March 29, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by Marsh McLennan Agency.

As Steven Vlk tells his team: “The most important asset that you will ever have is your mind and what you put into it.”

The CEO of Marsh McLennan Agency’s Dakotas operations backs that up – and so does the broader company – by always searching for new opportunities for employees to continue learning.

“As long as I have been here, we have always tried to give everyone the opportunity to learn whether that is internally, externally, within other means of education, college, tech schools, trade schools or anything else you can think of,” Vlk said.

That mentality doesn’t end with his own team. Providing learning opportunities for the clients and communities MMA serves is equally important – and this insurance firm has found a new way to do that while creating powerful change.

One of the biggest challenges right now in higher education is access, so MMA invested in a $50,000 grant to Southeast Technical College to address the issue from multiple angles.

The first major step was hiring a director of access and workforce opportunity. In her new role, Marcella Prokop promotes the opportunities, funding and scholarships STC has available to recruit, retain and graduate underserved students.

Prokop has served in higher education since 2010, working as a tutor, admissions counselor and instructor. Her commitment to working with underserved populations grew out of watching her mother pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees while simultaneously working to improve her English language skills. Although Prokop’s heritage is the foundation for her approach to diversity, equity and inclusion, as a stroke survivor she is also passionate about advocating for greater access to education and professional opportunities for others with disabilities, visible or invisible.

“The partnership between MMA and Southeast Technical College highlights some of our shared values of driving innovation and holding ourselves and those we serve accountable to making our communities better places,” Prokop said. “MMA embraces a collaborative process with Southeast Tech and others in our region, and their leadership is driving the discussion about equity and inclusion in a way that lifts up our underserved neighbors and supports our workforce.”

Students really do belong in college if that is where they want to be irrespective of their past or present situation, she added. She hopes her role will enable anyone who wants the opportunity to continue their education the possibility to do so regardless of race, socioeconomic status, ethnicity or anything else that may stand in the way.

That resonates with Kira Kimball, MMA’s chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, who also serves on the STC Foundation board of directors.

“I have had a front-row seat to Southeast Tech’s commitment to providing educational pathways for under-represented students, which leads to empowerment and employment in great jobs. They are innovating their academic programming and student support to remove barriers to student success. These values greatly align with our organization,” Kimball said.

MMA’s mission is to make a difference in the moments that matter for colleagues, clients and community. It’s a commitment that extends far beyond expertise in risk management or employee health and benefits.

“MMA shares the same commitment to accessible education opportunities that STC does, which is why this partnership is so beneficial,” Kimball said. “Working together, we know there is going to be a multiplier effect. This partnership will help develop talent as well as providing more people the opportunity to learn.”

In addition to hiring Prokop, STC has also leveraged MMA’s partnership to create a new one-year risk and investment management program. STC is collaborating with MMA and other insurance industry organizations to create the content and curriculum for the program. Students will gain hands-on experience through paid internships at MMA and other insurance agencies.

“The goal is to bring more awareness to opportunities in the insurance industry, fill knowledge gaps, generate new talent and diversify the workforce,” Kimball said.

MMA’s donation also is funding improvements to STC’s academic resource center. Devoted to supporting student success, the resource center offers academic advising, tutoring, career services and more. Through this additional funding, the resource center will be able to increase the hours and quality of tutoring available, offer a virtual tutoring program, provide more robust resources to support students in completing their general education classes and update the resource center to make it more modern and inviting for students.

Reflecting on MMA’s mission, Vlk is eager to see the difference this partnership with STC will make.

“If you have two passionate organizations that want to make a difference in the community, want to make a difference in young people’s lives, want to increase equity and inclusion for everyone and provide people with opportunities they would not otherwise have access to, that is a win-win for not only our organizations but for the community as a whole,” he said. “Hopefully, this can create a chain reaction and be an example for other industries to follow.”

STC expects the risk and investment management program to be available this fall. Learners seeking assistance and information on access to STC’s program can contact the admissions office at [email protected].

To learn more about career opportunities at MMA, visit marshmma.com/careers.