Dr. Janis Warner, PMP, DASM is an Associate Professor in the Management, Marketing and Information Systems Department of the College of Business Administration at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas.  Her dedication to experiential learning comes from her 25 years in private industry working for companies such as Arthur Andersen Consulting (now Accenture), Pulte Home Corporation, Gemstar Homes, Avatar Holdings and International Search Group in positions as a Consultant, Internal Auditor, Division Controller, Salesperson and Executive Recruiter.  Her service orientation comes from years of volunteer work with organizations such as the Gril Scouts, animal rescue work with Operation Pets Alive and her church.  Dr. Warner believes that experiential service learning is imperative for preparing students to have successful  careers as involved community partners, therefore her Systems Design & Analysis class has always been taught with real world clients.  For the past  16 years Dr. Warner has partnered with Sam Houston Small Business Development Center(SBDC) Consultants to  have students work as consultants with a client every semester in an Academically Engaged  (ACE) course. Hundreds of students have worked with 30+ businesses and not for profits providing over 6,000 hours of consulting producing significant solution recommendations to the clients’ technology related issues with results such as improved application and scalability of information systems, more efficient and effective management/operations, increased market share and community outreach, leading ultimately to more success for the companies/organizations.  As small businesses/not-for-profits are the lifeblood of small towns, Dr. Warner feels it is important to help the college town stay healthy and give the students a way to give back to the community that is their home while in school. As one student wrote “Helping each other thrive is the epitome of a successful community and helps build a brighter future for everyone involved.”