Alumnus, Lee Allen, earned his Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from the University of Michigan-Flint in 2014. During his time as a student, he was involved with Greek Life, Black Student Union, and studied abroad in China. Lee is the owner of Bau-house located in Downtown Flint and a business analyst at General Motors. Through entrepreneurship, he is able to express his creativity in fashion and educate others on brand development. As a role model within the Flint community, he was selected to be featured in the Sons: Seeing the Modern African American Male at the Flint Institute of Arts. As our featured alumni of the month, Lee explains his passion for two industries – fashion and automotive, his life as an entrepreneur and working at GM, gives advice on the importance of internships during college.

Q: Degree(s) and graduation year:
A: Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) 2014
Organizational and supply chain management (M.S) from another institution

Q: Were you involved in any clubs or extracurriculars during your college experience? If so, what organizations/clubs?
A: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., NPHC, and Black Student Union

Q: Where are you currently working and your title? How long have you been in this position or at this organization? What is your job like day to day?
A: I am currently a business analyst at General Motors located at our headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. I have worked at General Motors for almost 7 years holding a variety of positions. I’m also a proud entrepreneur within downtown Flint, operating a brick-and-mortar space: Bau-house. Bau-house is a lifestyle retail store that focuses on curating streetwear, sneakers, and art. The store also places a heavy emphasis on fashion and design education through our brand development workshops.

My job as a business analyst is to review and manage budgets for US manufacturing facilities. As it relates to day-to-day tasks, crunching numbers is the name of the game to find cost-saving opportunities for GM manufacturing sites. I love my 9-5, I work on a diverse team, and I get the opportunity to travel.

Once my day has ended with General Motors, I feed my design and retailing passion! Bau-house allows me to express my creativity and indulge in the world of fashion. It brings forth the opportunity to support my city from an economic development standpoint as well. Currently, the store is under renovation, so I am painting walls, designing clothing, selecting fixtures, planning interior layouts, and sourcing products in preparation for a soft opening in April or May of 2022.

Q: Why did you choose to go into the career path you are currently in?
A: Growing up I had a passion surrounding two industries – fashion and automotive. At one point in my life, I stated that I would not work in the automotive industry because everyone in my family worked for General Motors. I had my mindset on working for a fashion house or a global retail chain. I made the decision based on where I landed my internship for my senior year of college. My internship at Inteva products LLC fueled my drive towards the automotive industry and introduced me to General Motors. Once I became confident in my position at GM, I set my sights on fulfilling my love for fashion and retailing by opening my own space. It is my vision that this space will become a creative hub for design enthusiasts.

Q: Why did you choose to attend UM-Flint for your degree?
A: My family always thought that the University of Michigan offered the best level of education. I originally selected UM-Flint as a steppingstone to get on the campus of Ann Arbor. After about two years of attending classes at UM-Flint, I had a change of heart related to leaving. I was won over by the amazing culture surrounding student life, the support of professors, and the administration alike.

Q: Share your best college memory
A: My best college memory and life experience was going to China. My original major was international business, and it was a requirement to either secure an internship or study abroad. I had already landed an internship, but I wanted to travel and see the world. Going to China was a life-changing experience for me because it taught me how to appreciate my culture and country. Plus, I had the opportunity to travel with one of my favorite cousins, LaTresha Reed. She is a proud graduate of UM-Flint School of Management as well.

Q: What is the most important thing you learned while you were at UM-Flint? 
A: One of the most important things I learned at UM-Flint is that real-life experience is the true professor. No matter what class I attended within the school of management, each professor stresses the importance of applied work experience. Projects were always geared towards real companies and solving active problems within those companies. The hands-on experience via internships and projects helped me to develop professional skill sets and business acumen that course textbooks could not teach. I learned that the more work experience I gained the better equipped I’ll be for my future career.

Q: What advice would you give current students or recent graduates interested in pursuing a career in your professional field?
A: My only advice would be to gain as much hands-on experience as possible via internship and/or co-op opportunities. I cannot express enough the importance of real-life work experience during a student’s undergraduate journey.

Q: What is one of your proudest accomplishments so far?
A: One of my proudest accomplishments thus far in my life is becoming a father and husband. My daughter drives my motivation for success in everything that I do. Recently I was selected to be a part of an exhibit within the Flint Institute of Arts titled, Sons: Seeing the Modern African American Male. The FIA was the first museum I was introduced to as a child and to have my picture hanging on the walls, I was left speechless. It was an awesome experience to be able to share that moment with my family. As it relates to my career, it would be landing a role at General Motors headquarters.

