Inside the Conference
Letter from President ............ 1
Welcome from Conference Chairs ............................................. 2
Conference at a Glance .......... 3
Map of Homestead ................ 4
Details of Sessions ................ 5-9
Our Sponsors ........................ 10
Not to Miss
4/26 1:15 pm Keynote Address by Eric Pearson
4/26 6:15-9:00 pm President’s Reception & Awards Banquet
4/27 1:10 pm Surprise Team Building Activity
4/27 4:30 pm Yard Games & Happy Hour
4/28 8:30 am Breakfast & Employer Fair
Virginia Association of
Colleges & Employers at The Omni
Homestead
Resort April 26-28, 2017
On behalf of your VACE board and our dedicated conference committee members, it is my honor to welcome you to this year’s annual
conference, and to share a sense of gratitude. To both newcomers and continuing VACE members, thank you for choosing to spend
these days together. We have worked diligently to create a conference experience with quality content and opportunities to learn and
connect with one another meaningfully and memorably. Each of you who submitted a breakout session proposal helped us do so; thank
you. Assembling the conference each year is a huge project that involves joys and the occasional moment of panic. This year is unprece-
dented in that both board members who serve as conference chairs, Emmett Corboy and Ashley Crute, are unable to attend the confer-
ence – both for happy reasons. Emmett’s corporate meeting this year conflicts with the VACE conference, and Ashley welcomed a new
daughter into her life in February. I am grateful that Emmett and Ashley remained dedicated to conference planning throughout this
year despite being unable to enjoy the fruits of their labors, and I am grateful to all those involved in the conference who stepped up to
make sure we have all bases covered. The full conference committee is recognized in this program; please meet them! For going above
and beyond: special thanks to Amy Foster (current director of operations, and previous college director and conference chair), Bev Reid
(conference program chair, and past board member), and Toni McLawhorn (site coordinator and VACE past president).
Benefits of VACE membership are not limited to the conference experience, and this year VACE has achieved some of the goals outlined
in our five-year (2014-2019) strategic plan that provide direct benefit to members. Under the leadership of Peggy Reed, director of pro-
fessional development, and her committee chair, Dannita Trice, we have revived in-person professional development events during the
year in various locations in the state (and offered webinars) increasing opportunities for VACE members to learn and connect. Also un-
der Peggy’s leadership we revived professional development scholarships to cover conference registration for individuals who have
served VACE. Those were once given every year, but had become dormant. We have five recipients this year who will be announced,
along with other award recipients, during our awards ceremony following the president’s reception and dinner on Wednesday evening.
I want to shine a light on the very diligent behind-the-scenes work led by Christina Brooks, director of technology and communications,
in wrestling with challenges we have faced with the functioning of our listserv and MemberClicks, the vendor product that helps us
manage our member data. Gratitude also to Sara Greene, director of marketing and membership, who has worked with Christina on
these challenges and has been creative with outreach to grow our membership. Our finance director, Chris Campbell, and finance-elect
director, Kimberly Phillips, have also been essential to our behind-the-scenes work of being good stewards of VACE resources. You’ll
hear more details about VACE accomplishments this year during our lunch and annual business meeting on Thursday.
As good stewards, we could not provide a conference without our sponsors, recognized on the VACE website, in this program, and
throughout the conference. I ask each of you to join me in thanking our sponsors.
My very deep and personal thanks to Ellen Masters, immediate past president, and Denise Meadows, president-elect, whom I’ve leaned
on this year for guidance and support. They are dear and trusted colleagues and friends; VACE has been and will continue to be in ex-
cellent hands with the continuum of devoted individuals who accept the call to leadership.
As you experience our conference and other opportunities provided by VACE, I hope you find value, reward, and connection with past
and new colleagues and friends. If you see or experience something you believe could be done differently or better, please bring your
energy to involvement in a committee!! You are VACE. Welcome home.
Yours in service,
Catherine Copeland
VACE President, 2016-2017
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Welcome from your president to the
2017 Come Home to VACE conference
Greetings and “Welcome Home”!
