October 17, 2002
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – This month, emerging leaders from across the Tennessee Valley Authority began a nine-month customized business curriculum on 21st century leadership concepts and principles at Vanderbilt’s Owen Graduate School of Management. The program is designed to prepare them for greater leadership responsibilities within the corporation.
The class of 25 students represents diverse business units from across TVA’s seven-state region. They attend classes from Thursday through Saturday once a month on site at the Owen School.
The program is customized for TVA based on input from the organization’s management and TVA University, the company’s integrated learning system. Owen School faculty members teach the classes, with participation by TVA executives, who will be on hand in some of the classes to provide the “TVA perspective” to the academic content being delivered.
“In support of TVA’s commitment to leadership development, TVA’s Leadership Institute worked with Vanderbilt University to create a customized leadership development curriculum,” said Stephanie Hale-Smith, manager of curriculum design and development for Corporate TVA University. “This TVA-specific curriculum is critical for preparing TVA’s high potential emerging leaders to meet the people and business challenges that exist in conducting business in a changing competitive marketplace.”
The 25 middle- and senior-level leaders were selected to participate in the program by the executive leadership in their respective TVA organizations. Participants are selected from these diverse business units within TVA, including procurement, customer service and marketing, communications and government relations, plant operations, finance and power trading operations. Participants will earn a Certificate of Leadership upon completing the program in June 2003.
“We worked with TVA to customize a program that would meet the strategic goals and competencies they want to instill in their emerging leaders,” said Martin Rapisarda, associate dean for executive education at the Owen School. “The program emphasizes strategy, finance and leadership, combining management skills and functional area types of competencies.”
The program utilizes numerous analytical instruments to assess the starting points and test the progress of each participant. Some of these surveys and tests were administered prior to the start of classes, and others are used as the program progresses.
The program was designed as project-based learning, an approach proven successful with executive education. Students—who continue to work in their current roles within TVA while attending classes—apply what they are learning to the challenges they face on the job.
While not in classes, students can consult the on-line community blackboard for information on background readings and assignments and as a means of interacting with other program participants.
For more news about Vanderbilt, visit the Vanderbilt News Service homepage at http://www.vanderbilt.edu/News. For more information on TVA, the nation’s largest public power producer, visit www.tva.com.
Contact: Susanne Loftis, 615-322-2706, susanne.loftis@vanderbilt.edu
Michelle Chang, TVA Media Relations, (865) 632-8108, mwchang@tva.gov