Academics
A bonus: that executive is a Gorilla.
Lisa Paterni, who earned a Bachelor’s in Business Administration, a Master’s in Business Administration, and a Master’s in Teaching, has served for the past 14 years as president of Pitsco Education, a global STEM products company based in Pittsburg.
She also earned a long list of accolades. Among them: The Pittsburg Area Chamber’s Kaye Lynn Webb Influential Woman in Business (2018) and Woman of Distinction (2010), the Kenneth K. Bateman Outstanding Alunni Award (2011), the National Future Business Leaders of America Business Person of the Year (2023).
And, she has been featured in publications such as “Education Executive” and “Management Today.”
This year, she became the most recent Executive in Residence to share her expertise with students at Pitt State.
“Our students will learn valuable lessons from someone who has successfully managed and navigated the difficult decisions that corporate leaders face every day,” said Dean Paul Grimes. “Lisa is already a popular instructor, having taught courses for us as an adjunct lecturer over the years. We are extraordinarily fortunate that she will now be sharing her talents with our business students full-time."
As president at Pitsco Education, Paterni directs the strategic vision for the company and the development of relationships with key industry partners. She also chairs an 8-person leadership team that oversees daily operations of the company.
Since its founding in 1971, Pitsco has served millions of students and more than 7,000 teachers. In 2012, it was named by the Kansas Governor as the state’s Exporter of the Year.
Paterni has been an adjunct lecturer at Pitt State since 2006. As an Executive in Residence, students enrolled in Business Strategy, Management and Organizational Behavior, and Introduction to Business will gain valuable insight from her into how decisions are made at the highest level in an organization.
“My goal is to expose students to aspects of the real business world so that they are active in staying abreast of trends and keeping their skill sets sharp,” Paterni said. “Change is inevitable. The appreciation for change and embracing change is a key to long term career success and ultimately, we want graduates who are making a difference in their organizations, communities, and the world.”
She also will serve as a mentor to students in the Women@Work organization and serve as a resource to other faculty.
"Part of her success at Pitsco has been due in part to her ability to build a thriving, healthy culture,” said Lynn Murray, associate dean and director of Outreach and Business Engagement. “I plan to tap into that, as well as her insight, to ensure our students are as prepared as we can get them for the business world.”
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