulated credits from a multitude of schools, but he was looking for a place to bring all those credits together toward a bachelor’s degree.

16 | the View

“I was looking for a school that would take my professional experience, my existing degrees, and allow me to finish my bachelor’s. I was able to use my G.I. Bill toward a degree that I felt would complement my career.

Bellevue University checked all of those boxes,” Johnson said. “The accelerated online program in Security Management was exactly what I was looking for.”

After completing his bachelor’s degree, Johnson found that a small scholarship combined with the remaining funds in his G.I Bill would cover a master’s degree as well, so he decided to pursue that as well.

Note: Those interested in supporting Project K-9 Hero can visit www.projectk9hero.org or www.facebook.com/projectk9hero.