STEUBENVILLE, OH / ACCESSWIRE / May 4, 2020 / Career paths and the journey to success rarely follow a straight line. Andrew Plesich, a landman from Jefferson County, Ohio, exemplifies that notion. As someone with a nonstop improvement mindset, Plesich has always taken on new challenges and opportunities. Through a series of academic experiences and unexpected career choices, he gained valuable takeaways that molded him into the person he is today. Looking back, not only did his education and career provide excellent professional development - they unlocked new passions and built his character.
Born, raised, and currently living in Jefferson County, Plesich completed his undergraduate education at the University of Akron. After which, he went on to complete a Master's of Business Administration at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, a nationally recognized Catholic institution. He then pursued teaching, a career he found so rewarding that he proudly accepted the offer to continue teaching at his alma mater, even after being accepted to a doctorate program at Robert Morris University. Coming full circle, he joined the adjunct faculty at the University of Akron to teach business ethics and leadership classes.
Having studied Human Resource Management in collaborative, stimulating environments, Plesich learned early on that interpersonal skills are the foundation for both personal and professional success.
"Learning how to effectively manage and lead people shaped my approach to work and collaboration," he said. "People skills aren't necessarily taught, but nurtured over time."
Plesich's teachings at the University of Akron and Eastern Gateway Community College included Leadership Principles and Practices, Business Law, Organizational Behavior, Small Business Management, and Entrepreneurship - courses that not only lie in his area of expertise, but that he deems essential and empowering as well. He also served on the Business Studies Advisory Board at West Virginia Community College, which consults local businesses and deliberates changes to the college's business curriculum.
"To me, leadership, business, and entrepreneurship skills are life skills," Plesich said. "I was able to teach principles I'm passionate about and believe are important, and gained new perspectives along the way."
The former instructor also enlightened students through online and Interactive Video Distance Learning (IVDL) classes. IVDL classes are essentially video conferences in classroom settings, allowing faculty members to include students from off-site locations as if they were in the same room. This disruption to the traditional lecture hall provided an opportunity for Plesich to learn alongside his students.
"The different teaching environment improved my leadership and communication styles," Plesich noted. "Emotional intelligence is involved with all kinds of teaching, but it was imperative for me to reach and engage with my off-site students as if we were in a regular classroom."
Plesich's education and passion for business opened the door to nine years of teaching. What inspired his move to the oil and gas industry was his work in the Jefferson County Courthouse. As a title examiner, he researches courthouse records for both real estate and oil and gas titles. The work has been the one constant for Plesich amid the turbulent industries in Jefferson County. The challenge of finding consistent work spurred him to pursue different experiences and even start his own business as a contract landman.
Being a teacher lent Plesich skills that he is now able to leverage in new ways as a landman. His talent for managing people was recognized early on, and he was invited to lead a team of contractors through complex undertakings, including a multimillion-dollar title-research project across multiple courthouses. Teaching assisted with public speaking as well - a skill honed mostly, if not completely, by experience. Plesich's business savvy comes in handy now, too. Teaching enterprise courses and serving on the Business Studies Advisory Board enriched his ability to share the value of business and entrepreneurship - which is key to creating and maintaining beneficial partnerships between landowners and oil and gas companies. And most importantly, Plesich honed his active listening, a gift in which a little goes a long way.
"Empathy is more than just putting yourself in someone else's shoes," Plesich remarked. "It's about recognizing their needs and doing whatever you can to meet them."
Plesich's real estate background, also motivated by his work in the courthouse, provided an exciting challenge and some transferable skills in title work. He has experience executing real estate closings, completing title work as a licensed title insurance agent, and even accomplished the necessary courses to become a real estate agent. Although he transitioned to the oil and gas industry, the knowledge was advantageous.
"Title work enabled me to learn about the history and value of property in Jefferson County," he said. "It makes my work as a landman very meaningful."
Plesich's pursuit of new skills created a pattern of extremely valuable learning opportunities. A spirit of diligence encouraged him to view challenges as chances to improve. At every step of the way, he gained wisdom that shaped him into a well-rounded individual. Now, he is welcoming yet another new opportunity as a candidate for Jefferson County Clerk of Courts. It's not only his education and career that qualify him - it's his character.
"The variety of opportunities I've taken in my career have made the most rewarding experiences," Plesich said. "I never want to stop learning and growing, personally and professionally."
For more information, please reach out to Isys Caffey-Horne at isys.caffeyhorne@stripereputation.com.
SOURCE: Andrew Plesich
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