Overlake Hosts 54th Annual Bandage Ball

Mark your calendars!  Overlake Medical Center Foundation & Auxiliaries will host its annual Bandage Ball gala and auction on Saturday, March 29 at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue.  Proceeds from this year's event will go toward the establishment of a new cancer center.

The Bandage Ball marks the official kick off of the Overlake Foundation & Auxiliaries' $10 million campaign to raise critical funding for the $15 million facility.  In a statement issued last week, Overlake's Vice President of Fund Development and Executive Director of the Foundation and Auxiliaries Molly Stearns said, "The Bandage Ball represents an opportunity to expand and heighten the level of care Overlake provides its patients.  We're committed to providing the Eastside with the highest caliber of care available, and the funds raised at this year's event will allow us to continue to do just that."

One of the Eastside's premier social events, the Bandage Ball is expected to gather more than 800 community leaders in support of Overlake and its new cancer center.  First held in 1960 to celebrate the opening of Overlake Hospital, the Bandage Ball has raised more than $10 million in the last 16 years.  Last year's even alone raise $1.1 million for the David and Shelley Hovind Heart and Vascular Center.

Patty Edwards (at podium) and David and Shelley Hovind at last year's Bandage Ball.  Edwards announced she planned to donate an additional $250,000 to the David and Shelley Hovind Heart and Vascular Center.

This year's event will feature auctioneer Mark Schenfeld from Stokes Auction Group, and be emceed by local media personality and Puget Sound Business Journal columnist Patti Payne.  The event includes dinner, dancing and an auction featuring items such as trips to Tuscany, Maui, and a private chef's dinner at the Columbia Tower Club.  Tickets are $300 per person, $3,000 for a table of 10.

Interested in attending or volunteering for the event? Contact Jennifer Fischer at 425.688.5526 or events@overlakehospital.org.

WGU Washington Adds New Master's Program

Adding to its already expansive list of degree offerings, WGU Washington announced yesterday it has launched a new master’s degree program in its College of Business.  The online university is now offering students the opportunity to earn a Master’s in Management and Leadership.

“We’re pleased to be adding this new program,” WGU Washington Chancellor Jean Floten said in a statement yesterday.  “WGU Washington is committed to equipping its students to excel in the workplace, and the addition of the Master’s in Management and Leadership represents yet another way we can help not only our students, but their future employers as well.”

The M.S. in Management and Leadership is designed for business professionals who wish to expand their career opportunities or improve their job performance by honing their ability to be effective leaders and managers, whether they aspire to enter management or are already in a management role.  Courses will cover team leadership, data-driven decision making and change management and innovation.

WGU Washington is also offering scholarships to students applying to the new program.  Valued up to $2,000 each, the scholarships are $500 awards that are renewable for up to four terms.  

Interested in learning more about WGU Washington’s new Master’s in Management and Leadership?  Visit http://washington.wgu.edu/business/master_leadership_management_degree. 

WGU Graduates Earn High Ratings from Employers

100 percent of WGU graduates are prepared for their jobs, according to a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive.

The survey, which asked employers of WGU grads about alumni’s job preparedness and performance, revealed high levels of satisfaction with WGU alumni:

• ·         96 percent of employers surveyed said WGU graduates exceeded their expectations
• ·         97 percent rated WGU graduates’ job performance as good as or better than the job performance of graduates from their colleges and universities
• ·         100 percent said the WGU graduates they hired were prepared for their jobs; 88 percent said they were very well or extremely prepared

“WGU Washington allows working adults to  earn the skills and knowledge to keep our state’s businesses competitive in the global marketplace,” said Don Brunell, former president of the Association of Washington Business and member of the Washington State Advisory Board for WGU Washington.  “The university’s model ensures its graduates are well prepared to be valuable, contributing employees.”

The unique nature of the model referenced by Brunell has allowed WGU Washington to provide an affordable alternative to traditional models of higher education.  After the passage of legislation in Olympia last spring that made WGU Washington students eligible to apply for State Need Grant funds, Washington’s only state-endorsed online university has taken off.  Hitting a record 5,000 students enrolled last fall, Washington is home to more WGU students than any other state in the country.

Want to learn more about WGU Washington’s innovative approach to higher education? Visit washington.wgu.edu.