Q: Fun Facts!
A: I went to elementary school, high school, and college in Flint. I am a proud graduate of the Flint educational system, a true Flintstone =) !

Alumnus, Mahmood Al Madan, graduated in 2017 from UM-Flint’s School of Management with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Finance and Accounting with a minor in Economics. During his time as a student, he was a member of the Financial Management Association and worked part-time as a Research Analyst at the UM-Flint’s Office of Research and Economic Development. Mahmood is an Operation and Accounting Manager at Vision Transport Logistics where he handles the supply chain of the trucking company. 

As our featured alumni of the month, Mahmood gives advice on how to push through public speaking fears, talks about choosing UM-Flint because of the personal, smaller classroom settings and his career path from sales assistant/merchandiser to where he is now and how team projects at UM-Flint helped him prepare for his career. 

Q: Degree(s) and graduation year:
A:  Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Finance and Accounting with a minor in Economics, 2017

Q: Were you involved in any clubs or extracurriculars during your college experience?
A: Financial Management Association

Q: Where are you currently working and your title? How long have you been in this position or at this organization? What is your job like day to day?
A: Currently working as Operation and Accounting Manager at Vision Transport Logistics. I have been working here since 2019. With a dedicated fleet of 15 trucks, Vision Transport Logistics, offers flexible and efficient drayage services.

Working in a trucking company and being part of the supply chains, which acts as the veins of the economy, makes our daily routines different and exciting. My team and I work closely with our fleet drivers to make sure the containers get delivered to warehouses in a timely and smooth manner. We solve different problems that arise every day with truck drivers, railroads, and equipment providers. Monitoring the arrival time of containers and arranging delivery schedules with warehouses. Also, keeping a watchful eye that each driver is following the department of transportation working hours efficiently and maximizing their productivity while following safety standards. Making sure, with top priority, our customers get updated on their shipment delivery and invoicing in a timely manner.

Q: Describe your career path
A: The first job in my career path was after I finished my English program in Canada for two and half years which was a Sales Assistant and Merchandiser at Kimberly-Clark. I was visiting many Supermarkets checking the inventory and talking to customers and warehouse teams. Working hand in hand with the sales, accounting, and finance team, I had built curiosity, I had the desire to start college and be able to work in the professional Accounting and Finance sector.

During my third year at the University of Michigan-Flint, I worked part-time as a Research Analyst at the UM-Flint’s Office of Research and Economic Development. During this position, I worked with a team in gathering data on businesses developments and economical needs in the thumb region of Michigan. We also were a part of asset mapping to identify regional assets and evaluate each asset’s impact on that region. After graduating, I had taken on a few jobs as a bookkeeper and Uber driver which have both helped me become more social and gave me practice becoming familiar with handling books for businesses, which lead to my current job in Vision Transport Logistics.

I was hired first as a Bookkeeper after the books were left for months without being managed. I have taken on the role and cleaned up the bookkeeping and brought things up to date. Taking on a role like that has helped me understand every aspect of bookkeeping and more specifically in the business. With that being said, I have been able to oversee day-to-day costs and be able to reduce the cost of the business most specifically during the pandemic. After being able to manage to reduce the cost, I was assigned as Operation Manager/Accounting Manager.

Q: Why did you choose to go into the career path you are currently in?
A:   Working at Kimberly-Clark as my first job and talking with others from the accounting and finance team had built interest in this career path.

Q: Why did you choose UM-Flint for your degree?
A: I was originally advised by an academic agent overseas of the University of Michigan-Flint being a regional campus of the University of Michigan. Attracted to the living cost being cheaper in the Flint area. Being on a smaller campus makes the classes more personalized and instructors can give more attention to students on a personal level. This made it possible to build relationships with some of the instructors and get different types of advice and wisdom which has helped my personal and academic level.

Q: What is one of your favorite events you attended or classroom experiences at UM-Flint? Why?
A: One of my favorite classes I have taken at UM-Flint was a class called First-Year Experience. It was a course that examines real-world problems from a multidisciplinary perspective. In that, we were given many assignments that genuinely helped me understand and respect the difference in people who came from different social statuses, religions, economical levels, races, etc. I would say this class has helped me stay reasonably constant throughout life.

