Stapleton Featured in NBEA’s Business Education Forum

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., Feb. 18, 2009 – Dr. James Stapleton, director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and assistant professor of business and marketing education at Southeast Missouri State University, was recently featured in the article “The Emerging Business Educator: Professional, Passionate, Purposeful,” which appeared in the December 2008 issue of Business Education Forum, the official publication of the National Business Education Association (NBEA).

Stapleton was nominated to be featured in the article by Dr. Marcia Anderson, a member of a national leadership group.

“I worked with Dr. Anderson when I was a doctoral student at Southern Illinois University,” Stapleton said.  “She is known and very well respected throughout the United States, having served in nearly every national leadership position during her 30-plus year career in business education.

“It is a tremendous honor to be recognized by such a respected individual as Dr. Anderson and the other leaders at the National Business Education Association. It is also an honor to be recognized in the leading publication in the business education field. I’m particularly pleased to be recognized as an emerging educator,” Stapleton said.

The NBEA is the nation's largest professional organization, with about 15,000 members, devoted exclusively to serving individuals and groups engaged in instruction, administration, research, and dissemination of information for and about business. NBEA is the leading association devoted to the recognition that business education competencies are essential for all individuals in today's fast-changing society.

Stapleton says his mission in life is to share his passion for entrepreneurship with as many young people as possible with the hope of helping them achieve their goals.

“I am in a wonderful position at Southeast that allows me to work with undergraduate students interested in a variety of careers, including those that wish to teach secondary students about business and marketing subjects,” Stapleton said.  “I have the opportunity to not only help students at the university create and develop new business ventures, but I also work with students preparing to teach in high school classrooms understand the importance of helping their students develop entrepreneurial attitudes and behaviors. This unique assignment increases greatly the number of young people I can reach with this information.  It’s a dream job.”

“During my business career as an entrepreneur I learned so many important skills that apply to life - how to make things happen, spot opportunities, create value, solve problems, innovate solutions to meet people’s needs - these are all entrepreneurial skills,” Stapleton said. “As our society continues to become more entrepreneurial and our economy continues to become more competitive, I believe entrepreneurial skills and behaviors have quickly become among this generation’s most essential life-long skills.”