"I learned that asking the right questions is far more important than any formula or spreadsheet."
Regan Sheeley '04
Credentials:
- Center director of KinderCare Learning Center in Portland, Oregon
- Manager of training and operation Support Manager at Austin Children's Shelter
- Teaching House Parent Settlement Home Residential Treatment Center
- MBA, Acton MBA in Entrepreneurship; B. A., psychology, University of Montana- Missoula
Regan has dedicated much of her life to helping others, working 18-hour days to help rescue abused children and emotionally disturbed teenage girls. Wanting to learn how a nonprofit could deliver world-class service on a limited budget, she eventually found the Acton MBAE.
Now center director of KinderCare Learning Center in Portland, Regan has a chance to use the skills she learned at Acton. "The center was in crisis when I took over," Regan says. "There were a myriad of problems, from high staff turnover and declining enrollment to high AR balances. To help turn the program around, I applied much of the knowledge I gained in the Acton MBA program, particularly in the areas of operations and marketing.
But that was just the start: "What has been of even greater value to me is my ability to assess any business situation. I see a huge, untapped market for KinderCare in downtown Portland, one that I may not have seen without my Acton experience."
And Acton's lessons will go with her into the future: "The program holds true to the promise that Acton scholars will learn how to learn. The endless number of cases I tackled taught me to ask the right questions instead of searching for the right answers."
