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Katie Pribyl Dobbins, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Director at , recently completed her Certificate in Corporate Social Responsibility (CCSR) at the Leeds School of Business, seeking to enhance her professional skills. Her interest in CSR originated from her career in nonprofit management and passion for volunteering, but she decided it was time to expand her experiences outside of the nonprofit industry.

“Late last year I was ready for new challenges and my search brought me to Wana,” Pribyl Dobbins says. “I feel very fortunate to be our first CSR Director. Implementing our CSR program is exciting and the potential for us to make a positive impact in our community is sky high.”

Worth the time and money
Pribyl Dobbins’s optimism and passion for the work has helped her to succeed in this challenging position, and her Certificate in Corporate Social Responsibility, achieved through the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility (CESR)’s executive education program, has helped her to harness her potential, broaden her perspective and strategically drive change at Wana Brands. 

“This class is worth it - the time and the money,” Pribyl Dobbins says. “With the experience I brought to the table, completing the certificate course gave me the extra leg up to do this important work to the best of my ability.”

When asked how she was able to incorporate what she learned into her role, she responded, “How have I not? I would come into work on Thursday morning after my Wednesday evening class bursting with best practices, aware of common challenges, and ready to rock!”

Not only did she rave about the applicability of the information she learned, but about the instructor and the people she has met as well. 

“Pete Dignan is a knowledgeable and humorous teacher,” Pribyl Dobbins says. “I really appreciated the content (especially learning from super experienced CSR professionals). Meeting my classmates and creating a solid CSR network has been really beneficial.”

Pribyl Dobbins is not the first to mention the strong network that students build in this course; many others, including Amber Peacher of Optiv, have commented on the benefits of having such diverse backgrounds and experiences among classmates, allowing for deep conversations about the variety of CSR issues addressed in all areas of business. Most students also appreciate the frequent guest speakers that discuss their roles and challenges they face in their careers, providing important insights into the world of CSR. Each week, the class hosts a guest speaker that discusses the week’s CSR topic in depth and with real life application. To learn more about guest speakers and content, read CESR’s previous blog, recapping the Spring 2019 cohort of the CCSR program. 

Driving impact at Wana Brands
Currently, Pribyl Dobbins is focused on reducing the company’s environmental impact through recycling initiatives and as a part of the . They recently recycled over 18,000lbs of unused vials with help from Eco-Cycle, and they have increased their volunteer hours as a company. They are continuing to build strong partnerships with nonprofits to best use their volunteer time and resources. According to Pribyl Dobbins, the founder and CEO and everyone at Wana Brands are passionate and supportive of the CSR initiatives that she works so hard to implement.

“Our CSR program is successful due to the team effort!” Pribyl Dobbins says. It takes support from all levels of a company to drive change.

If you are interested in pursuing a career in CSR or want to incorporate aspects of CSR into your current role, visit our website to learn more about the Certificate in Corporate Social Responsibility, which is now offered both in person and online. For biweekly updates on CESR events, research and blogs, sign up for our newsletter.