Q - How long have you been a partner of the D-backs?
A - We are just wrapping up our first season as a D-backs corporate partner. We entered into a five-year partnership that began in May 2009 and will go until 2013.
Q - What is your favorite D-backs moment?
A - I was sitting in a restaurant/bar in New York City watching the seventh game of the World Series. One other D-backs fan was there, and we were surrounded by Yankee fans when Luis Gonzalez hit that single with the bases loaded in the ninth inning.
Q - What are the reasons for the partnership?
A - We look at this relationship as mutually beneficial - the D-backs have a reputation for strong community investment, and GCU has a strong history of giving back to the community. It’s two like-minded organizations coming together to benefit the community. Partnering with a major sports organization like the D-backs gives us great exposure to the D-backs large and growing local fan base. We want to increase our brand name in the state of Arizona, and partnering with the D-backs seemed like a great way to do that. We want to build loyalty among the younger fans who have grown up in Arizona, but whose parents may not be natives, thereby increasing awareness of our university when these kids are applying to college in the next five to 10 years. If they have attended a training clinic or a concert night with the D-backs and have a GCU T-shirt or backpack, they know our name, and hopefully that makes a connection for them so that they’re considering GCU as one of their college choices. It all helps in furthering our goal of becoming a destination university in Arizona.
Q - Are there any unique ways you activate your partnership?
A - We are proud to be the presenting sponsor of the Faith & Family Night post-game concert events as well as the Training Center clinics that happen all over the state. Sponsoring the Faith & Family Night is a great reinforcement of our Christian heritage and influence and is one of the ways that we differ from other major universities in Arizona. We also are able to offer our campus as a host site to events like the Training Center’s Kick-Off Free Clinic. In May, we hosted more than 600 kids plus their parents while they learned baseball and softball skills from both the D-backs team and the GCU baseball and softball teams. We want people to visit our campus as much as possible and see our beautiful 95 acres of land, our sports teams and all that GCU has to offer. Partnering with the D-backs to host events and connect with our students athletes is a unique way that we can give back to the community as well as maximize the value of our partnership.
Q - What is the best business decision you have made?
A - While I was at Apollo Group five years ago we were challenged in terms of making our revenue and bottom line growth, and we made a decision to lower tuition to build greater levels of student retention. Wall Street didn’t react favorably, and it took us nine months but it was the right decision. We increased conversion rates, increased retention and growth, resulting in three years of strong financial results.
Q - What is your biggest challenge?
A - We’d like more people to know that we’re here, and that we’ve been here for 60 years supporting this community. We’d like more people to come out and support our growing athletic programs - most people don’t know that we offer more NCAA-competitive sports programs than any other university in Arizona. We’d like high school students here in Arizona to consider GCU as equally when they’re considering any other state university, or any other private university in the country. We have a tremendous number of scholarships available - for athletics, high academic achievers and veterans. Hopefully this partnership with the D-backs helps us build this awareness.
Q - What professional advice would you give to your corporate peers?
A - Never be content with the status quo. Always question, always challenge, always encourage and recognize new ideas. Remember to lead by serving - serving your customers, your employers, your organization and your communities. Constant innovation and a servant leadership philosophy is required in this market to take your organization to a higher level.
