Maria Melchiori, JD, MBA
Associate State Director
Nonprofit Environmental Organization
Teaching focus: General Management, Human Resources, Public Administration

Where I come from

I lived in Cuba until I was about 11; my father was a political prisoner in one of Castro's jails. My father drilled it into us that no one can take what you know away from you. Even though they can take your home, your money, and your freedom, your mind is your own.

In college I prepared to be a teacher, but in my junior year, as teachers were being laid off, I switched to business courses. I worked as a secretary because that was the only job I could get. Once I saw that legal secretaries were paid more, I got a position as a legal secretary. Then I saw what lawyers did, and said to myself, "I can do that", so I went to law school at night while I continued working full time.

I have now been an attorney for over 25 years, with extensive experience in corporate transactions, risk management, employment law, nonprofit management and compliance. For 12 years I was in private practice in New York. The remainder of the time I acted as the lead attorney for a nonprofit environmental organization in Florida, working on highly significant land transactions.

Making a difference

I have always wanted to make a positive difference in the world. My organization now gives me a place to stand and make a difference. I love my job.

In 1999 I earned an MBA, again as a night student. Looking back, I wonder how I did it. What kept me going was the desire to increase my effectiveness and gain a broader view of all aspects of my work. My education has helped me advance professionally. Still it was always in the back of my mind that I wanted to teach. Less than a year after earning my MBA, I began teaching at Keller Graduate School of Management, and I love it. Now I have the best of both worlds.

The challenges of non-profit management

Nonprofits are subject to the same pressures as for-profit businesses but they are held to a higher standard of ethical conduct. I read extensively to stay on top of legal and business issues because it enhances my effectiveness. It is more challenging to operate a non-profit because we cannot just produce additional widgets if we need more resources. We have to rely on the generosity of donors, and we have a fiduciary responsibility to use money in accordance with the donor's intent. We have to be very strategic about how we market and how we allocate and utilize our resources if we are to accomplish our mission.

Learning from the real world

One thing I like about Keller is that the Terminal Course Objectives (TCOs) are thoughtful, very well laid out, and they include both the theory and a practitioner orientation. I focus on getting across exactly what those TCOs are trying to instill in the student. To supplement the text book, I share situations I have encountered and the students often share theirs. This gives us real-world examples to work with. We apply what we're learning to the situation. This brings real value because the students recognize that what they learn in class is helping them deal with issues in their careers.

What happens in class

In my law-related courses, I assign cases for students to present for every class meeting. They are drawn from books, current news, or Harvard Business Review School cases. Cases tell a story, and the best way for people to learn and remember is by telling a story. We discuss the case, applying the law, taking the facts into consideration, and subjecting them to critical analysis.

I tell my students to read the papers and find out what is going on in the world because staying current is critical to success, especially in this day and age, and so that they can confirm I'm not making up our cases - they are quite real.

We have fun too. In the Business Law course, when we discuss negotiable instruments, I give them Monopoly pieces, checks and promissory notes. They negotiate, enter into contracts, buy personal and real property from each other and secure it. One of the notes may be negotiable and the other not, so they discover that there are risks and tricks to look out for, such as when one of the students "materially alters" a check at my instigation!

Relating to students

Since I was a night student, I use creativity to keep the workload manageable and still accomplish the course objectives. I check email every day and respond to every student who contacts me. I recommend publications and associations they can join to advance their careers. I pass on job leads and write recommendations for jobs or admission to law school or doctoral programs.

The increasing number of international students offers us an amazing opportunity. There's nothing like teaching ethics when you have a couple of students from Nigeria, for example, in with the Americans. The differences in values and the way business is done in other places bring the issues into sharp focus.

Why Keller?

Keller offers the flexibility and respect that adult learners need, along with a broad range of courses in a well thought-out curriculum. Courses and course materials are continuously updated to reflect changes in the real world, as I know from my own experience updating curriculum guides for the law courses. My colleagues and the Keller staff are first-rate, and they really care about the students.

People place a dollar value on a degree in terms of how it increases earning power. That's true; it does. My attitude is "Education - priceless." You cannot place a dollar value on intrinsic improvement. A student in my ethics class came up after the final and thanked me; he told me that he was a better person for taking my class. That's what it is all about, in my view.