Elizabethtown College School of Graduate and Professional Studies Alumni Receive Forty Under 40 Award

Two Elizabethtown College School of Graduate and Professional Studies (SGPS) alumni recently were awarded a spot on the Central Penn Business Journal’s Forty under 40 list. Krista M. Root MBA ’18 and Melissa Stiles MBA ’19 will both be recognized at an awards celebration on Thursday, Oct. 24 at the Hilton in Harrisburg, Pa.

Root has been at Donegal Insurance for 10 years, starting as a Personal Lines and Commercial Lines underwriter before joining the Commercial Lines Product Development team as a Regional Product Manager in 2019. In her current role, Root is responsible for managing the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest Regions, comprising of several hundred million dollars in total written premium. In her spare time, Root volunteers at the Lancaster Chamber through its Discovering Paths mentor program, where she is an advisory board member.

Stiles is the Chief Marketing Officer for self-storage management and consulting firm Storage Asset Management. She started at the firm in 2014 as the marketing manager and was later promoted to vice president of marketing and sales before taking on her current role in 2022. Prior to her work at Storage Asset Management, Stiles worked as a trade specialist for World Trade Center Harrisburg.

Through a Q&A below, both Root and Stiles explained how Etown’s SGPS helped them on their journey to success.

What was your experience in Etown’s MBA program like? How did academics fit into your busy career?

Root: I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Etown. The professors were some of the best business professionals I have encountered, and very knowledgeable in their field. My favorite part, however, was the other students. I had the distinct opportunity to learn alongside some great men and women from all industries. The networking was tremendous, and I feel I got a broader view of all industries, as opposed to just the one in which I am employed. I chose Etown because of the flexibility of classes. I was able to take a mix of online and in person classes throughout my time at the College, all of which were in the evenings. This helped me to maintain my full-time job during the day and take time in the evenings to work on my degree. I also really liked the “step in, step out” ability, where I was able to take a session or semester off as needed without having to re-enroll.

Stiles: The experience in Etown’s MBA program was top-notch. I was able to be in classes with fellow like-minded professionals where we could learn, share, and network with each other. The ability to do complete the program entirely online was beneficial since I’m in a career that requires travel as well.

How did your experience in Etown’s School of Graduate and Professional studies benefit your career?

Root:  Not only did getting my MBA at Etown help broaden my business knowledge, but it also helped me in a new role that I took on shortly after graduation. By having my MBA, I was set apart from other employees looking to fill a new role at my current employer. Another benefit for me is that the MBA also helped count toward an industry-specific designation I earned in 2023, the Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation.

Stiles: The program benefited my career as it gave me more insights and knowledge on strategic thinking in all categories of business. It empowered me with an enhanced business skill set, strategic thinking, management tools, and networking.

How do you use what you learned at Etown in your current role?

Root: Having an analytical role, I would have thought that my answer would be the financial courses, accounting, and corporate finance. However, this is not the case. The class that I reference most often is strategic leadership. My job requires me to think three to five years ahead most of the time, and lead members of all departments when it comes to making forward-looking decisions. That class helped me to find ways to work with people from all walks of life and business and find creative solutions to problems that we might be facing.

Stiles: The strategic ability and leadership skills that I gained through Etown SGPS are what I use the most in my career.