Salisbury accountant, Harvard Business School seek funds for charity

John P. Burke of Salisbury is proud of what his alma mater is doing for area charities.

Burke, a retired certified public accountant, is among area Harvard Business School alumni who raise funds for charity by helping area executives sharpen their management skills.

For the eighth year this fall, the Harvard Business School Club of Charlotte will offer its Management Development Program.

The MDP program allows mid-career executives to hone decision-making skills while discussing case studies in accounting, marketing, finance, operations, organizational behavior, leadership and ethics. Many of the instructors have jobs as CEOs and managing partners or principals in local firms, according to Burke.

Volunteer alumni of Harvard Business School, including Burke and 25 others, teach the course, using the case study method developed at Harvard. Cost of the 13-week program is $1,800.

According to the Charlotte Observer, the Harvard Business School Club “has donated — after absorbing the cost of books, food and administration — about $165,000 to local charities, or about 80 percent of its tuition revenue.”

Classes are held each Monday from 6 to 8:45 p.m. at the McColl Center of Queens University, at the corner of Selwyn Avenue and Wellesley Avenue in Charlotte. The class runs from Sept. 13 to Dec. 13. A snack is provided between 5:30 and 6 p.m. by the host organization.

More than 50 local companies have sent executives to the program, including Bank of America, Wachovia, Carolina CAT, CC. Dickson Co., Crescent Communities Realty, Crosland Commercial, Duke Energy, Microsoft, National Gypsum, Pfizer, RBC Centura, Springs Industries and TIAA-CREF.

Applications are available online at www.hbscharlotte.com.