Alvernia University and the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance partnered to host the inaugural College of Business, Communication, and Leadership Conference at the John R. Post Center at Reading CollegeTowne on Wednesday.
“The overall purpose of the conference is to bring practitioners and academics together to discuss the timely topics of our consequential times,” said Dr. Travis Berger, dean of the College of Business, Communication, and Leadership, Alvernia University. “The conference underscores the power of collaborations between practitioners and academics to help inform our collective thinking. It is our prerogative to embrace our responsibility in fostering constructive dialogue in the pursuit of knowledge, truth, and justice.”
19 local and regional panelists discussed environmental, social, and governance (ESG), pressing sustainable development issues, the efforts of the Cultural Coalition powered by Alvernia’s O’Pake Institute, the future of work, artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on marketing and revitalization without replacement.
”GRCA is proud to support our member, Alvernia University, at its Inaugural Business, Communication and Leadership Conference, to bring together our business community for a day of engagement and learning,” said Keith Stamm, director of workforce development, GRCA.
Upwards of 135 Alvernia students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners attended the conference panels, breakfast, lunch, and reception. Specific discussions that took place covered the fourth industrial revolution, the presence of five generations in the workforce, the rise of amplified individuals, increased consumption in the face of ecosystem degradation, living in a polarized world replete with war and social justice issues and the divisiveness and political polarization in the U.S.
“I really like the adaptation of Reading CollegeTowne and everything it has done for the City of Reading,” said Alvernia alum Robert Guth ‘09 MBA ‘11, director of global video collaboration sales, New Era Technology, US.
“Alvernia’s work with the Greater Berks County community brought me back for this conference. I also had the opportunity to hear from local business leaders and faculty on business trends, leadership and sustainability to continue my professional development. It has been a terrific inaugural conference, and would recommend to all Alumni going forward.”
