RBLI program gets boost from Nebraska bank

The Rural Business Leadership Initiative (RBLI), started in 2019 under the auspices of the Business Academy at CSC, will use the grant to pay for conferences, seminars and regional business tours, fund two summer internships, and for promotional materials.

RBLI offers four-year tuition scholarships to students who are interested in working in banking, agribusiness or accounting in rural Nebraska. The program’s primary aim is to help graduates assume leadership roles in rural communities.

In addition to regular course work, participants take part in six monthly meetings each year, have summer internships in both their junior and senior years, tour rural and urban businesses, attend conferences, and take part in job shadowing. The program is open to up to 15 undergraduates each year. Twenty-two students are currently participating.

RBLI grew out of a listening tour of rural Nebraska businesses by CSC President Randy Rhine that revealed the need for qualified employees in agriculture banking and public accountancy, said Dr. Wendy Waugh, Dean of the School of Business, Math, and Science. The program’s focus stems from the importance of leadership skills in business success and community development, she said.

“Serving as leaders in a rural community is very different from serving in a large metropolitan area,” Waugh said. “Rural leadership is about serving the community, as well as the business.”

CSC’s commitment to the economic and social success of rural communities is behind FNBO’s decision to support RBLI, said Rob Bila, Community President of FNBO’s Chadron office.

“Workforce and small business development are two critical components to local economic development,” he said. “The Chadron State RBLI is addressing this rural workforce need by ensuring business students are equipped and inspired to take on the jobs in rural Nebraska.”

In addition to financial support, FNBO will participate in RBLI tours, workshops, and seminars, and will offer two internships over the next four years, with the idea of encouraging students who want to stay in rural areas, said Bila. 

“The program is designed to keep skilled professionals in the rural communities, so that local small businesses can operate,” he said. “This outcome is not only good for the bank, but our local economy.”

The experiences that RBLI students have from visits with successful business people, participation in conferences, event planning and internships will translate into graduates with well-developed leadership skills, said Waugh.

“We are excited to partner in a meaningful program that not only helps CSC students, but also benefits the rural communities they will be serving,” Bila said. “Anytime a rural community can attract and retain talent, everybody wins.”