Organizational Behavior

What draws me to this program is the chance to turn hands-on experience into something others can learn from and use. I've spent years building organizations from the ground up. I've formed boards for nonprofits, including charter schools, managed board members and fundraising expectations, and overseen agencies, grant writers and a team of twelve. Today I run two Sweet Sundays cafe locations in Brooklyn, where I see every day how a local business can anchor a neighborhood, create jobs and bring people together.

Social action training only matters if it's practical. Too often, people who want to make change don't get the tools for the unglamorous parts: building a board that works, setting fundraising expectations, managing partners, and keeping an operation running after the energy of launch fades. I want to help design curriculum that connects mission to execution, grounded in real scenarios rather than theory.

I'm also interested in what I'd learn from the other participants. Developing a course alongside people with different backgrounds would sharpen how I think about community impact, both in my own work and in what I can pass on.

Students will analyze the impact of varying organizational decisions and dynamics on employee and management behavior. Specific emphasis will be placed on discussing how embracing human differences and implementing diversity initiatives contribute to both organizational performance and the advancement of the society as a whole. Specific emphasis is placed on the development of managerial skills.

Debbie Louis

Adjunct Lecturer

Behavioral Sciences

York College