Learn more

Greetings!

I am Valentina (Val or Dr. Val). I am here to encourage you to break the personal limits, to expand horizons, to pursue the dreams… I am blessed with the ability to wear many hats. I am a proud mother of two boys, a spouse, an academic, a practitioner, a researcher, an entrepreneur, an organizer, a dog-lover, a traveler, an explorer, an investor, and co-founder of leading property management agency Mila Realty.

I was born in Russia, raised in Estonia, and now I call Florida my home. Here I built my family, developed my business, and earned a Doctorate degree. Indeed, migration is not an easy process. Behind left many barriers and obstacles, including cultural differences and language barriers. At first, I left the position of HR Director in Estonia to become a Front Desk agent in one of the Marriott hotels in Florida.

There were days with many undelivered expectations and unfulfilled needs, but I always had my persistence to improve and make things better. My favorite citation belongs to 30th U.S. president Calvin Coolidge, where he said that “Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.»

Looking back, I am grateful for every day of hard work, which significantly contributed to my learning and progressing. In general, individuals driven by curiosity are my heroes. Why? Because they never stop learning. I’m determined to make myself and this world better through a continuous learning process. I can’t thank the Lord enough for all given opportunities. I will be always grateful to all encouraging, supporting, and guiding me American people. And my gratitude for the given chance to America will never end!

EDUCATION

  • Doctorate in Business Administration, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, USA
  • Master’s Degree in Business Administration, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia

Primary area of research interest are the Hospitality industry, Real Estate, and Organizational Behavior. Research stream has focused on the links among hospitality employees, owners, and guests. Most recent research explored an organizational alignment within EB-5 hospitality organization in Central Florida. Case study is the main research method.

EXPERIENCE

Johnson University, Kissimmee, FL
Organizational Behavior Professor
2019 – Present
International Professors Project, Orlando, FL
HR Researcher
2018 – Present
Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo, Japan
Conference Chair
2018 – Present
Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne
Special Assistant to the Bisk College of Business DeanBusiness Research
2015 – Present
New American LLC, Kissimmee, FL
Managing Broker/OwnerProperty ManagementHR management and developmentPortfolio Management
2013 – Present
7 Heaven Vacation Rentals, Kissimmee, FL
Operational Manager/OwnerProperty ManagementHR management and developmentPortfolio Management
2012 – Present
Institute of Economics and Management, Tallinn, Estonia
FacultyTeaching HR management, Leadership, and Business Ethics
Sep 2007 – Dec 2012

CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

  • Literacy Information and Communication System (LINCS): Motivating Adult
  • Learners to Persist
  • Literacy Information and Communication System (LINCS): Introduction to
  • Teacher Effectiveness and Induction
  • U.S. Department of Education. FERPA 201: Data Sharing
  • U.S. Department of Education. FERPA 201: FERPA for Colleges and Universities
  • U.S. Department of Education. FERPA 201: FERPA 101 for Local Education Agencies
  • University of Michigan-Flint, professional development course; Online Teaching: Copyright Issues in Online Teaching; Faculty Introduction to online Teaching
  • CITI Training
  • The Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM): Academic Member
  • Professional Organization: Department of Florida Business and Regulations, Florida Realtors
  • OsceolaCounty Association of REALTORS: Committee Member: Professional Development Task Force
  • International Leadership Association (ILA), member
  • Volunteer Organization: House of Ronald Mc Donald
  • Russian Language Group: Founder; Administrator
  • School of Success (Orlando, FL): Founder
  • Learning Management System (LMS): Blackboard and Canvas

Teaching

Dr. Valentina Naumenko is a Professor in the School of Business and Public Leadership at Johnson University, Florida. She is a Subject Matter Expert in Organizational Behavior. Her teaching career started in Estonia, where she has been teaching Human Resource management, Leadership, and Business Ethics to undergraduate students since 2007.

All students are unique. As educational practitioners, we are responsible for creating a stimulating educational environment where every student can grow mentally, emotionally, and socially. I believe that effective communication enables one to create such an environment. An open-door policy and constructive and prompt feedback are what display care and support. I always encourage my mentees to share their ideas and knowledge. To stimulate knowledge sharing, I promote positive consequences for them and set well communicated goals.

My teaching philosophy follows Benjamin Franklin, who said “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” I engage students in everything we do because Business Administration is a live discipline, where knowledge comes through live experience. I do not support educators who simply rely on textbooks. It is most likely that members of higher education are capable of reading on their own, right? My students have a thirst to explore and understand real-life settings of the business. Therefore, exercises, workshops, labs and practices are the critical elements of my teaching strategy.

ONGOING RESEARCH PROJECTS:

A case study methodology is preferred method I use in research. As a researcher, I enjoy exploring, understanding, and presenting perspectives of the research participants. The participants’ views of the situation are critical for the research, and I have a strong motivation for discovering meanings and understandings of experiences through the interaction with others and participating in study. Therefore, my philosophical view is constructivism combined with interpretivism.

  • ORGANIZATIONAL ALIGNMENT AND EMPLOYEE JOB SATISFACTION IN AN EB-5 HOTEL Journal of Global Business Insights
  • THE IMPACT OF EB-5 OWNERSHIP ON EMPLOYEE JOB SATISFACTION AND GUEST SATISFACTION IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY: A CASE STUDYTERMINANTS OF PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SELECTION IN GREAT ORLANDO AREAFlorida Tech
  • DETERMINANTS OF PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SELECTION IN GREAT ORLANDO AREA SPIRITUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE AND ITS IMPACT ORGANIZATION PERFORMANCE

A few fun facts about myself

I love coffee Latte, I have a dog named after Martin Luther King, my favorite number is 15, I dislike a pancake syrup, I knew what I wanted to do at the age of 13, I am Big Traveler, and I have a WORLD SCRATCH OFF MAP, my favorite food is Tomatos, and I am obsessed with Microsoft Excel.