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Building Community and Financial Health

Spend a day around town with Dennis Hum ‘06 (B.S. Management, Operations Management) and you’ll likely witness a lot of change in the making, whether one person or one board of directors at a time. Even though some years ago college was not even in his sights, fostering connections and strengthening relationships now comes easily to the vice president for community and business development for Long Beach, the South Bay and Orange County for JP Morgan Chase.   

Hum had not considered a four-year degree until he lost his father to cancer as a teen and saw the need to help support his family.   

“I saw my mom change completely and become filled with financial worries and stress,” he said.  

“Forced into being this lead figure in my family unpacked a passion inside me of wanting to take care of others. I knew that I wanted to go into financial services to help people with their money, just like I did for my mom. And I wanted to go into the business realm to help my mom even more. 

 Community-based work – in the form of engagement and partnership-building – is important to the College of Business graduate. “I am an advocate for nonprofit organizations, universities, local unified school districts ... I help to manage an entire county to build those relationships outside our walls.”

Looking back at his time at The Beach, he remembers a particular capstone class where he and his classmates did a case study and business analysis on a few major corporations. The experience yielded lessons that he has applied to his leadership and management style: public speaking, developing an adaptable character, team dynamics – “complementing each other without stepping over each other” – as well as self-reflection to determine what works and what doesn’t. 

Hum continues to build relationships at The Beach, connecting with students as they navigate life during and after college. He partners with ɫ��ɫ’s Hispanic Students Business Association, the Financial Management Association, the Society of Advancement Management and Alumni Engagement and other organizations to provide mentorship, networking opportunities and financial health to Beach students.

“It's just more of giving my time with what I've learned along the way,  whether that may be soft skills, how to navigate your career and building relationships to things like behavioral mock interviews or resume-building – and even a series of financial health components, which the students love: how to boost your credit score, how to navigate a student loan,” he said. “There's such a positive response from it.”

Most recently he has partnered with the Student Center for Professional Development to mentor business students so they can succeed in college and after graduation. He and his official mentee for the 24-25 academic year have set up a game plan for career navigation, leadership and influence, and making connections. And as he helps set up community members and students for success, he’s set his sights on a five-year-old whom he’d like to follow in his Beach footsteps.

“There's nothing more than I want than to have my daughter come to Cal State Long Beach and experience it for herself.”