Former Ferrum College Board of Trustees Chairman, Sam Lionberger, and his wife Rindy, are well known for their generous support of Ferrum College. During his time as Chair of the Board of Trustees, Lionberger says one of his main goals was to improve core academic standards.
Sam and Rindy Lionberger know their scholarship support enables students to start their career paths. “We believe Ferrum College students come to their employers with a strong work ethic and are more competitive because they require less training,” says Lionberger. “Thus, there is shorter time until they are productive in their respective positions.” He advocates teaching students they are essentially independent contractors when competing for positions in the job market. “I want Ferrum students to understand this is impressive to employers and this is what we teach at Ferrum,” he says.
Lionberger notes the institution is second to none in providing a core business education, regardless of the student’s major. “All majors, from business to environmental science, will benefit from an understanding of basic business principles,” he says. Lionberger believes “students need to understand that all employees have a function and responsibility in a business being able to be successful.”