“Real learning comes from classroom discussions between students and instructors,” asserts Kelly Genei, an associate professor at Cleary who recently was named Dean of Undergraduate Studies.
“Textbooks provide an educational foundation, but incorporating useful, practical knowledge – information students will need in the workplace – is what makes Cleary stand out among other universities,” she emphasizes. “One of Cleary’s strongest and most valuable resources is our faculty. They are experts in their field and bring that experience into the classroom. I, too, was a small business owner with a love for education and appreciation for the professors who contributed to my success.”
After graduation from Northwood University in Midland where she triple majored – advertising, marketing and management – and minored in economics and language arts, Genei moved to Chicago where she began a career in the automotive after market industry. “I’m not a big city girl – I grew up in Hartland” – so Genei returned to Livingston County and helped with the family business as director of marketing for Genei Industries, an automotive industrial packaging supplier and logistics company. She also worked for the family’s partner company, Genei Recycling Group, serving clients such as Cummins, General Motors, Ford and BMW, buying and selling scrap plastic.
Two years later, in hopes of broadening her career opportunities, Genei pursued an MBA. Northwood offered an accelerated program in Switzerland, and “I couldn’t pass up this opportunity,” she announces. In one year, she completed her MBA in Business from the Devos Graduate School of Management at Northwood University’s international partner school in Montreux, Switzerland.
When she returned home, the economy was still “rough,” she describes. Her father had retired, so Genei decided to restart the family business and ran it successfully for seven years, acknowledging that, “this was not my forever job.” That’s when she accepted an adjunct faculty position at Cleary and took over the newly established DECA program. Genei was a DECA scholar in high school and received a DECA scholarship to Northwood. Serving as Cleary’s DECA advisor was a natural transition for her.
“I love working in an academic environment!” she exclaims. “My mom was a professor, and she felt this would be a good fit for me, too. She was right!”
Genei appreciates the flexibility and support Cleary gives its faculty to provide a student-centered experience. “I believe a business education helps individuals develop technical knowledge and practice the interpersonal skills necessary to be an asset to their organization.
“What makes Cleary special is that the faculty know almost every student by name, and that is really important,” Genei finds. “We not only know students by name, we know their hobbies, the sports they are playing, the job or internship they have, their plans for the future … we ask because we genuinely care about our students.”
Genei now is working toward her PhD in Business, with a focus in entrepreneurship, from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In addition to her degrees, Genei completed certifications in People Analytics, Operations Analytics and Customer Analytics – all from Wharton University of Pennsylvania. She obtained a Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma Green Belt Certification in 2012 from the University of Michigan.
Her desire to impact the academic arena at Cleary earned Genei the Dean of Undergraduate Studies’ position. She is responsible for advancing the excellence and quality of Cleary’s undergraduate programs and activities. She will work closely with faculty and students to champion a strong and relevant student-centered undergraduate experience, and contribute to the development and implementation of new academic initiatives.
“I love Cleary, and I love working in the community where I grew up,” she asserts. “I know the value of a small school environment and the value of getting to know professors, making connections and building a network of resources students can carry with them in the workplace.
“I often tell my students to put themselves in new situations; that’s what college is all about. Be comfortable getting out of your comfort zone.”
Genei lives in Brighton, and she serves on the City of Brighton’s Zoning Board of Appeals. For enjoyment, she races in an adult ski league, and camps and hikes with her dog.
