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Bobby Jackson '90 explains how he uses his psychology degree in the mergers and acquisitions business July 11, 2008 BY ERIC PESOLA
Bobby Jackson '90 grew up in the Midwest, was educated at the College, and he's back in the nation's heartland using his psychology degree only for the forces of good. He's currently an acquisition and development freelancer in the Kansas City area. We caught up with Bobby and chatted with him about what he's been up to lately. Tell us about what you do for Great Plains Development. Effectively, my father (who I affectionately call Sonny Bob) ran the company as a "one-man gang," but after he was diagnosed with cancer in 2001, he asked that I come on board to help manage the company, while he dealt with his cancer. Unfortunately -- for cancer -- Sonny Bob has vinegar coursing through his veins and cancer was no match. Luckily, I had spent my entire career in the commercial real estate industry and did not run his company smoldering into the ground. Now that he has his sea legs back underneath him, and is cancer-free, I have been winding down my obligations at the company, while contracting out my services to previous employers. I still have an office at Great Plains, making myself available to Sonny Bob in his quest to rule the commercial real estate world. I started out in a management training program at a local bank, recruited into a mortgage banking group that directly represented several institutional lenders across the country, worked as a commercial loan officer for one of those national lenders. Then got married and decided less travel was best. I began appraising and ran a commercial appraisal department for a local company. Explain how someone with a psychology background got into the mergers and acquisitions business. Are you from Kansas, and are you happy to be back? Kansas City defines urban sprawl, with more square miles than Chicago and a third of the population. It has more interstate highway miles per capita than any other "major" metropolitan area in the good old U.S. of A. Kansas City's concept of traffic congestion would be D.C.'s best day on the highways. Clean air, blue skies, big houses, large yards, friendly people, farmer's daughters, professional and college sports, great steaks, the best BBQ and a wobble water joint (fountains) on every corner. What's not to love? College friends who visit actually have a great time, of course that may have more to do with their low expectations and general lack of the anticipated tumble weeds. But I'll take that reaction to it nonetheless. Speaking of professional sports, do you get to any Chiefs or Royals games? I played a year of baseball at W&M, but between that and school I figured that I was not quite major league material, I decided to hang up the spikes to concentrate my efforts elsewhere. And hey -- at least my grades went up. How did your W&M experience prepare you for the "real world?" Three things stand out about my time at William & Mary: First: It must be the hardest academic institution in America. Therefore, a ridiculous work ethic was instilled by the College, which has suited me well in my career. I went to a college prep high school and each one of my friends said their colleges were easier than high school (examples being Tufts, Harvard, Stanford, Trinity, U.Va., Boston College, Vanderbilt, Wooster and Pepperdine) while the College made my prep school experience feel like Romper Room. Two: I met some of the best people at William and Mary, in terms of integrity, intelligence and humor, which partially made up for the lack of watering holes and test scores of 93 percent that equated to a "B." Three: My time spent volunteering in the community -- primarily through the psychology department -- outweighed any "lessons" taught in the classrooms. I volunteered a total of seven semesters in various Williamsburg programs including Eastern State Hospital, Norge Elementary School System and Williamsburg Big Brothers Program. The majority of this time was spent working in the Focus Friendship Program at Eastern State Hospital. Do you run into many fellow W&M graduates in Kansas? Tell us about your volunteer work and the charity. I and some of my brothers in Lambda Chi Alpha have been supporting some charities created in the honor of our brothers John R. Davis '92, Douglas W. Wiley '85, Michael C. Duffy '90 and Gerald "Jerry" Tuttle '90. We chose not to dwell in the past, but to always remember. Taking their memories and working for a positive to emerge, forged an even stronger bond that aided us in enduring additional hardships. To raise the funds for their endowments, we have been organizing a golf tournament, which takes place back in the Williamsburg area. Its initial intent was merely to raise funds, but it has been the focal point of what has ensured the friendships we built at William and Mary would endure. I truly enjoyed my time at William and Mary, and the time spent volunteering at Eastern State Hospital and working in the community was incredibly rewarding. I am fortunate to still be a part of the College, but these endeavors are not charity in the same sense as my previous efforts -- this is not work at all -- this is family. More information about this charity can be found at http://www.lambdachicharities.org/
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