[NR] UTPB grad reaps benefits of award-winning online MBA program

NEWS RELEASE Midlander Brad Potts is a lot of things. He’s a diehard Texas Tech football fan who loves to barbecue and watch movies. He’s a racecar aficionado, especially the Ferrari Formula 1 team, and a lover of Chuck Norris jokes. He is fiercely competitive, he is a veteran.

After graduating from Texas Tech with a degree in engineering, he came to the Permian Basin to begin life as a project manager for Cameron Compression.

And he loved this work -- because he’s also a guy who likes to make all the pieces fit.

But more than anything else, Potts is a family man.

He and wife Heather are proud parents to three beautiful daughters. He likes nothing more than watching games with his girls, walking around the neighborhood at night with his wife, or taking family vacations to the lake.

With a growing family, Potts knew he wanted a career that would offer him financial security as well as time to be a father and husband. He wanted a career in management that would encompass his knowledge of engineering and the petroleum industry, as well as his strong leadership and people skills.

He eventually landed at Baker Hughes, an international oilfield service company. He stared as the Manufacturing and Operations Support Manager in August 2007.

“As operations manager, I am responsible for all aspects of the order control and inventory operations in the Permian Basin and South Texas. This includes budgeting for salaries, inventory, material and equipment, and any other capital expenditure products that may arise,” Potts explained.  

Potts received his promotion shortly after earning his online MBA from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin in May 2010.

“While Baker Hughes made it clear that an MBA did not guarantee raises or advancement, it was only a matter of a couple of months after I had completed the degree that I received a new role in the company that included more responsibilities as well as a bump in pay grade and title. It has also set me up for future job opportunities in even higher levels of management,” Potts added.

The UTPB MBA Online Program is a Web-based degree program. Students may take the entire MBA program online, or take some classes online and others on campus. The flexibility of the program makes it an ideal option for students already working.

Dr. Leslie Toombs had Potts as a student in two of her on-campus graduate courses, International Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management, a graduate capstone course.

“I am glad that Brad is doing so well with Baker Hughes, he was one of my best students,” Toombs said.

Toombs said an MBA is an investment that can really pay off.

“The MBA program enables people to further develop their conceptual skills. Many people working in business are employed in specialized areas such as finance or accounting or human resources. Their decision-making horizon is within a small slice or segment of the organization. The MBA program is designed to prepare graduates to think more strategically – in order words to prepare decision-makers to have a broader view of the impact of his/her decisions on the organization as a whole. This degree is targeted to help people move forward or up the career ladder into higher management levels.”

A second benefit is the network that students in the MBA program build through both their professors and their fellow classmates. This network is a valuable asset in that it can lead to career enhancement or even new career opportunities. 

“Many times the friendships formed during this program of study last for a lifetime,” Toombs said.

The third reason that an MBA is a good investment is because studies show MBA’s typically earn more money than co-workers with only bachelor’s degrees.

Potts said Toombs was his favorite faculty member, and her encouragement and “real world” experience made all the difference.

“Dr. Toombs was always very engaging and willing to talk about ideas or best practices within business.  She always made everything she was teaching relate to practical business experience instead of steeping everything in pure theory,” he said.

Potts added that quality instruction was one of the factors that led him to choose the online MBA program at UTPB.

“UTPB has a growing reputation as a solid, well-rounded and respected institution. I compared it to other online programs such as the University of Phoenix and Thunderbird,” he said. “Considering cost, convenience, and quality of education, UTPB made the most sense.”

U.S. News & World Report just ranked UTPB’s online MBA plan as one of the best in the country.

“We are very excited to have received this designation,” Toombs said. “Our faculty works to make sure that the online experience is equal to the on-campus experience MBA students receive. We even conduct assessments of student work from students both on campus and online and compare the results between the two groups.  This is done to make sure that the MBA program learning objectives are being accomplished regardless of the method of delivery.”

Potts said the U.S. News & World Report honor only reinforced his recommendation of the program and the faculty.

“I would encourage anyone interested in an MBA to choose UTPB. The program allowed me the flexibility to take care of work and family obligations while pursuing my degree.”