PLENTYWOOD, Mont. – After spending 20 years in Wall Street working in technology operation management, Benny Richardson has taken over the family-run businesses.
Richardson ’99 returned home to run La Casa Personal Care in Plentywood, Montana, after his mother retired from the position, and he and his wife moved back to help her. La Casa Personal Care in Plentywood, Mont., is an assisted living facility that provides care and service to elderly citizens. These services include memory and respite care, as well as daily exercise activities.
“We have purchased an assisted living/memory care facility and now we own and operate that,” said Richardson.
Before he came to Minot State, Richardson was debating between three different career choices to study: business, accounting, and computer science. He studied and majored in business information technology because it encompassed all three of his subjects of interest.
From the time he graduated and through both his careers, Richardson states that he still carries lessons that he learned in college with him to his work.
“Your core values and your core education values at Minot State follow you through your whole career, and they follow your whole life,” said Richardson. “I hope current students are inspired to be like ‘Hey, I’m going to land on my feet and this college is going to help me’ and to have a potential intake like ‘Oh, this school really cares about me.’”
Throughout his time at Minot State, Richardson maintained a close relationship with his professors and advisors who helped set him in the right academic direction.
“Close proximity to my professors and my advisors led to intimate relationships with professors and advisors,” said Richards. “That helped set me in the right way to keep up academically.”
Richardson first worked at Sykes Enterprises while he was still in school. After that he worked for Deep Haven Capital Management in Minneapolis before it later became Citigroup.
During these jobs, Richardson states that he has learned that it is important to have a good academic base and strong roots and good professors and good advisors who will give some good direction to students. He advises students to start making a connection with their professors while they are still in school.
“Being closer to your advisors and keeping touch with current industries to understand what future employers are going to be needing down the road, so use your professors and your advisors to help keep you near the ground,” he said. “Current and future advisors need to help prepare yourself for the workforce because really that's what a lot of my advisors did.”
Richardson hopes that students are inspired to make connections at school and that they will use those connections wherever they begin to work.
About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through
rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.
Published: 12/09/21
