Got Knowledge?
SUNYCUAD Mentor Program Needs You
“My experience as a mentor turned out to be more than I could have expected,” says Michael J. Pietkiewicz, assistant vice president for government relations at the University at Buffalo. “As a mentor I was able to share best practices and information on tactics that have worked for me over the years. At the same time, I learned a great deal from my mentee. What started out for me as a mentor-mentee relationship not only turned into a friendship, but also became an excellent professional development opportunity.”
Want to hitch a ride on the fast track to a promotion? Interested in speaking to a colleague about best practices in your field? Want to discuss information on advancement innovations? Are you open to sharing your expertise with a professional who is new to your field?
If so, perhaps SUNYCUAD’s Mentor Program would be a good fit. There are now more than 30 mentors/mentees working together since the program was launched last spring. The main goal is to foster professional dialogue between organization members and to encourage growth within the SUNY system.
Benefits include:
- Heightened professional development and education
- Grooming of the next generation of SUNYCUAD leaders Increase in resource sharing
- Improved productivity
- Improved management skills
"The program is a very good idea. Fundraising/development/advancement is a challenging field without a lot of professional road maps available for building your career," says mentor Sarah Beth Lardie, executive director of Institutional Advancement at Mohawk Valley Community College.
We are linking prospective mentors with five or more years of experience in advancement to their mentees. The program requires a minimum of a one-year commitment and a suggested goal of several "contacts" (e-mail, phone call, or meeting) annually. If interested, e-mail patrick.hennessey@sunywcc.edu.