We are thrilled that each one of you chose to spend the next couple of days with us at conference. As you know, the theme this year is “Come Home to VACE” and we hope that you find this home both stimulating and informative. It has been 17 long years since VACE has been fortunate enough to hold annual conference in the beautiful confines of The Homestead and we speak for many when we say “it’s about time!”
We hope you enjoy the array of speakers, breakout sessions, and roundtable discus-sions scheduled to help you grow professionally and share best practices, whether you are a college, employer, or student member. Special thanks goes out to Beverly Reid from Lynchburg College for all her hard work to ensure the menu of topics was well rounded and exciting!
Our hope is that you enjoy the time off in the schedule to deepen connections and build new relationships. We sincerely wish that we could be there to enjoy this time with you all but company scheduling conflicts and the birth of a new daughter had dif-ferent ideas for us both! We are excited to spend time with you at next year’s confer-ence in Richmond!
Cheers!
Emmett Corboy, Foresters Financial
Ashley Crute, Longwood University
Welcome from your Conference Co-chairs
VACE 2016-17 Board Members
VACE 2016-17 Conference Committee Members
Catherine Copeland, VT, President
Ellen Masters, Hampden-Sydney, Immediate
Past President
Denise Meadows, JMU, President-Elect
Chris Campbell, JMU, Director of Finance
Kimberly Phillips, EMU, Director of Finance-Elect
Amy Foster, Roanoke College, Director of
Operations
Sara Greene, UVA, Director of Marketing and
Members
Peggy Reed, UVA, Director of Professional Devel-
opment
Christina Brooks, Director of Technology & Com-
munications
Emmett Corboy, Foresters Financial, Employer
Director
Ashley Crute, Longwood University, College Dir.
Conference Chairs: Emmett Corboy (Employer Director) and Ashley Crute (College Director)
Members: Catherine Copeland (President); Ellen Masters (Past President); Denise Rudolph (Ex-Officio
member); Jennifer Weeks (PR Chair); Toni McLawhorn (Local Arrangements/Site Selection Chair);
Scott Robert (Awards Chair); Kelly Dalaski (Door Prize Chair); Leslie Holden (Employer Fair Chair);
Becca Scott and Claire Childress (Hospitality Co-Chairs); Sherry Talbot and Wendy Buie (Newcomers
Co-Chairs); Bev Reid (Program Chair); Amy Foster (Registration Chair); Chris Campbell (Sponsorship
Chair); Peggy Reed (Director of Professional Development); Christina Brooks (Director of
Communications & Technology)
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VACE 2017 Conference At-A-Glance VACE 2017 Conference At-A-Glance
3
Floor Plan of Omni Homestead Resort for Conference Locations
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VACE Conference Detailed Schedule
Wednesday, April 26- 1:15 – 2:00 – Welcome &
Keynote Address Keynote Speaker –
Eric P. Pearson [email protected]
After many careers and numerous short and long journeys, Eric Pearson has become
recognized not for his accomplishments rather for the accomplishments of the people
he has impacted during his many journeys. After completing a BS in Education at
Bowie State University, and an MS in Technical Management at the Johns Hopkins
University Whiting School of Engineering, he became the Radar Antenna Manager
for the most sophisticated Fighter in the U.S. Government inventory; accomplishing
this feat having had little formal training in engineering or electronics. In addition, Eric
later became the Sector Director for Cross Sector Program Initiatives for Northrop
Grumman becoming the highest ranking Physical Education Major in the corporation.
His volunteer accomplishments have been recognized as he served as an Adjunct
Professor in the School of Engineering at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and on several
Industry / University Board of Directors: National Association of Colleges and Em-
ployers, Southern Association of Colleges and Employers, America Society for Engi-
neering Education, and the Cooperative and Experiential Education Board for ASEE.
He also developed a nationally recognized New Graduate Engineering & Manufacturing Rotation Program and then a Cross-
Country Leadership Training Program (LTP) where the graduates of these programs have become highly successful in own
careers.
