Before beginning her academic career, Okanagan School of Business chair Laura Thurnheer spent 20 years in the corporate world, applying her MBA and business skills in a variety of business settings on multiple continents. It wasn鈥檛 until she taught at the Okanagan College Penticton campus in 2000 that Thurnheer uncovered her passion for education.

鈥淚 taught one course in tourism while working full-time at Community Futures,鈥� Thurnheer said.

鈥淚t was crazy because I had small children and a full-time job while also teaching. After a year, I realized I couldn鈥檛 do it all. So when UBC Okanagan opened in 2005, I moved there from Community Futures.鈥�

Thurnheer worked at the university as an organizational development consultant for two years while pursuing her MBA. After finishing her degree, though, Thurnheer would find that the challenges were just beginning.

鈥淚 was offered a permanent full-time position at Okanagan College. Moving from business into education was one of the most difficult decisions I鈥檝e ever made. And now I鈥檓 going on my 10th year (with Okanagan College).鈥�

Thurnheer now works as the chair of the Business Administration Department 鈥� she鈥檚 an elected official who represents 55 faculty members. As chair, Thurnheer acts as a liaison between faculty and administration, and also mentors new hires. The Okanagan College business program is quite large, Thurnheer says, and for that reason, she鈥檚 been released from her teaching obligations so she can focus her full attention on her responsibilities as chair.

鈥淚 do a lot of work around curriculum development 鈥� new courses, new programs. If a faculty member has an idea for a course, it takes a full year to get it through the system before they can teach it. I help to steward new courses through that process.鈥�

Beyond her work at Okanagan College, Thurnheer is an executive on four non-profit boards, including the B.C. Wine Authority and the HRMA board. She recently stepped away from her position on the United Way CSO board of directors in order to prevent a conflict with the other non-profits she directs.

鈥淚鈥檓 a certified HR professional. The Wine Authority is interesting because it鈥檚 a small board 鈥� there鈥檚 only three of us 鈥� and the other two members don鈥檛 have much HR experience. But I鈥檓 learning a lot from them about governance.鈥�

Thurnheer serves as the elected faculty representative on the Okanagan College Board of Governors, where she chairs the governance committee. And as a former president of the 91大黄鸭 Chamber of Commerce, she works hard to keep up with Chamber news and maintain close ties with the business community.

鈥�91大黄鸭鈥檚 business community is in a good spot right now, but we need the infrastructure to support growth. I鈥檓 very concerned about the next labour shortage. We had one in 2007, and I think we鈥檙e headed for another. We have a lot of baby boomers in leadership positions, but there鈥檚 no succession planning.鈥�

That鈥檚 why Thurnheer works to ensure that Okanagan College is equipping students with the business skills they鈥檒l need for a post-Information Age economy.

Thurnheer coaches five Enactus business teams, which allows her to see firsthand how her students are applying their course curriculum.

Managing a business school isn鈥檛 easy, and Thurnheer says the experience has taught her a variety of skills and lessons that are helping in her role.

鈥淵ou need patience,鈥� she says. 鈥淣ot everyone works at the same speed as you, and not everyone shares your goals. Over the years I鈥檝e had to learn patience 鈥� I鈥檝e had to learn to understand people鈥檚 perspectives. To motivate people. When I got out of university I worked very hard and did very well, but I didn鈥檛 have the patience that I needed. I had to be humbled a few times.鈥�

Patience is a skill that became increasingly valuable when Thurnheer moved from the business world to the postsecondary world, as business and education move at very different speeds.

鈥淧ost-secondary moves in the right direction, but it doesn鈥檛 move quickly. That鈥檚 something I had to come to grips with, and it took a while.鈥�

At Okanagan College, though, savvy business practices are proving valuable in light of recent legislative changes. Since 2013, the B.C. Ministry of Advanced Education has cut funding to postsecondary institutions by $50 million while also expecting colleges and universities to produce income. But earlier this year, Okanagan College announced that it had passed its first $100 million budget without cuts to student services.

For Thurnheer, that鈥檚 good news. She says that 91大黄鸭 is seeing a widespread culture shift that is bringing industry 鈥� and young professionals 鈥� back to the valley, and fueling the coming demand for talent is a fulfilling job.

鈥淚 have the opportunity, on a daily basis, to work with some of the Valley鈥檚 brightest young people. I have an opportunity to help them become good business owners and good corporate citizens.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I love about my work.鈥