Henderson County is very fortunate to have such a broad range of higher education options in the form of Blue Ridge Community College and the addition in 2011 of Wingate University’s Hendersonville Campus and its graduate program offerings. Both institutions continue to exemplify education as a key economic development driver for the region.
Wingate University’s growth continues this Fall with the addition of a graduate program in Physician Assistant Studies to add to its existing MBA and Doctor of Pharmacy graduate programs. To accommodate this growth, Wingate’s downtown Hendersonville Campus will be expanding beyond its current facility at 220 Fifth Avenue East across the street to also occupy space in the Home Trust Bank building.
In terms of specific impacts to the region, Wingate has extensively partnered with the local community beginning with its varied partnerships with area health care institutions such as Park Ridge Health and Pardee Hospital in conjunction with its Pharmacy Program, with more partnerships expected with the launch of the Physician’s Assistant graduate program this Fall.
Other community related partnerships have come in the form of the many local companies whose leaders and associates have taken advantage of Wingate’s part-time, evening MBA Program including GE Lighting, Clement Pappas, Selee Corporation, Park Ridge Health, and Mountain 1st Bank to name a few.
As current Wingate MBA student Mike Armstrong from GE Lighting notes: “The Wingate MBA Program has not only provided a refreshing, updated understanding of the issues impacting my cross-functional global role, but it has allowed me to think beyond my company’s boundaries and consider a broader view of business management.”
As Henderson County continues to grow, it is clear that the region’s educational footprint will also continue to further expand and higher education will be expected to play a vital role in the region’s economy.
For more information about Wingate’s MBA Program, feel free to attend an MBA Information Session this Wednesday, July 31st at 6:30 pm at Wingate’s Hendersonville Campus, or contact Mark Bryant at [email protected] or 704-846-1404.