Citing the old adage, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” Voorhees resident Jeffery Flynn believes that networking has never been more important than in today’s global economy. Recently appointed to the Widener University Board of Trustees, Flynn is ready to push forward, teaching students the importance of making professional connections in the digital age.
No stranger to Widener University, Flynn attended graduate school there in 2004 and received his master’s in public administration in 2005.
Flynn received a seat on the board after being appointed the new president of the Widener University-Pennsylvania Military College Alumni Association.
“It’s a tremendous honor,” Flynn said. “To be a part of that is going to be a lot of fun.”
Flynn explained that his primary focus is to bring more awareness to the importance of making student and alumni connections both physically and online, through social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Flynn is currently working with a group of 15 alumni who act as facilitators for those connections, by attending campus events and meeting with current students.
“The goal is as a grad student, you will have a group of alumni that you can connect with,” Flynn said. “The office has done a good job of laying the foundation, but now it is time to pump it up.”
Flynn added that social media and the connections that are fostered online have become increasingly significant in everyday life, and he hopes to educate not only the student body, but the board as well on developing trends in social networking.
Flynn explained that he has a list of every Twitter handle for every club or organization present at Widener University, and can stay up-to-date with events on campus.
“In the click of a button, I can see everything going on at the university,” Flynn said.
Flynn maintained that it is important to every student’s future to have a significant network they can tap into, making an easier transition into the workforce.
“The more we can help those students, the better the students will be and the better Widener University will be, as well,” Flynn said.
Pushing professional networking at Widener University, Flynn is also a part of YB Connected, an organization dedicated to facilitating connections between professionals on both a personal and professional level.
“It’s really been fun to be a part of this over the last couple of years,” Flynn said.
He explained that what started out as a group of friends going to breakfast a couple times a year soon turned into 13 professionals and himself organizing events for professionals all over to meet in a comfortable and casual environment.
“Our goal is to have a couple events each year,” Flynn said.
While a website is currently under construction, he explained that, right now, they use their Facebook page as their main source of communication in coordinating events, such as the one recently held at the Stratus Lounge in Philadelphia that approximately 200 professionals attended.
In addition to his role in YB Connected and his seat on the Widener University board of trustees, Flynn also serves as partnership manager with Discovery Education, a division of Discovery Communications, which helps to facilitate classroom transformations into the digital age.
While Flynn’s position on the board expires in two years, he said he would like to serve Widener University in any capacity possible.
“As long as I can continue to stay active with Widener, I am certainly going to do that,” Flynn said.
