As a major employer in Lynchburg, Va., Liberty University makes a point to partner with local businesses and nonprofits for volunteer opportunities, internships, and employment, which were all topics of conversation at a panel during last week’s Networking the Nations CEO Summit hosted by the School of Business.

The panel was moderated by Megan Lucas, CEO & Chief Economic Development Officer of the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance, and featured four leaders of local businesses and organizations: Noel Yeatts, President of World Help; Watt Foster, President and CEO of Foster Fuels; Carroll Moon, Chief Technology Officer of CloudFit; and Paul Tesi, President & CEO of Impact Living Services.

The panelists each spoke about their businesses’ operations, philosophies, and the benefits of partnerships in the Central Virginia community, including what Lucas called the “economic engine” that is Liberty University. She said Liberty has had an over $900 million economic impact on the region this fiscal year.

“The Lynchburg region is a very strong region … and we have a very diverse economy,” Lucas said. “Liberty University is our economic engine, and this region is now the center for excellence in higher education in the state of Virginia. Without Liberty, this community would look drastically different, so we’re very fortunate to have Liberty here.”

Foster, who has been a longtime sponsor of the university through scholarships and athletics, expressed his admiration for Liberty students and the school’s role in the community.

“If you don’t wake up every day and thank God for Liberty University being here … it is an amazing place,” Foster said. “The facilities, the people, the students, it’s just unbelievable. (Foster Fuels) hires Liberty students, and they are wonderful employees with a faith-based Christian foundation and character.” “We have a lot to offer here (in Central Virginia), and we want to keep these grads here, and Lynchburg and Central Virginia will be better because of it,” he added.

As the daughter of Liberty’s first graduate, Vernon Brewer, and an alumna herself, Yeatts explained how the creation and ministry of World Help, a Christian humanitarian organization that serves the physical and spiritual needs of impoverished communities around the world, are easily traced back to Liberty.

“World Help would not exist without Liberty; it was birthed out of Liberty,” she said. “We have about 65 employees (domestically), and the vast majority are Liberty graduates. ‘Partnership’ is really an understatement; we wouldn’t exist without Liberty, and we wouldn’t be able to do the work we do today with their partnership.”

Since its very first year, CloudFit, has partnered with Liberty to offer students the opportunity to complete their capstone projects while gaining real-world experience with a leading technology and cybersecurity firm and showcasing their abilities to a potential employer.

“Every year we have one or more teams of students,” Moon said. “We also do paid internships and hire them as full-time employees. The percentage of people who meet our (employee) criteria is higher (with Liberty students) than anywhere else, in my opinion.”

The panel also discussed the community service that school and students perform on a regular basis throughout the city and region. All Liberty students are required to complete Christian/Community Service (CSER) hours each semester, directed and managed by the LU Serve office.

“LU Serve contributes the students and hundreds of thousands of service hours a year in this region and beyond, back into the community,” Lucas said. “I dare you to find another college or university in the world whose students give back to the community so graciously and so generously, and that’s just another way that Liberty partners with the growth and success of this region.”

Paul Tesi said the CSER volunteers have been a tremendous asset and even an inspiration at Impact Living Services, which works with at-risk youth and their families through a variety of behavioral health services.

“We’ve had nothing but great success with Liberty students who have come here through LU Serve. They’re terrific young people,’ he said. “The energy that comes from LU Serve is infectious. I appreciate the role that Liberty University has played in (our work).”