A Texas A&M University program that provides training for entrepreneurial veterans will be renamed the Reynolds and Reynolds Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans Program to recognize the company’s $2 million endowment made in 2016.
The funds will be used to provide support to the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV) Program, which is administered by the Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship at Mays Business School. Mays is a founding member of the EBV Consortium of 10 universities dedicated to developing veterans in entrepreneurship through on-site training and ongoing mentorships.
The new name was approved yesterday (April 27) by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents.
The renaming coincides with the 10th anniversary of the EBV at Texas A&M. It bolsters the Mays grand challenge of entrepreneurship – which emerged after a school-wide strategic planning initiative that spanned most of 2016 and set the course for the school’s future.
The gift is part of Texas A&M’s “Lead by Example” comprehensive campaign, which launched in 2016 with a $4 billion goal.
Reynolds and Reynolds has been a strong partner of Mays for years, most recently as a founding partner in 2015 of the Mays Professional Selling Initiative. The program provides students with opportunities to learn in real-world situations through sales presentations and competitions, often with the advantage of critiques from business professionals. In addition, the company is a top recruiter of student talent.
Rob Nalley, vice chairman of the Reynolds and Reynolds Company, said he is pleased about the partnership. He is a military veteran who graduated from Texas A&M in 1965. “For all of us at Reynolds and Reynolds, it’s a privilege to be so closely involved in the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans Program, which will push the boundaries of how students learn and how entrepreneurs grow,” he said. “The program is one more example of what sets the Mays School and Texas A&M apart.”
https://today.tamu.edu/2016/09/13/aggie-shields-helping-student-veterans-with-textbook-costs/
Nalley said his company has recruited heavily at Texas A&M for years, and the ranks of employees – from executives to roles across the company – are well represented with Aggies. “Now, with the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans Program, we have a unique opportunity to support the university in yet another way and to provide a meaningful, lasting impact for military veterans, one of our country’s greatest resources,” he said.
The company provides automotive retailing solutions for car dealers and automakers in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Europe. It began in 1866 as a business forms printing company and began serving automobile dealers in 1927. It is headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, with more than 4,300 associates worldwide.
Mays Dean Eli Jones said the gift is another example of the depth of commitment Reynolds and Reynolds has with Mays. The company has long recruited Texas A&M University students and given scholarships. Two years ago, it was a founding partner of the Professional Selling Initiative created to give students real-world experience through sales presentations and competitions, often with feedback from business professionals. “The commitment Reynolds and Reynolds shows Aggies – and particularly Mays students – is beyond what we could even ask for,” he said. “This is the next step in a wonderful partnership, and one that will have a reach well beyond the confines of Mays or even Texas A&M. This gift will impact lives for decades while honoring a group that is so deserving – our veterans.”
The next Reynolds and Reynolds Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans Program in College Station will be held July 15-22. For more information, visit the Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship at Mays Business School website.
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Media contact: Kelli Levey, Mays Business School, 979-845-3167, klevey@mays.tamu.edu
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