Meet Our Faculty: Chris Ripley

Meet Chris RipleyA selfie of CSM instructor Chris Ripley

Assistant Professor of Business

Faculty member since 2006
ctripley@csmd.edu
Pronouns: he/him


Courses Taught

  • BAD-1015 Intro to Business
  • BAD-1210 Principles of Management
  • BAD-1300 Business Mathematics
  • BAD-1520 Starting and Operating a Small Business
  • BAD-2140 Intro to Business Strategy
  • BAD-1335 Applied Business Communications
  • BAD-2160 Introduction to Marketing
  • BAD-2700 Human Resource Management
  • BAD-2710 Human Relations and Leadership
  • BAD-2740 Retail Management

About 

I was born in Providence, Rhode Island. While growing up I lived in Woonsocket, Rhode Island; Richmond, Virginia; Baltimore, Maryland; and Newport News, Virginia. I finally settled in Wareham, Massachusetts, with my mother, brother, and sister.

I spent 22 years in retail sales and marketing with Macy’s, Dayton-Hudson, and May Company. I was a women's shoe buyer for four years. I was also a store manager for 14 years.

For the last 20 years, I've been the owner of the Strategic Marketing Group, which helps businesses increase sales, customer retention, and the value of their business.

 

Educational Background 

I received my bachelor’s in economics from the University of Virginia in 1981 and my master’s in management, with a concentration in marketing, from the University of Maryland Global Campus in 2005.

Q&A

In every class, I want to leave students with two or three big ideas to carry through life. Problem-solving and critical thinking should be the outgrowth of what they learn. For students to succeed in life, they are going to need knowledge of how the world works and how to be successful in whatever they choose to do. Sometimes these things aren't apparent to students, and it’s my job to show them. I hope to create a natural curiosity about the world they will carry with them after our class is over.

It’s also important to give the students resources so they can understand and relate to their own situation. I try to find diverse sources for the material I use so students can feel a connection to their situation.

I’ve always thought that part of my role is being a coach. When I was in my first retail management job, my boss explained to me that I was a coach for the employees; some employees may need lots of coaching, and others might not need much coaching at all. Understanding this was key to being a successful manager. As an instructor, I may have to coach students in many different directions. Some students may need life coaching, and others might need to understand citations better.

I served for six years on the United Way of Charles County Board of Directors and was president of the board from 2000-2001. I've been delivering Meals on Wheels since 2013. I've been involved in various committees and groups with the Charles County Chamber of Commerce since 2003.

Students should take my classes to learn things they will carry with them and use forever.

  • Ripley, Chris. “Online Marketing 101: No-Nonsense Guide to Marketing Your Business Online.” 2011.
  • Ripley, Chris. “Leverage Your List: The Secret to Growing Your Small Business.” 2014.

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Last updated: 4-19-24

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