GCU TODAY • 2 3
T
he “language of business” evolves
constantly, and Kirsten Hall strives
to keep pace with the fast-growing
companies she helps settle into the Arizona
marketplace.
Hall said she applies the lessons of her
Grand Canyon University M.B.A. every day as
workforce manager for the Arizona Commerce
Authority. The economic development
organization provides services to companies
looking to expand in-state or to relocate to
Arizona. Hall’s office helps businesses with
talent acquisition, strategic partnerships and
community resources.
So for Hall, that language of business her
M.B.A. professors talked about extends from
understanding the strategies of global tech
companies as massive as Apple to the niche
needs of smaller Phoenix-based firms. In her
four years at the authority, Hall has helped shape
the Navigator Program, which assists companies
in finding job candidates, understanding state
laws and applying for grants.
Apple Inc., for example, received a $10
million grant from the authority in November to
create nearly 2,000 jobs for the local economy
within the next couple of years. GoDaddy,
General Motors, Garmin and State Farm are
among other companies to announce major
corporate expansions in Arizona in the past year.
“Having survived the recession, it’s very
rewarding to see Arizona growing again,” said
Hall, 51, who grew up in west Phoenix and
earned her M.B.A. in 2005.
When she attended evening graduate classes,
the Phoenix campus was far quieter than it is
today, with only about 1,500 students attending
classes.
Hall still felt right at home in a cozy
atmosphere where her instructors and classmates
were open and honest about their faith.
“The deep knowledge base that faculty had,
and the caring they had, even for an evening
student like me — it was clear they were fully
invested in my education,” she said.
Hall said she was drawn to the Christian
university for its emphasis on business ethics.
Now she hears executives in her network say
they want to hire capable graduates based on
their “soft skills” or moral foundation as much
as, if not more than, their technical expertise.
Haley Peebles, associate director of GCU’s
new Center for Integrated Science, Engineering
and Technology, said Hall reached out to the
University recently after learning about a couple
of GCU academic programs.
This past year, the University launched
a tutoring program for west Phoenix teens,
including those from Hall’s own Alhambra High
School. GCU also announced plans to build
bachelor’s degree programs in computer science
and information technology.
Both efforts will help prepare Arizona youths
in the STEM disciplines — science, technology,
engineering and math — and address a rising
need for skilled professionals in fast-growing
tech sectors nationally and in Arizona.
Peebles said GCU probably would seek
guidance from an organization such as the
Arizona Commerce Authority not only to
link students to potential jobs but also to help
Arizona businesses learn more about GCU.
“The more we produce quality students to
work in those areas, the more important it will
be to connect with businesses to drive that
economic growth,” Peebles said.
Hall said GCU helped her become a more
thoughtful professional. She felt that the “80-20”
principle often applies in business as it did on
her M.B.A. projects, with 80 percent of the work
being done by 20 percent of the group. Those
types of classroom experiences, she said, should
be embraced by students of all ages.
Nothing is perfect in the workplace.
Businesses change rapidly, people get laid off,
profits fluctuate. Being prepared to work with a
wide range of people is paramount to success on
any level.
“If (students) run into problems in a team
environment, be thrilled because that’s a learning
experience you’re going to go to work with,” said
Hall, who has taught marketing at the college
level and worked at multiple local colleges.
“It’s going to improve your problem-solving
skills, communication and accountability,” she said.
MICHAEL FERRARESI
All Business
Lessons learned at GCU have life applications for Kirsten Hall
Kirsten Hall, who earned her M.B.A. in 2005, is workforce manager
for the Arizona Commerce Authority.
photo by darryl webb
