The College of Business Administration (CBA) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) has been educating business leaders for more than 100 years. Sheri Irwin-Gish is the Executive Director of Communications, Marketing and External Relations for CBA at UNL.
How did you get started in the business? – I began my career at UNL’s College of Business Administration as a one-person staff in 2011. Dean Donde Plowman had been at CBA around six months at the time and UNL was soon joining the Big Ten Conference and the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), so there was much to do. In less than five years, we have built a fantastic team in an expanded Communications, Marketing and External Relations Office, and we plan and market for all areas of CBA.
What has been your most important achievement professionally? – My most important achievements always include collaborating with others to develop a strong plan with a purpose and then creating top-quality creative initiatives to achieve the goals. One of my proudest moments recently was spearheading a flawless groundbreaking ceremony for our new $84 million dollar, 240,000-square-foot College of Business Administration building, scheduled to open in 2017. There were many people involved including the Dean, the Board of Regents, the Chancellor, the NU Foundation CEO and team, University Communications staff, and student, alumni and CBA staff volunteers who made that event a huge success. Recently we also built a new registration/payment system because CBA had a need. I spent many hours working with our information technology team to develop what we believe is the best program out there for events, but it can also be used to collect membership fees or apply to go on a student trip, etc. It was built to be versatile and we can share the system with all areas of UNL.
Tell us a little about your family. – My husband is a math teacher at Lincoln High School and has enjoyed working there since he graduated from UNL. We have a son, Creighton (8), who is in third grade and wakes us up early each morning because he can’t wait to start his day and a daughter in first grade, Berkleigh (6), who keeps us on our toes with all of her new creative ideas. Every day is a new adventure.
What do you see as one of the biggest turning points in your life? – With each stage in my educational and professional career, I have met wonderful mentors who have helped me, and more importantly, supported my efforts and me. They believed in what I wanted to do and let me do it, and in turn, I wanted to do everything in my power to make whatever I was doing a success for them. I learned so much from them and also tried new things out of the work place due to their support – from earning a master’s degree from UNL to serving on boards to running half marathons, etc.
What are you the most proud of? – Being someone that others can count on.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? – ‘Find something you love to do and you will never work a day in your life.’ Once someone shared that with me, it became my personal motto. You give more and do better when you love what you do, and you definitely enjoy it more as well.
If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? – Email: sirwin@unl.edu; Twitter: @SheriIrwinGish; LinkedIn: Sheri Irwin-Gish; Phone: (402) 472-3382; Website: cba.unl.edu.