“Technology is a wonderful thing!  It allowed four online students living in different states to present to a face to face audience their business plan.  In addition four students living in the Treasure Valley were able to present face to face while their fifth member joined via Adobe Connect.  Presenting their business plans via Adobe Connect gave the online students from Cohort 36 an opportunity to participate in the final culminating experience of the STEP program.  While sometimes experiencing a feeling of disconnect since the courses they take are always online, this presentation opportunity allowed them to not only participate but to enjoy presentations of their fellow students who they never see in class.  Many thanks to Media Services, especially Margie Watson, for assisting us in facilitating this experience!”            -Brenda Johnson

“The NNU STEP program was proud to present Senior Seminar presentations last night.  My three groups from Cohort 37, Mountain View Properties, E-Receipts, and Leader of the Pack, were excited to present projects that they had been working on since last May.  The night opened with an innovative video starring student Jennifer Hoppins as an overworked housewife drowning in receipt paper.  It was an original opening, and the evening was great fun from there!  The second group taught the audience about the broker/agent relationship in real estate, and the evening wrapped up with a tug at all our hearts as the final group moved us in the realm of the pet industry and the opportunities for growth there.  All the groups did a great job, and were very relieved to finally be done with their projects.  They are all to be congratulated for their hard work!”                     – Teri Whilden

With the support of NNU President’s Cabinet, six employees from the School of Business participated in the Neighborhood Hope Project.  Heather Beam, Rhonda Gray, Lynette Kingsmore, Kendra Lubiens, Melinda Miller, and Maureen Matlock, completed a yard cleanup project for a neighborhood family whose health prevented them from keeping up with their yard work.

Kendra Lubiens removes weeds from the sidewalk.

After the rose bushes and shrubs were trimmed, weeds removed, and the lawn mowed, the team felt they weren’t quite finished.  The yard had the potential to be beautiful with a little more work and supplies.

“My Daddy used to say ‘If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right,’ ” said Heather Beam, Accelerated Business Administration Program Administrator.

The team returned to the School of Business Office for the afternoon, but they rejoined the NHP after work that evening.  Together they purchased 15 bags of mulch and 2 rolls of weed barrier.  Professor Brenda Johnson shopped for supplies and delivered them to the site.  To complete the project, the team mulched flower beds, planted flowers and arranged garden accessories.

“Ours was the ugliest yard in the neighborhood,” homeowner Louise Hunt said excitedly, “Now it’s beautiful!”

The School of  Business Team enjoyed the opportunity to serve together and share Christ’s love with the community.  Melinda Miller, MBA Program Administrator, reflected on the experience: “For me, the Neighborhood Hope Project was about relationships.  The weeds may grow back, but the best part is I made some new friends.”

Click here to view a highlight video of the Neighborhood Hope Project.

Her working dissertation title is, “Does performance appraisal satisfaction and intrinsic motivation significantly affect job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intention in congregationally led evangelical denominations.”  Her research employs a form of the human resource tool 360 degree review process that interviews peers, students, and supervisors.  The outcome of her research will help determine if the way a person feels about his or her appraisal makes people more committed to the organization and leads to higher job satisfaction.

Professor Johnson joined the School of Business in August of 2001 as Program Assistant for Professional Development.  In 2002 she assumed responsibilities as program Administrator for the MBA degree program.  She directed marketing and online education programs in the School in 2005, and in 2007 was elected to the faculty teaching marketing and management courses.  Her husband Daryl is Senior Pastor at College Church of the Nazarene in Nampa, Idaho.  She also has three sons, all of whom have graduated from NNU,  and two grandsons.

Dr. Galloway led a presentation on a paper co-authored by him and Dr. Samuel L. Dunn, entitled, “Islam, Islamic Finance, and Christianity.”  Dr. Weber presented a paper authored by her, along with Dr. David Houghton from Charleston Southern University and Dr. Jeffrey Fawcett from Cedarville University, entitled, “Out of the Salt Shaker onto the Plate: Experiences that Transform Students and the World.”  Dr. Lineman served as the moderator for that session.
 
The mission of CBFA is as follows, “The Christian Business Faculty Association exists to assist and encourage Christian business faculty in the study, integration, teaching, and application of Biblical truths in service to the academy, students, and the business community.”

The theme of the conference was “Salt and Light” and over two hundred and eighty business faculty members attended the conference.  The organization is approximately twenty-five years old and provides a forum for Christian faculty to interact with one another, share ideas, and publish together.

Jeffrey Lineman