Thomas Rogers, (PMBA '08)

Cox Alumnus Thomas Rogers Uses Visionary Business Skills to Make a Difference in the Community

Thomas Rogers (PMBA 2008) began his career by working in marketing for a mortgage company, but he quickly decided he wanted to do something more meaningful with his career. He decided to pursue his PMBA at SMU Cox due to the school’s reputation for academic excellence, along with the mentorship programs and the seminars offered through the Business Leadership Center (BLC).  As fate would have it, Rogers found his calling through a relationship founded through the program.

“I was attending a BLC seminar, ‘Influencing through the Power of Storytelling,’ by BLC instructor Merrie Spaeth. After the presentation I spoke with her briefly and we corresponded via email in the weeks after the presentation,” said Rogers. “Merrie mentioned the Children’s Eye Foundation (CEF) as an organization she had worked with for some time and I asked if I might be able to assist in some capacity. Merrie put me in touch with the CEF Chairman, Dr. George Beauchamp, and since then I’ve been helping to move the organization closer towards their mission, of eliminating preventable blindness in children.”

CEF is the recognized foundation of the American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS), children’s eye doctors, and seeks to eliminate preventable blindness in children.  Rogers started as a board member of the CEF in early 2008 and by January of 2009, he was asked to become the executive director. Since 2008, the CEF has rebranded its website to more effectively communicate with parents, and developed a strategic plan to focus resources. As a result, the organization was awarded a $100,000 grant from Google for online advertising, in addition to a grant of $345,000 for See by Three – a vision screening program. 

In the fall of 2010, Alcon Inc., decided to fund See by Three in Tarrant County. The program is focused around the idea that kids need to receive a vision screening so they can ‘see by three’. According to the World Health Organization, about 75% of children don’t receive a necessary vision screening to identify vision disorders. One in 20, or a child in every classroom, has a vision disorder that, if left untreated, could lead to vision loss. See by Three will allow CEF to train more than 300 medical professionals on effective vision screening techniques and create public awareness, thus saving the sight of about 26,000 children in the DFW-area. The program stands to provide more than $146 million in productivity for the community by preventing vision loss. 

Rogers is grateful for his education at the Cox School, citing his learnings from writing effective grant proposals that position CEF programs in a way that businesses can easily understand, to developing strategic plans to ensure resources are focused correctly.

“I help to bring the business perspective to raise money to accomplish our mission,” said Rogers. “What I’ve learned at Cox has not only presented me with the opportunity to be involved with the CEF, but it’s made me a more capable and effective leader of the Foundation.  I am grateful for the opportunity to connect with something larger than myself that makes a positive difference in the lives of children.”

Rogers advises current and prospective Cox students of the need to perform well academically, but almost as important, to build a strong business network.

“From the mentorship program to the number of BLC seminars, tremendous opportunities are available to build relationships with business leaders in this area – take advantage of them!” he said.

Rogers continues to work closely with Merrie Spaeth, as she is a board member at the CEF, and he constantly keeps an “eye out” for opportunities for the CEF to partner with MBA students for projects and consulting opportunities.