Q: What is the most important thing you learned while you were at UM-Flint?
A: I have learned many things at UM-Flint that have had a large impact on who I am today along with my career path. The two most important would be public speaking and team projects. In many of our business classes, we were assigned to give presentations as assignments. At first, I hated it because I had glossophobia, but after having to do it for a few classes it certainly helped me overcome my fear. These group assignments reinforced these skills that are relevant to both group and individual work. Many of these skill sets I still rely on in my current work such as strong communication skills.

Q: Who influenced you most during your time at UM-Flint and why?
A: My family and friends along with some of the instructors.

Q: How did your education at UM-Flint prepare you for what you are doing today?
A: Many of my business classes have given me the knowledge and fundamentals of accounting which I use in everyday operations from financial statements and cash flows. Group projects and presentations helped me become more confident and a better team leader by improving my public speaking skills.

Q: What advice would you give current students or recent graduates interested in pursuing a career in your professional field?
A: If asked to give any advice from personal experience it would be socializing and building a network. When you socialize regularly in college, you tend to develop deep and lasting relationships. Studying abroad may be one of the most beneficial experiences for a college student. Last, but not least, seek internship opportunities!

Q: What is a long-term career or professional goal you have for yourself?
A: My long-term goal when I was a student is completely different from what it is right now, and I am also sure it will be different in a few years from now. However, the opportunities are endless, and my goal is to continue to grow.

Q: What is one of your proudest accomplishments so far?
A: Studying abroad and owning my own business.

Q: What is something people may not know about you?
A: In my spare time I enjoy cooking and spending time with family and friends. I love going on road trips or traveling with my wife and exploring different countries, cultures, music, and food.

Danielle Mauter earned her Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Marketing with a minor in graphic design from the University of Michigan-Flint in 2014. During her time as a student, Danielle had multiple internships, was a co-founder of the Marketing and Advertising Student Professionals club, and participated in other off-campus activities like coaching for a high school color guard squad and competing in the Genesee County Fair open exhibit classes. Danielle is currently the Chief of Marketing and Communications at the Huron-Clinton Metroparks which serves five southeast Michigan counties. She oversees marketing staff, improves media relations and partnerships in the region, and implements future-facing goals for the Huron-Clinton Metroparks. As our featured alumni of the month, Danielle describes her career path, her favorite memories as a student, why she went into the marketing field, and gives advice for those who want to pursue a career in marketing!

Q: Degree(s) and graduation year:
A:  Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Marketing with a minor in graphic design, 2014

Q: Where are you currently working and your title? How long have you been in this position or at this organization? What is your job like day to day?
A: I am currently the Chief of Marketing and Communications at the Huron-Clinton Metroparks. I have been here since February 2019 (2.5 years). One of America’s premier metropolitan park systems, the Huron-Clinton Metroparks have served the people of Southeast Michigan since 1940. Managed by the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority, the Metroparks are made up of 13 properties in Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties.

As much as I hate a cliché – it’s true that my job is different every day. I manage a small team and together we are responsible for promoting the Metroparks brand and communicating with the public and partners about activities, programs, events, and the general park experience. We maintain all the social media and web presence as well as communication pieces in print, digital, TV/Video, radio, and out-of-home spaces. Some days I spend time with my graphic designs reviewing and brainstorming ideas for ad artwork to fit our brand identity and then I shift to answering media phone calls, completing interviews, and writing press releases. Then other days I spend time in our parks capturing photos and generating content. Still other days I may spend with our organizations’ leadership team creating the “big picture” ideas of where the organization needs to be or go in the future and putting together our budget and ideas for the upcoming year. It is a truly rewarding job that always keeps me on my toes.

Q: Describe your career path.
A:  My career path started while I was still in college. I consider the five years I spent working part-time at Menards during school to really be the start of it. I was a shy kid in high school, but working in retail forced me to talk to customers and brought me out of my shell. I saw how merchandising worked and developed sales pitches to help customers finish their home improvement projects.

From there, all but one of my positions have been the first of their kind. I have stepped into roles that organizations have just created and have spent the majority of my career building brands and campaigns for organizations that created marketing departments or roles to help grow their business.
   
