Balance is the key

Guidance from CEO alum mentor helped me find my career path

By Chris Wood (’07)

It is not typical for most JMU students to have the opportunity to meet the CEO of a fast-growing multimillion-dollar technology company. Yet during my junior year, I got the chance to do just that. I was fortunate enough to have Ken Bartee (’03), CEO and president of McDonald Bradley, as my mentor. Bartee has worked for large companies, started small companies and has a wealth of knowledge, which I was eager to explore.


When I came to JMU, I enjoyed playing with computers and the stock market. So my decision to pursue majors in computer information systems and finance was no surprise. However at the time, I didn’t know how to turn my passion into a career. Mr. Bartee instilled in me the importance of an internship at a company where I would like to work full time — internships typically turn into full-time offers of employment.


Mr. Bartee chairs the College of Business Executive Advisory Council. This prestigious group of JMU alumni and friends come from all walks of life, live all over the country and provide long-term strategic guidance to the college. Council members speak to classes and enlighten students to career possibilities. Some members like Mr. Bartee also mentor CoB students.


I first met Mr. Bartee in 2005 at John Grisham’s Katrina relief charity golf tournament at Wintergreen Resort. Just like me, he enjoys golf. While we didn’t have much time to talk, I was looking forward to finding out how he had gone from JMU to CEO.


Balance is one of greatest lessons Mr. Bartee taught me. He has managed to run one of the fastest-growing companies in Washington, D.C., while maintaining a family and lifestyle balance.
When it came time to look for an internship, I followed Mr. Bartee’s advice and began to examine companies as if I were applying for a full-time position. In interviews, I asked about the company’s personality, core values and how it had achieved success. Mr. Bartee also put me in contact with several executives at some of the companies I was researching. Consequently, I learned that one of the best ways to get to know a company is by talking to those who run it.


After talking to several of the larger firms in D.C., I accepted an internship at a small financial software firm based in Denver. It didn’t take long for me to realize I had made the right choice. Since Mr. Bartee and I kept in regular contact, he was able to review the numerous employment documents I had to sign when I started working in May 2006. Also, having started companies, he knew the kinds of things I needed to be aware of when working for a small company. Three months into the internship, one of the company’s partners offered me a full-time position. After consulting with Mr. Bartee and my parents, I accepted the offer and will begin full-time employment after I graduate.


As I began my senior year at Madison, I was asked to find students for the mentoring program. My mentoring relationship with Mr. Bartee works well, because we make time to talk. It would be difficult to have a beneficial mentoring relationship without consistent communication. The program looks for students who are excited about the possibility of having an EAC mentor. I worked with EAC-member Terry Bandy (’80) to find members excited about the possibility of becoming mentors.


Each mentoring relationship is different, some are informal while others are much more formal. Mr. Bartee and I talk about once a month, some students talk to their mentor once a week.


I am confident that without Mr. Bartee’s guidance, I would have interned with a company that would not have been a good fit. His guidance helped me avoid the worry of interviewing with companies this semester. Right now the possibilities for a CIS major are numerous. I am glad that I had Mr. Bartee’s guidance. Finding a job was easy. Finding a job I liked that was a good fit proved to be slightly more difficult.