On Tuesday, November 3, 2020, the Chowan Business Department welcomed Katie Dannemiller, Vice President of Baseball Operations with the Greensboro Grasshoppers, as she virtually addressed students as part of the Visiting Executive Program. In her lecture, Dannemiller delivered her personal narrative of how she became a happy, successful businesswoman, pausing at significant moments to give powerful advice to the students in attendance.

Dannemiller began her discussion by acknowledging a curious connection between herself and Professor Patsy Taylor, Chowan’s Associate Professor of Marketing and event organizer. Professor Taylor’s son-in-law, Stephen Jonhson, is the Director of Promotions and Community Relations for the Greensboro Grasshoppers. Dannemiller has known Stephen since he was a child as his father, North Johnson, was one of her most beloved mentors. Who could have guessed that decades later, both Stephen and Dannemiller would find prosperous, fulfilling lives working together for the same organization, as Dannemiller mentors him.  

Throughout her lecture, Dannemiller interjected her own story to share valuable nuggets of wisdom she had gleaned throughout her arduous career. She encouraged her audience that they don’t have to study sports in college to work for a sports organization. They should instead focus on honing their communication skills and marketing strategies. These abilities prove to be the most lucrative for an employee and the company they work for because, at the end of the day, the most valuable employees generate the most revenue for the company. But, Dannemiller cautioned, more money does not equal happiness. Early in her career, Dannemiller moved from her home in Akron, Ohio to New Britain, Connecticut pursuing a high-paying job opportunity. Despite her incredible salary, Dannemiller greatly disliked her job and quit, moving back home with the knowledge that no amount of money could buy her happiness. She used this anecdote to illustrate that money isn’t everything in a job. Happiness in one’s work reinforces passion, a key ingredient to being a successful employee. 

With over twenty minutes of the presentation dedicated to answering students’ questions, Katie Dannemiller and her empowering story clearly connected with the next generation of businesswomen and men. Despite COVID-19’s necessary limitations on how we network and fellowship, the Business Department’s Visiting Executive Program continues to find safe, effective avenues to inspire Chowan’s emerging leaders.