Dad Leverages Degree to VP at Securities America
By Dan Silvia, Communications Manager
“That’s my DAD!!!”
Dennis King, a Senior Vice President of Business Development at Omaha-based Securities America, still recalls that shout-out from his youngest daughter, Tina.
“I still remember walking the aisle at graduation, having my name called for my diploma, and hearing, from the balcony afar, my daughter yelling out,” King said. “That proud memory still brings me to tears.”
King earned his Bachelor of Science in Global Business Management from Bellevue University in 2000. The University first came on his radar during his 10-year stint (1971-81) as a member of the United States Air Force.
“Bellevue University had a strong presence and value proposition for Air Force personnel. I attended classes part time and then, later, completed my degree through the online accelerated degree program,” King said. “One of my main motivations for completing my degree was the realization that my children were coming close to graduating from high school and going to college themselves. I was not going have any of my children get a degree before I did, so I decided to pursue Bellevue’s accelerated degree program to finish my degree work.”
King was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania before moving to Detroit, Michigan suburb Hazel Park in his high school years. King first attended classes at then-Bellevue College in 1980 toward the end of his Air Force run, before going online to complete his degree in 1999-2000.
“Bellevue University was one of the few colleges that offered an online degree completion program. It was pretty neat that it was also the college where I previously attended in class courses,” King said. “Having a full-time job and being married and raising a family, my ‘free’ time was quite limited, so the flexibility of ‘going to class’ as it fit into my schedule was immensely important. To this day, I doubt that I would have completed my degree without that opportunity.”
King began his Securities America career in 2000 and has advanced to his current Senior Vice President position over his 17-year career there.
“I am responsible for all investment advisory business at Securities America. This includes investment management, investment management tools and platforms, financial planning and business development,” King said. “I have a team of business development consultants who work for me that engage with our advisors to help them understand all of the services and programs available at Securities America and to coach them to better work with their clients and to grow their investment advisory practices.”
In addition to his Bellevue University degree, King added a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2003. So what advice does he have for other adults seeking to continue their education?
“Most adults probably face the same limits on their time that I did, so having the ability to complete your degree online is such a tremendous benefit. There were times when I was sitting in my home office in the middle of the night, after my wife and children went to bed, completing my school work,” King said. “It wasn’t easy, nor should it be, but it meant the difference in completing my degree or not. I am so happy to have learned of that opportunity and then to have taken advantage of it. I highly recommend it for anyone struggling to find a way to finish their pursuit of a college degree.”