Mentoring Program

Have you ever thought about getting on the fast track toward a promotion? Are you interested in speaking to a colleague about best practices in your field? Would you like to discuss information on advancement innovations? Are you open to sharing your expertise with a professional who is new to your field? If so, become a part of SUNYCUAD’s Mentor Program.

The main goal of the program is to foster an increase in professional dialogue between organization members and to encourage growth within the SUNY system. Although the program is primarily intended to link new members (or those new to various advancement categories) with senior members, we also encourage long-standing SUNYCUAD members to connect with younger/newer members with expertise in mutual or new areas of interest.

REQUIREMENTS
We are linking prospective mentors with five or more years of experience with mentees. The program requires a minimum of a one-year commitment by both parties and a suggested goal of several "contacts" (email, phone call, or meeting) annually. As with any mentorship program, you and your mentor/mentee will get out of it what you put into it. See Mentor Program Guidelines.

APPLY
To apply, please fill out the Mentor Program Response Form (pdf) [link] or Mentor Program Response Form (Word doc) and send the completed questionnaire, preferable via email, to:

Patrick Hennessey
SUNYCUAD Mentor Program Coordinator
Westchester Community College
patrick.hennessey@sunywcc.edu
914.606.6638

"As someone new to SUNY and educational fundraising, it has been encouraging to know I have an experienced colleague to whom I can reach out to for advice."
Mentee Gary Frederick Hohenberger, Jr., Development Officer, College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

"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."
Mentor Sarah Beth Lardie, Executive Director of Institutional Advancement, Mohawk Valley Community College.

"This program has provided me an opportunity to receive knowledgeable, 'outside' feedback on the Office of Federal Relations at Binghamton. After a site visit with my mentor, Mike Pietkiewicz at Buffalo, I was able to generate new ideas and look for unique ways to integrate with other departments here on campus."
Mentee Michael Frame, Director of Federal Relations, Binghamton University