Success Education Colleges (SEC) Hosts First Annual Professional Development Conference

Over 330 Team Members from North-West College, Glendale Career College, Nevada Career Institute and SEC’s Campus Support Team gathered together at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario, California on Friday, May 12, for Success Education Colleges’ First Annual Professional Development Conference (PDC).

This conference provided SEC Team Members with the opportunity to learn and gain insight into a variety of topics related to career education from sector experts as well as several of SEC’s own leaders.

The conference began with a general session on “Why Leadership Matters” featuring special guest speaker Dr. Michale McComis, the Executive Director for the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). Dr. McComis shared his experience and words of wisdom on the role of leadership and how individuals can make a difference within the organization on a daily basis.

Following the opening session, conference attendees were able to attend different breakout sessions throughout the day focused on a range of topics, including: effective classroom management, education compliance issues, emergency and disaster preparation, understanding Millennials and Gen Z students, teaching tools for nursing faculty, the importance of certification for health care professionals, and more.

A lunchtime Q&A session featured a sit-down discussion with Robert Johnson, the Executive Director of the California Association of Private, Postsecondary Schools (CAPPS) and SEC’s President, Mitchell Fuerst. Mr. Johnson praised SEC as “a model for private-sector education” as he spoke about the current outlook for career education and the important role private sector colleges will play in the future for education in California.

Michele Deck, co-founder and CEO of G.A.M.E.S, closed out the day with an invigorating and interactive general session as she led the audience on a journey to discover different ways to become a better and more creative thinker in a world full of cynical thinking.

“When people are stressed, we don’t see the full picture,” Deck told the audience. “We are continually faced by great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.” Drawing from her experience, Deck shared creative methods to explore and approach new problems, urging attendees to “wear rose colored glasses” to help look for new and inventive solutions to the challenges they face.

SEC’s Professional Development Conference (PDC) was a great success and SEC plans to make the event an annual tradition. “I am so proud of what happened at our PDC!” President Mitchell Fuerst exclaimed passionately. “I thought the content, speakers, organization and overall flow of the day was phenomenal!” These sentiments were shared by hundreds of other Team Members through thank you cards and email messages sent to Mr. Fuerst and the organization’s Leadership Team.