By TENA L. COOK
CSC marketing coordinator
CHADRON — In late March, Chadron State College students in the Rural Business Leadership Initiative and Business Academy, as well as Instructor Dr. Caitlin Redden and Graduate Assistant Clark Riesen visited Broken Bow, Nebraska, to meet with rural business and community leaders. The students who visited include Concey Bader of Palmer, Neb., Janessa Carley and Jeremy Carley of Dalton, Neb., Dan Dunbar of Chadron, Phillip Soto of Scottsbluff, Neb., Zane Zilverberg Holabird, S.D., and Allison Schneider of Lincoln, Neb.
Redden said the RBLI faculty members hope to provide visits to vibrant, thriving communities like Broken Bow that exhibit the business opportunities available in rural areas.
“Students were able to tour several small and large organizations, hear stories about business owners’ entrepreneurial ventures, and network with several community leaders and alumni in Broken Bow,” Redden said.
Zilverberg, a business administration major with an emphasis in marketing, plans to pursue a career in product and land sales.
During the trip, he was impressed with business leaders who discussed their work.
“They are making an impact in their community and ultimately, on a national and international scale. Some offered considerable advice and a chance to work with them in future endeavors, Zilverberg said. “I was impressed by the type of operations. Some of which I previously would not have imagined operating in the area due to a smaller population. However, their results illustrate the ability and work ethic of the men and women in the rural Great Plains region.”
Although Zilverberg, who will graduate in May 2024, has traveled internationally and across the U.S., he enjoyed the combination of a friendly atmosphere and high level of services.
“I noticed principles we’ve studied in the classroom being applied in real-world settings ranging from communication and management skills in the office and work environment, all the way to planning the growth of the local community through infrastructure projects and creating business opportunities for existing and future residents,” Zilverberg said.
He took particular interest in the Sandhills Task Force presentation by Shelly Kelly and Cody Trump.
“They offered their keen insight and experiences working with local ranchers to enhance the Sandhills ecosystem and profitable private ranching. I believe the work they do will benefit wildlife, vegetation, and ranchers for generations to come,” Zilverberg said.
Soto is majoring in Business Administration with options in Finance, Agribusiness, and Management. He will graduate in May 2023 and plans to work for Farm Service Agency as a farm loan officer trainee.
He found many benefits from the time the group spent in Broken Bow.
“They have a wide variety of career opportunities. We had the opportunity to talk to business owners, presidents of companies, and other employees of businesses. They explained the importance of working hard and how it can lead to success. Networking and developing relationships with other business professionals is essential,” he said.
Soto said he could see principles from his management courses in real-world settings.
“Many of the individuals we conversed with talked about how they manage their businesses, as well as their employees. They specified the importance of employees being the largest asset of a business,” Soto said.
The stop at Adams Land & Cattle was particularly interesting for Soto.
“They have grown substantially and utilize technology to run their operation as efficiently as possible,” he said.
Janessa Carley earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from CSC in May 2022. She will earn an MBA in December 2023 and plans to become a Certified Public Accountant.
She observed that building connections with competing businesses is important for all involved.
“Active participation in a rural community can be beneficial, not only for your business, but for you individually because building connections improves all aspects of your life,” Carley said.
Like Zilverberg, Carley was impressed with the Sandhills Task Force, although her focus was on processes for budgeting and grant requests to expand housing and childcare. At Becton Dickinson Vacutainer Systems, she enjoyed seeing the manufacturing and inventory process.
“This trip reinforced why I want to live and give back to a rural community as a business leader and citizen. It also helped me put into perspective what it truly takes to build and sustain a thriving business in a rural community,” Carley said.