TCU BNSF Neeley Leadership Program

A huge thank you to Meghan Wright for your incredible work on the Fashioning Leadership: The Evolution of Women's Business Style event! It was a privilege to work alongside you to bring this vision to life. I learned so much throughout the process and was truly inspired by the stories shared. Hearing unique experiences in the corporate world through the lens of a woman was both powerful and moving. The event was amazing, and I can't wait to see what you continue to create in celebrating Women’s History Month! #Leadership #WomensHistoryMonth #Inspiration #AccelerateAction

Please join us in celebrating our Leaders of the Month for March 2025! Hayley Singleton, Ryan Mandell, and Matthew Horner have truly embodied the essence of leadership and we look forward to seeing the continued impact they’ll make in the future!

Last week, the Neeley Leadership Program had the incredible opportunity to visit American Airlines Headquarters. NLP members toured the Skyview campus and engaged in an insightful panel discussion with Dan Bartel, the Chief Procurement Officer, alongside leaders from his team and TCU alumni. As the world’s largest airline operating on a global scale, American Airlines relies on a highly strategic and collaborative procurement team to ensure reliability, optimize the customer experience, and drive value for stakeholders in an industry where efficiency and adaptability are critical. A key takeaway from the visit was the deeply collaborative team environment, where leadership is actively involved with all members, and decisions are made collectively. The procurement team focuses on reliability and optimizing the customer experience, ensuring seamless operations for both passengers and partners. Beyond operations, the panelists highlighted the importance of fostering a culture of growth, continuous learning, and shared problem-solving to navigate the industry's everyday challenges. This visit provided an inspiring look into how American Airlines drives operational excellence while maintaining a strong commitment to leadership and innovation. A huge thank you to American Airlines and our esteemed panelists for sharing their insights and an inside look at how leadership and culture shape success in such a dynamic, fast-paced industry.

We we honored to have Maria Mason speak to our sophomore and junior cohorts during last night's workshop. Students learned about Maria's life story and her journey to creating a real estate empire. Maria shared tips on creating her company, Camino Real Estate, building generational wealth, and the value of the Horned Frog network. Thank you to this incredible alumna for supporting Neeley Leaders! #bnsfneeleyleadershipprogram #tcunlp

Grateful to have spent a fantastic few days in Austin, TX at the Texas McCombs School of Business learning from colleagues across the country!

Last week, the TCU BNSF Neeley Leadership Program was honored to participate in the Business Honors & Leadership Conference, hosted by Canfield Business Honors at the Texas McCombs School of Business! Our Program Director, Annie Cowden, Ph.D., and Assistant Director, Serena Avitia, delivered an engaging session titled "Leveraging Student Leadership to Drive Alumni and Corporate Partnerships." The presentation showcased how our three-year leadership program empowers students to lead within the Neeley Leadership Cabinet, fostering connections between students, alumni, and corporate partners. Through initiatives like the Alumni Mentorship Program, corporate site visits, and alumni-led events, we’re cultivating a thriving network that supports student success and enhances program outcomes. The session provided attendees with actionable strategies for building alumni boards, sustaining corporate partnerships, and preparing students for lifelong engagement in our community. We are grateful to the Texas McCombs School of Business for hosting such an incredible conference and creating a platform to share and learn from other leaders in business education!

Congratulations to Cedric James and Michael Sherrod on this incredible achievement! As both NLP faculty members and leaders in the TCU Entrepreneurship program, their dedication to developing future business leaders is truly inspiring. We are proud to have such accomplished professors guiding our NLP students.

This past week, the Sophomore Cohort of NLP took on the Assessment Center, a key experience designed to challenge members both individually and in teams through a real-world business case study. Participants were tasked with analyzing a complex business scenario, collaborating in teams to develop strategic solutions, and presenting their insights under pressure. In addition to teamwork, each member demonstrated critical thinking and problem-solving skills individually, receiving valuable feedback from NLP alumni on their communication, decision-making, and leadership approaches. The Assessment Center pushes students to think like business professionals, applying classroom knowledge to real challenges while gaining direct insight into their strengths and areas for growth. This experience is a defining moment in NLP, preparing members to lead with confidence in any environment.

Please join us in congratulating NLP’s 2025 Officers! On behalf of the Cabinet and Faculty, we’re thrilled to welcome these outstanding leaders to their new roles. We look forward to their positive impact on our organization and the NLP community.

We are excited to announce the kickoff of our Alumni Mentorship Program, led by Kyler Kelsey, VP of Alumni, and Colin Eich, VP of Program Development. This year our program features over 40 dedicated NLP alumni with diverse backgrounds, including investment banking, corporate finance, consulting, Big 4 accounting, marketing agencies, startups, and supply chain logistics. These mentors are ready to guide our sophomores and juniors as they navigate their career paths and post-graduate life. Colin Eich shared his thoughts on the program: "The alumni mentorship program is a resource for both our current students and NLP alumni that allows them to foster a strong mentor-mentee relationship. It helps our alumni stay engaged with the program, and our current students gain insight into navigating their careers and post-grad life." We were thrilled by the competitive interest from our alumni, a testament to the strong commitment within our community. This enthusiasm underscores the value of these mentor-mentee relationships, and we are confident that they will provide exceptional guidance as our students navigate their career paths and post-graduate life.