At the end of my second year of business school, I scored an internship with a small local business that organized and promoted fine art and craft shows and was looking to grow into new types of events. This was my first real-world experience in marketing where I was responsible for managing business social media accounts, booking and creating ad campaigns, organizing event details, and helping with bookkeeping. There were times that I was doing a lot of self-teaching, but it was a job I loved and really excelled at. I ended up staying with the company part-time for about 2 years.
   
After my first year with the show promotion company, I applied for and was offered a second internship at Nexteer Automotive completing marketing research for their future engineering department. It was a new role at the time and I was being supervised by engineers to find the possible market share for a possible future use of their technologies. It was a very self-guided project that resulted in me actually presenting my findings to members of their board. The presentation was a success and they continued to work on that project for a couple of years (as far as I know) after I left the organization. This is where I determined that marketing research wasn’t the only thing I wanted to spend my days on. I needed a mixture of marketing tasks to keep me happy.
   
After graduation (well actually slightly before), I took my first full-time position in marketing. I was the marketing professional at Wolverine Fire Protection Co. – a specialty contractor that designs and installs fire suppression systems across the country. I was the very first marketing staff person they had hired in their history. Here I had the chance to rebuild a brand from scratch. I took their existing logo and built a much more modern identity around it that includes a website overhaul, new letterhead and templates, new report and RFP style and format, building social media presence, new trade show materials, etc. I did spend a lot of my time working on proposals to win new projects because this is a B2B business. It was a great experience, but I quickly discovered I wanted to get back into the B2C world and a role where I was working on ad campaigns and more traditional marketing channels.
   
That is when I found the posting for a Marketing Specialist at Genesee County Parks. In this role, I was able to come in at the front of a brand refresh project in a B2C organization. I was able to work through updating all branded brochures, social media presence, and website AND create true marketing campaigns. I managed a marketing budget and a small staff of 1-3 (1 full-time and 1-2 interns at a time). I also got to do some event organizing and marketing utilizing the skills I earned in my first internship. I was hooked on the field of parks and recreation after my first six months there, and although I wasn’t the first person in that role, the role offered a lot of room for modernizing and making it my own with a fresh start.
   
I was at Genesee County Parks for almost 4 years when I took on my current role. It was a shift from a county park system to a regional parks system and managing a larger staff with more responsibilities. At the time I took my position at Huron-Clinton Metroparks, the role of Chief of Marketing and Communications was new and the Metroparks hadn’t had a consistent and organized marketing plan in over 30 years. I once again had the opportunity to come in and rebuild a brand starting with the brand refresh process and working through updating the brand identity and then working to build brand campaigns to improve brand recognition in Southeast Michigan and increase attendance. Additionally, I’m working to continually improve media relations and partnerships in the region and focused on public-facing storytelling to get our brand message across. As part of the executive leadership team, I also have the opportunity to be a part of the team the develops and guides the future-facing goals and plans for the organization.

Q: Why did you choose to attend UM-Flint for your degree(s)?
A:  I originally started college with a much different career path in mind. I chose UM-Flint at the time because I wanted to complete my prereqs while I worked toward transferring into UM-Ann Arbor’s Architecture program. While I did accomplish that – after two years at UM-Flint and one semester in Ann Arbor’s Architecture program, I decided it wasn’t actually making me happy and that I needed to change majors. When I did, I decided to come back to UM-Flint because the smaller campus was a much more personalized experience for me. The teachers were able to give individual students more attention and I felt like it was a better place for me to gain the education I needed to prepare for my career while still being more affordable than other big universities.

Q: Were you involved in any clubs or extracurriculars during your college experience? If so, what organizations/clubs?
A:  I was a co-founder of Marketing and Advertising Student Professionals at the time. Was involved in other activities off campus including coaching for a high school color guard squad, riding four-wheelers, and competing in the Genesee County Fair open exhibit classes and queen pageant.

Q: How did your education at UM-Flint prepare you for what you are doing today?
A:  In my business classes I had a diverse set of students. Unlike some universities where everyone is fresh out of high school and living in dorms, my classes were a mix of “traditional” college students, older return-to-learn students with careers and full-time jobs already and students from abroad. Being paired up in group projects and discussions with those unique perspectives allowed me to think differently and really discuss what we were learning in class. That combined with the internship and hands-on experiences that I gained through the career center and the student org we started helped propel me into realizing what my career could be. I’ll admit I didn’t really know what type of marketing role I wanted to be in while I was in college. It was really helpful to take two very different internships over the course of my four years. The first one was in event marketing and allowed me to use my creativity and graphic designer minor and I loved being on the B2C side. The second was in marketing research which I thought would make more money and I would love the numbers side. I discovered that I didn’t love it as much as I loved creating B2C campaigns and using my creative side. That helped me determine that I ultimately wanted to end up the head of a marketing department somewhere.