Eric knows no boundaries, loves extreme challenges and works tirelessly to help others discover that through failure, success
becomes sweet and everlasting. Eric sees opportunity as a challenge, not a closed door. In 2008, Eric Pearson completed and
self-published, “Ryan’s Stories: Gods Perfect Child” as his grieving process for the loss of his fourteen-year-old profoundly dis-
abled son and as a tribute to his wife Kathy who gave up her career to raise and nurture Ryan. As Eric turns another page in
his life he has chosen to tackle writing as a passion and is in pursuit of completing and/or starting five additional books: The
People You Meet in 1st Class, The Fox, The Squirrel and The Chipmunk, Oliver Travels, Cooking at The Residence Inn , and
Gone! Fishing .
Breakout Sessions – 2:45-3:45
The Career Influencers Network: Collaborating with campus partners to produce 100,000 career ready
graduates! Sean McGowan, GMU - Lexington Room (Career Services)
Two years ago the president and provost of George Mason University outlined in the strategic plan the goal of
100,000+ career ready Mason graduates by 2024. University Career Services developed the Career Influencers
Network initiative to educate campus partners on the role they play in the career development process with stu-
dents. The presenter will outline the key elements of building and maintaining this initiative as well as engaging
participants in best practices for implementation at their institution.
Success Begins with SU Initiative: The role of Career Services in the recruitment process
Jen Spataro-Wilson and Scott Spriggs , Shenandoah - Chesapeake Room (Career Services)
With the rise of a consumer mentality of prospective students and their families, Shenandoah University recog-
nizes the need to promote the value of an SU education. The University has put initiatives in place to integrate
the services and resources of Career Services in the recruitment process. This session will review the SU struc-
ture, need, and evolution of the program.
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Reality Hiring– The Truth about What Companies Want - Threase Baker,
ABBTECH, Robin Mee, Mee Derby & Co. and Frank McMillan, Kelly Services – Ballroom East (Both)
The staffing industry plays a vital role in the economy, creating workforce solutions for America's companies and
jobs for America's workers. With hiring over 16 million employees per year, staffing professionals are the experts
at finding a needle in the haystack. These experts ask the right questions to find out what the hiring managers re-
ally want and need. During this program, you will hear different strategies from staffing professionals who special-
ize in hiring healthcare, technical, administrative, engineering, IT and general employees, you will walk away with
a checklist of the things that top hiring managers look for to find top talent and you will also receive a list of ques-
tions to ask your managers about the people that they want to hire to find the right person faster.
Building Bridges between Employers and Colleges: An Employers Guide to Relationship Building with
Career Centers and Faculty - Scott Robert and Jimmy Roux, Lynchburg College - Mt. Vernon Room (Both)
This program is designed to increase collaboration between employers, career centers, and faculty. Difficulties
that employers have - quality/quantity applications, student contact and interpretations of KSAs in relation to class-
room learning objectives - will be addressed.
Newcomer’s Reception – 5:30-6:15 Crystal Room
Activities designed for newcomers and an opportunity to network for all. Please come to meet newcomers and
stay for the President’s Reception that follows.
President’s Reception & Awards Dinner 6:15 – 9:00 Crystal Room
Thursday, April 27
Breakfast 8:00-9:00
Plated Breakfast for general conference-goers in Grand Ballroom West;
Director’s Think Tank Breakfast in Grand Ballroom West
Breakout Sessions - 9:15-10:15
Creating Career Communities: Building Bridges to Industry - Sara Greene and Michelle Ball, UVA –
Chesapeake Room (Both)
Students often look for not only personal, but industry specific guidance from career services. Career counselors
may not be experts in every industry, so how can we provide support? With a rise in specialized advising, the Uni-
versity of Virginia has taken a comprehensive approach to career services, incorporating students, faculty, alumni,
and employers. The Career Communities model is much more than just specialized advising – it is an interactive
community of cultivated resources, alumni experts, hybrid programming, and employer engagement. This session
seeks to share how and why the University of Virginia decided to adopt a Career Communities model, along with
how the model operates on a day-to-day basis. The session is designed to help VACE members identify ways to
incorporate community-like qualities into their offices, regardless of office size or resources.
Integrating Career Readiness into a Small Liberal Arts Campus – Toni McLawhorn, Roanoke College –
Lexington Room (Career Services)
Are you a more traditional liberal arts campus, seeking practical strategies on how to integrate career readiness
competencies at your institution? This session will highlight the steps taken at Roanoke College to move thinking
toward "whole person development," which includes career readiness and other concepts. Strategic planning
development steps will be described, along with securing buy-in from other key campus partners. Challenges also
will be discussed.
