Spotlight Series: Ronnie Brannon

Ronnie Brannon, lead instructor for the Logistics and Supply Chain Management program at Palo Alto College, has demonstrated performance excellence and a can-do spirit since he joined the College in 2012.

Brannon's passion for logistics stems from working in the industry throughout much of his life. His experiences taught him about the vital role that logistics plays in all of our lives, and that is what motivates his diligence to spread the word.

"We're providing logisticians to the field so that companies can get individuals that are talented... that are the highest quality," said Brannon. "If [companies] get individuals who are talented, they can solve issues and problems."

Through many collaborative efforts, Brannon has an exciting opportunity to push the program even further with two exciting partnerships. Starting this fall, the College will launch UpSkillSA!, a partnership with Education Design Labs and Goodwill Industries of San Antonio and funded through a grant from Walmart. The program will help Goodwill employees gain the skills necessary to succeed in the logistics industry. While working through the program, students will also earn credits towards a certificate in the College's Logistics and Supply Chain Management program.

Brannon is looking forward to the partnership because it serves as a stepping stone for students to further their education towards an associate or bachelor's degree. The work that Brannon has put into the program for his students is reaching new heights, which represents not only his goals but the College's.

"I'm ecstatic. They're talking about having between 100 to 200 or so individuals participating in this program," said Brannon. "I anticipate a good number of those going on over and getting their associate degree, so I'm really, really excited about that."

Another benefit of the Upskill SA! program is that it helps develop the next generation of workers by preparing them to take over as the industry continues to grow.

"I understand the industry. I know we have a bunch of baby boomers, so for the community to be best-served, they need more people coming into the career field," said Brannon.

Along with Brannon's can-do attitude, his methodology of explaining how logistics work in everyday scenarios is mesmerizing. Whether he's asking you what kind of cereal you had for breakfast and explaining the steps it took for that cereal to wind up in your bowl, or the process behind a simple pizza chain and how pizza is delivered to your home, Brannon has a way of holding the attention of an audience and simplifying what can be a complicated subject.

In addition to the Upskill SA! program, Brannon has worked to create a partnership with Wayland Baptist University-San Antonio (WBU) which will give students at the College an opportunity to earn a Bachelor's of Applied Science in Logistics. With this partnership, students will be able to transfer up to 72 credit hours to WBU that will count towards their four-year degree.

"It's exciting because our students told me they want to be able to transfer and get a bachelor's degree in logistics," said Brannon. "Many universities have a bachelor's in business administration with an emphasis in supply chain, and things like that. They didn't want that. They wanted a degree that says logistics management. So my goal was to try to get there."

Brannon said the education students will be receiving is invaluable for themselves, but the talent they bring to the workforce will benefit the entire community. He is proud to serve the College community and knows that the knowledge gained will serve as the starting point for many bright futures to come.

"One day, somebody is going to be the vice president of logistics and supply chain somewhere, then that person will become president of a company," said Brannon. "When they tell their story, they're going to talk about how they came though Palo Alto College and how [the College] was a launching pad for them."

For information regarding the Logistics and Chain Supply Management program at the College, visit grestcourseplus.com/pac/logistics.