Q: Why did you choose to go into the career path you are currently in?
A:  I weaved my answer to this into my career path answer. It had a lot to do with my experience at each role I’ve had in showing me the pieces I did and didn’t like in each of my roles.

Q: What is the most important thing you learned while you were at UM-Flint? 
A:  I would say that the most important thing I learned during my time at UM-Flint is the benefit of applied experience. I had teachers and internship opportunities through campus resources that allowed me to work on real-world projects. That type of experience can’t be read in a textbook. Those hands-on experiences allowed me to apply what I was learning in class (and do a little research and self-teaching along the way) and propelled me further into career options that I never expected. Had I not taken the chance on those opportunities, I don’t think I would be as far in my career as I am today. I learned that you have to put the work in, but when you do, everything starts to click and it makes it all worth it.

Q: What is one of your favorite events you attended or classroom experiences at UM-Flint? Why?
A:  I remember my classroom experiences more than events, and it’s hard for me to pick one. I actually have a few that stick out in my mind. I had professor Laurence for organizational behavior and I always found his lessons really interesting. It really brought the concepts of inter-office relations and management into a realistic perspective. He was also always willing to help outside of class or give advice and he wrote me a great letter of recommendation that helped me land my first job. I also really enjoyed my international business class (although I don’t remember my professor’s name). At the time, I thought I wanted to end up in an international business and his lessons often brought a hands-on component. One specific time is when he brought in silkworms for us to eat. I originally felt I could be brave and try it, but ultimately ended up chickening out. But it was still a really impactful lesson for other cultures.

Q: What advice would you give current students or recent graduates interested in pursuing a career in your professional field?
A:   I have a couple pieces of advice. First, treat every job like a great opportunity. What I mean is open your eyes and ears and soak up as much experience as you can. A lot of students don’t consider their part-time retail jobs as “experience” on their resumes and in interviews, but it is! When I’m talking to students I remind them to think about those jobs differently and decide what those jobs have taught them that they can carry into an organization. Maybe it’s communication skills or sales skills or merchandising ideas from someone who has actually had to stock shelves before. It’s all valuable in different ways.
   
Also, graphic design experience today is really important. Even if you can’t do it yourself, you should have an understanding of the principles, terminology, and technology used. In my role, I supervise graphic designers, but in previous roles, I’ve had to be both the marketing person and the graphic designer. A lot of companies are looking for dual roles and even if they aren’t, you need to understand the principles of what works and looks good to consumers when your reviewing and approving billboards vs print ads vs social media content. So I recommend taking some graphic design courses while you’re still in school or in some other capacity after school. It will make you more marketable in the job force.

Q: What is a long-term career or professional goal you have for yourself?
A: When I think a few years back, my long-term goal was to become a chief marketing officer (CMO) somewhere. I had no idea that I would have the opportunity to realize that goal by the time I was 30. Now I’ve been so busy building that role for 2.5 years and through a pandemic that brought record attendance to parks everywhere, that I haven’t really stopped to think what my next long-term goal should be in my career. My goal is always to continue growing and improving the organization I work for. Professionally, in the parks and rec field, there is a certification called CPRP (certified parks and recreational professional). I do have a goal for myself to obtain that one day and to stay in the parks and recreation field.

Q: What is something people may not know about you?
A: In the professional world people tend to see a petite, fair-skinned, young, blonde woman and generate certain assumptions about me. However, I have often surprised people when they discover my hobbies include riding four-wheelers, and side by sides, getting dirty, fishing, hunting, photography (I even had my own business for a short period of time) and all things outdoors. My honeymoon trip to Alaska was my absolute favorite vacation. I listen to all types of music from rock to hip hop to country, I’m a dedicated dog mom and I’m not afraid to roll up my sleeves and help with projects of all kinds including tending to my small flock of chickens and home renovation projects at my husband and I’s house in the country or cabin in the woods.