Reviewed by: Patience Itson
These two Birmingham executives have one thing in common. Find out what it is.
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When they’re not busy handling client relations in their day jobs, Brandon Cummings and Brock Collier volunteer their time with the Young Alumni Council of Auburn University‘s Harbert College of Business. Keep reading to find out why these local executives care so much about their Alma Mater.
Brandon Cummings, Class of 2015
Born in Montgomery but raised in Birmingham, Brandon Cummings attended Spain Park High School before committing to Auburn University.
“I was accepted by several colleges and universities, but I was drawn towards Auburn. I simply fell in love with the people there, and it just felt right to me.”
Brandon Cummings
At Auburn’s Harbert College of Business, Brandon studied Business Administration with a concentration in marketing. Although the courses were rigorous, Brandon was able to lean on the help of his classmates for support.
“Auburn has ‘Learning Communities’, where you are paired with about 10 to 15 classmates with similar schedules. You go to classes together, you study together and you spend a lot of late hours in the library together preparing for exams. I still keep in touch with those relationships I built during my time at Auburn.”
Brandon Cummings
In addition to the support of his classmates, Brandon valued the breadth of knowledge his professors were able to share.
“My finance professor, Tracy Richard, really exposed me to the ins and outs of finance and how businesses operate. She really opened my eyes to that whole world. Justin Benefield, my real estate professor, was instrumental in helping me to pursue my current career in construction and commercial real estate.”
Brandon Cummings
Business Development Manager, Doster Construction
Since 2018, Brandon has worked for Birmingham-based Doster Construction, a local construction company that focuses on healthcare and multifamily construction. In his role as Business Development Manager, Brandon represents Doster Construction in face-to-face meetings with clients, developments, architects, engineering groups and more.
“A large part of my job is working with our marketing team. I’m able to utilize many of the skills I learned at Auburn and use them to promote our services to our clients. My short-term goals are to continue to support our staff here as well as organically grow our business in a sustainable way. Longterm, I want to continue moving up at Doster Construction and grow my skills within the organization.”
Brandon Cummings
Brock Collier, Class of 2013
Originally from Troy, Brock attended a small private school and graduated in a class of 33 in 2009. Unlike Brandon, Brock had always planned on attending Auburn University. Brock’s mother, grandmother and grandfather all graduated from Auburn, so going there was a no-brainer.
At Auburn, Brock began his studies in Broadcast Journalism. Quickly realizing it wasn’t the right fit, he pivoted to a major in Supply Chain Management.
“My dad was in the logistics business trucking industry for a long time, selling and leasing flatbed trailers to trucking companies across the southeast. Since I grew up surrounded by that world, Supply Chain Management was a better fit than Broadcast Journalism.”
Brock Collier
In his Supply Chain Management courses, Brock valued the real-world experience that his professors brought to the table.
“We had world-class professors that would base their classes on real-world problems they had experienced and solved in the industry. One of my professors, Gary Page, was a C-Suite executive before teaching at Auburn, and he taught us everything he knew. He didn’t teach by asking us to memorize the right answers; he graded us based on how we applied what we learned in our courses to find a solution.
Another professor, Marcia Gibson, was in Career Development and hosted mock interviews to make sure we were prepared for job-seeking once we left Auburn. Without her, I would have been much less prepared for getting my first job out of college.”
Brock Collier
Commercial Relationship Specialist, Regions Bank
Employed by Regions Bank since 2017, Brock recently took on a new role as Commercial Relationship Specialist in 2020. In his current role, Brock handles relationships with large commercial clients, with a broad list of job roles and responsibilities.
Although Brock’s career has led him away from Supply Chain Management, he’s still able to utilize the skills he learned at Auburn in his role at Regions.
“Through my courses at Auburn, I learned valuable time management skills, how to prioritize my tasks and how to act in a professional setting. At Regions, we say, ‘If you treat people like a professional, they’ll treat you like a professional.’ With my background, I’m able to adapt to any task I’m assigned.”
Brock Collier
Learn more about the Harbert College of Business
- Harbert College of Business: Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram | LinkedIn
- Address: 405 West Magnolia Avenue, Auburn, Alabama 36849
“You’ve probably heard the saying, ‘It’s not always what you know, but who you know.’ It’s very true and it applies to many things in life. It’s so important to build those relationships, especially in business. They’ll really carry you a lot further in life.”
Brandon Cummings
“My advice to anyone in college is to get involved in anything you can, even if you don’t think you’ll fit in. Get your name out there to different groups within the college and don’t be a stranger to your advisor or any career development staff.”
Brock Collier
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