Winter 2001
Volume 3, Number 2
  


Worthington Scranton CE
and Management Development
train Gentex Corp. workforce



The 2000 presidential campaign brought candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore to Pennsylvania on numerous occasions. They both made campaign stops throughout the state. One topic they both addressed was their proposals for education, especially lifelong learning opportunities for working adults.

During a visit to Gentex Corp. in Simpson, Pa., Gore promoted his economic plan “Prosperity for America’s Families,” which included proposals supporting lifelong learning.

Gore singled out Gentex Corp. for its success in adapting to changing economic conditions and its commitment to educating and training its workforce. The company sponsors one week of education and training each year for its employees, through partnerships with local universities, including Penn State. The Continuing Education Office at Penn State Worthington Scranton has collaborated with Penn State Management Development Programs and Services to deliver educational programming to many of the company’s 600 employees, Dr. Wesley E. Donahue, director of Management Development, said.

“Gentex Corp. has adopted an enlightened approach to keeping its workforce educated and trained,” Donahue said. “And its support for lifelong learning is having a positive impact on its bottom line. When a company like Gentex educates and trains its workforce, the result is a stronger, more competitive company that is better able to meet the challenges of the global marketplace. We are delighted to be a partner in Gentex’s success.”

Two Management Development faculty members, Harold A. Johnson and Dr. Michael P. Sawczuk, conducted a 26-hour Supervisory Training Program for two groups of Gentex Corp. supervisors and administrators. They each presented nine sessions to about 40 current and new supervisors and administrators.

“The Gentex participants responded very positively to the program,” Sawczuk said. “They felt the company had made an investment in them.”

The partnership between Management Development and Gentex Corp. benefits both organizations, he added.

“Management Development is interested in partnerships of this nature, because they provide us with information about organizational development needs, help us to evaluate program effectiveness and create opportunities to link organizations with other Penn State resources,” Sawczuk said. “The companies we partner with benefit through increased productivity, improvements in making better use of their human resources and more positive work climates.”

During Gore’s campaign stop at Gentex Corp., Dr. Mary-Beth Krogh-Jespersen, campus executive officer at Penn State Worthington Scranton, and Michele E. Buchinski, director of continuing education at the campus, were introduced to the audience of about 400 Gentex employees and others, along with Anita McDonough, a Gentex employee for 23 years who has completed the 26-hour Supervisory Training Program conducted by Management Development.

Gentex has been in business for more than 100 years. The company started business as a silk mill and today manufactures a variety of high-technology products, including precision lenses for eyeglasses; protective clothing for police, firefighters and the military; electro-optical displays for pilots; and microphones for speech-recognition computers.



Recognizing exemplary outreach teaching, research and service
This Penn State faculty member is sharing research with individuals, organizations and communities to make life better:

Dr. Barbara Gray
Professor of Management and Organization
The Smeal College of Business Administration
Director of the Center for Research in Conflict and Negotiation
Penn State University Park

Dr. Barbara Gray’s outreach initiatives have focused on dispute resolution assistance to public- and private-sector organizations and industries in Pennsylvania and throughout the United States. She also has dedicated much time to studying and addressing environmental and diversity-related disputes. With support from the Hewlett Foundation, she currently is working with the Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota, where there is a longstanding conflict involving community members, environmentalists and park and local officials. In addition, she has provided training for Penn State Cooperative Extension staff throughout the Commonwealth in resolving community conflicts over land use. Her deep understanding of the value of outreach is illustrated by her work on the Kellogg Commission steering committee, where she is providing leadership for planning and discussions around the theme “The Engaged University.”

  

U.Ed.OCE 01-8002/mkm/GSM