Who knew that a Sullivan University MBA grad would be working daily with the Governor of Kentucky?

For the last month of the 2007 gubernatorial election, Colmon Elridge was actively campaigning for now-governor Steve Beshear. As the election season came to an end and Steve Beshear was elected governor, Colmon thought that his time working with the governor was over for a while. But three days later, Governor Beshear requested a meeting with Colmon and wanted him to join the Governor’s Office as Executive Assistant!

When sitting down with Colmon, it is apparent the honor and respect that he has for working for and with the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Much of Colmon’s time is spent talking to residents, researching various initiatives, and traveling with the Governor. There is never an “average” day on the job.

Many of the classes that Colmon took while a student at Sullivan have helped him in his current position. Perhaps one of the “lessons” he utilizes daily is from Dr. Sims, one of his business professors, that he “has to have a laser focus” to get the jobs done in a timely and effective manner. This is very helpful in addressing constituents that believe there is a “magic wand” that can be waved in the Capitol and all problems will be solved. Sadly enough, that isn’t the case, muses Colmon. “I took this job to make people’s lives better.”

To all those aspiring students out there, Colmon advises: “It’s all useful. My Operations Management book is still in my office and I have pulled it out and used it on many occasions.” Many of the classes that he took may not have seemed pertinent at the time, but they have all come into practice at one point or another. For example, the Finance class he took has been invaluable to reading stocks and making the market practical. Many times he has referred back to that information he gained to make sense out of business proposals that are routed through the Governor’s office.

The road for Colmon Elridge is a bright and shining one, as he announced his candidacy last month to be the Vice Presidential Candidate for the Young Democrats of America. Good luck, Colmon!