Chapter spotlight: the 'financial executives experience:' FEI Dallas Chapter gives back to the community.

AuthorConley, Mike
PositionResearchForum - Financial Executives International

When the External Relations and Publicity Committee of FEI's Dallas Chapter convened its annual planning meeting in the summer of 2009, little did the members know that they were starting something really big. Yet Fiscal Year 2010 Committee Chairman Jim Strand and Vice Chairman Mike Conley emerged from the session with an innovative community service brainchild that not only would benefit the Dallas area, but also serve as a model for other FEI chapters.

Strand and Conley jointly developed, coordinated and implemented the nearly year-and-a-half initiative, with Conley becoming committee chairman for FY 2011 and Strand moving to vice chairman.

The "Financial Executives Experience" program was developed at that 2009 summertime planning meeting. Ultimately, the first-year program matched 34 Southern Methodist University (SMU) and University of Texas - Dallas (UT-D) finance and accounting students with FEI members, allowing the students to experience first-hand what the daily life of a corporate financial executive is all about.

The students shadowed the executives for a full day at their mentors' places of business. The inaugural event took place during October and November of 2010 and culminated in a reception and recognition event at the chapter's monthly dinner/speaker program in November.

'Financial Executives Experience' Takes Shape

Following a wide-ranging exchange of ideas over the course of the luncheon at the summer 2009 planning meeting, the leadership group--which included FY 2010 Chapter President Kathryn McBride and First Vice President and future FY 2011 President Renee Hornbaker--funneled its focus toward a way to parallel the popular "Take Your Child to Work" programs that have been so well received in the business world in recent years.

Conley and Strand crafted the overall program outline, timeline and student qualifications.

To shape the student and institutional aspects, Conley and Strand consulted fellow chapter board members, Dr. David Springate (director of the Center for Finance, Strategy and Innovation at UT-D), Dr. Connie Konstans (executive director of the Institute for Excellence in Corporate Governance at UT-D); and Dr. Frank Lloyd, associate dean of the Cox School of Business at SMU.

Conley and Strand set rigorous standards for students' inclusion in the program. Students had to apply to participate and receive a recommendation from a faculty member. Each school's finance and accounting leadership selected the...

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