Cal U Business department professor Alfred Tarquinio hosted his seventh annual nonprofit marketing day in the Vulcan Theater. This event was offered exclusively offered to marketing majors and minors students only. 

Tarquinio hosts this event every semester to introduce marketing students to marketing professionals. This event like the others is usually centered around a marketing guest speaker. This semester Tarquinio choose Cal U alumni Jesse J. McLean Jr. 

“ Him being alumni and working in a nonprofit sector helps support the fact support that he once was where you were and this is how he prepared for his career,” said Tarquinio. 

Jesse J. McLean Jr. is currently human services specialist. McLean has over 30 years of nonprofit experience in Pittsburgh. He oversees the fiscal, operational, and clinical of Pressley Ridge’s programs that help children and families throughout the region as executive director of western Pennsylvania. 

During his speech, he expressed to students the benefits of working in a nonprofit. He explained the importance of fundraisers and galas. Events like this can help bring in donors and also connections to other possible deals.

“This can build networking opportunities, but these are really places where you can build the non-profit and its mission in these more social and relaxed settings,” said McLean. 

McLean saw this event as a way to give back to Cal U and its students. He wanted students to leave with the impression that non-profit is a possible career avenue for marketing students. Events like this give students insight into the workforce that marketing professionals like McLean recruit from. 

“I want the students to understand what is exactly that they need to do, so when they graduate they will be able to join the workforce in a seamless effort,” said McLean.

Business department Professor Susan Ryan was also selected to speak during this event. Ryan is the program coordinator for the tourism, hospitality, and event studies curriculum on campus. Ryan was invited by Tarquinio given her upcoming position as the new chairperson for PennWest’s academic department of management and marketing. 

Ryan expressed some of the advantages you can have working in non-profit sectors. Given the lack of specific structures of some organizations and lack of staffing, this can produce a superior position earlier in your career for non-profit sectors. 

“You get a lot of responsibility earlier in your career, much sooner when you work in nonprofit, than you would in other sectors,” said Ryan. 

Marketing minor student Jordan Williams says this helped her with deciding her future in marketing.  Williams plans to enter the health care realm of marketing, specifically nonprofit. This event helped her decide which avenue she wants to take and also she will plan to do it. 

“ After coming to this event this made me consider specializing in nonprofit work in the health care,” said Williams. 

Tarquinio’s goal was to ensure that all students left this event knowing that there are career opportunities in non-profit sectors. He will be hosting this event every semester moving forward. 

“My overall goal is for students to leave knowing that they can learn that there are careers and internships available for them in the nonprofit sector, said Tarquinio.