WMU's ROTC leadership program to be focus at breakfast series

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Western Michigan University's ROTC program and its leadership training will be the focus at the upcoming Mercantile Bank of Michigan Breakfast Speaker Series hosted by the Haworth College of Business.

Lt. Col. Decker B. Hains, chair of WMU's Department of Military Science and Leadership, will give a presentation titled "Leadership in Action: WMU Army ROTC—Building Our Nation's Future Leaders" at 8 a.m. Friday, March 25, in 2150 Schneider Hall.

The event is free and open to the public and begins with breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (269) 387-6059 or at wmich.edu/business/mercantile-rsvp. Free parking is available at the Fetzer Center in Lot 72F.

Decker B. Hains

Hains joined the University as professor of military science and leadership in 2012. He was commissioned in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers upon graduation from the U.S. Military Academy in 1994. Hains' most recent assignments prior to WMU were Deputy Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District and design engineer, 555th EN BDE on Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

He is a registered professional engineer and a certified project management professional. In addition to his duties as a department chair, Hains teaches water resources engineering, structural analysis, and the senior capstone design project for the Department of Civil and Construction Engineering as well as a leadership in business organizations course for the Department of Management in the Haworth College of Business.

Hains also conducts seminars on transformational leadership, creativity and innovation in leadership, effective engineering and business process management, total quality management, and Lean Six Sigma for the Professional Development Programs, which are offered through the Global Business Center in the Haworth College of Business.

WMU Army rotc

WMU's Army ROTC Bronco Battalion is consistently ranked among the top ROTC programs in the nation. The Bronco Battalion consists of more than 150 cadets from WMU and affiliated schools.

Army ROTC teaches leadership, and students who complete the ROTC program are commissioned as Army officers in the rank of second lieutenant. Nationally, ROTC produces 65 to 70 percent of all Army officers.

Upcoming speakers

• April 29: Jennifer Johnson, Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes.

• May 20: Diane Thompson, Binder Park Zoo.

About the series

The Mercantile Bank of Michigan Breakfast Speaker Series provides an opportunity for the local community to hear top business leaders and WMU faculty, alumni and friends of the Haworth College of Business discuss current topics of interest.

For more information or to register, contact the Haworth College of Business at (269) 387-6059 or at wmich.edu/business/mercantile-rsvp.