Alejandra Aguilar
Staff Writer
The College of Business and Public Management is changing personnel and adding a new center to provide resources for local businesses.
Keeok Park, Janat Yousof and Sean Snider took new roles in the beginning of March.
Park, the new second associate dean of the College of Business and Public Management, is working alongside Rita Thakur, the other associate dean, with the Regional and Online Campuses on the development of hybrid courses at the different satellite campuses. He also works on scheduling, assessment, accreditation and adjunct faculty training.
Park was previously the chair of the department of management and leadership, where he performed similar tasks. He will now oversee them.
“I’d like to improve the quality of education in the College of Business and Public Management, and that includes the teacher’s performance,” Park said.
“I’d like to be inclusive and serve others, including staff members, faculty and students. Leaders need to serve the followers and they need to be inclusive.”
Just like Park, Yousof, professor of management and now chairwoman of the department of management and leadership, said she wants to serve others as the student body grows.
Yousof will continue to teach while working on tasks regarding schedules, grade appeals and meetings.
Yousof has worked for the University for 17 years.
“I feel like I have an understanding of the culture of the University and department,” she said. “And I feel I can make a contribution as we move forward. I feel like I can make a difference.”
The University has also added the La Verne Small Business Development Center, and Snider is the director in charge of managing, guiding and sustaining the program.
The purpose of the center is to stimulate economic growth in the east San Gabriel Valley by providing small businesses and entrepreneurs with expert consulting, effective training and access to resources.
The new center aims to align with and support the values of the University and the 2020 Strategic Vision Plan.
As director, Snider will consult with small business clients to start and grow their businesses. That will allow a growth in community partners and in the SBDC.
Although it is too early to foresee the impact of the center on students and faculty, the overall goal is to create a center that adds value to the University and the local small business community, Snider said.
“We are building a bridge between the University and the small business community to have that dialogue,” Snider said.
Alejandra Aguilar can be reached at alejandra.aguilar@laverne.edu.