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iWork in Student Affairs: Developing Competencies of Student Employees and Interns in the Workplace -
Donna Ratcliffe and Greg Beecher, VT – Ballroom East (Career Services)
The application of competency development with students who are working in Student Affairs departments is in-
spiring and preparing students for their futures! iWork in Student Affairs is a program offered each semester for
student employees/interns and their supervisors to create a guided learning experience based on six career-ready
competencies through teaching, learning, goal setting, regular meetings, reflection, and growth. Come learn about
the steps taken and lessons learned while collaboratively developing, launching, and measuring this inaugural
iWork in Student Affairs program at Virginia Tech!
Beverage Break – Ballroom Foyer
Breakout Sessions - 10:30-11:30
Graduate Assistants: Creating an Enriching Experience in Your Career Center Kristen Coffey and
Steven White, VT – Lexington Room (Career Services)
This presentation will explore how to use graduate students in your career center, whether as interns or graduate
assistants, to increase working capacity and prepare future career advising professionals. Graduate students,
both at your college and other colleges, from a variety of programs could be looking for experiences during the
school year or summer to gain knowledge about working in a career center. These students can be involved in
many aspects of your office such as advising, outreach, assessment, and program development. Through this
work, graduate students can build on their experiences and be exposed to professional development opportuni-
ties. The graduate student experience and performance feedback process at Virginia Tech will be explored as a
way to consider avenues to include and create enriching experiences for graduate students in your center.
Best Practice for advising or recruiting OPT – International Graduates who are Job Searching – Kimberly
Orr, Stratford – Chesapeake Room (Both)
Career Advisors of International graduates having a difficult time with their job search, and Employers considering
hiring OPT graduates would both benefit from this workshop. I will instruct on reasons to consider an OPT candi-
date, with possibility to sponsor. I will also teach career advisers ways to work with international students, provid-
ing tips on resources, addressing cultural barriers, and how to educate employers.
So You Want to be a Director - Everette Fortner, UVA – Mt. Vernon Room (Career Services)
This program is designed to help aspiring assistant and associate directors think about their own careers and how
to manage a successful career progression to run a career center. Using design thinking tools, participants will
design their own individual path to their directorship.
Gen Z is ready to disrupt the workforce, and it's our job to prepare them for it - Stuart Mease, VT and Brian
Smith, Universum – Ballroom East (Both)
There is a universal shift happening at universities across the globe. There's a new generation on campus, and
they're called Gen Z. After having to figure out what made the millennial generation tick for the last decade-plus,
companies are on the cusp of recruiting a completely new generation of talent. Luckily, there are great data points
available and easy collection methods to help us understand the career preferences and expectations of the new
students on the block. Data that can be used to prepare a generation of students that vastly differs from their mil-
lennial predecessors.
Lunch & Business Meeting – 11:45-1:00- Grand Ballroom West
Surprise Teambuilding Activity! – 1:10-2:30- Grand Ballroom East
Shhhh! It’s a secret!
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Round Table Topics – 2:40- 3:10 – pick one 30 minute discussion
Building a Pipeline of Full Time Recruits – Methods employers use to build their Full Time Candidates earlier than
the student’s senior year, and how to keep them engaged. – Lexington Room
Using Interns to leverage your Brand on Campus – stories of successful utilization of interns to spread an employ-
er’s or career center’s story on campus. – Lexington Room
LinkedIn: Employers using LinkedIn successfully to find and connect with candidates. – Lexington Room
Career Services: Successfully Working with International Students – with the added challenges that International
students face when trying to get jobs and internships, what are some successful ways to work with them as well as the
other offices that serve them. – Chesapeake Room
New Homes for Career Services – from Student Affairs, to Academic Affairs, to Alumni Relations, Development and
now Admissions; the benefits and challenges of what department your office falls under. – Chesapeake Room
The Future of Job Fairs – students do not seem to be turning out to the job fairs we spend our time putting on and at-
tending. How can we reach them where they are? Is there a future in Job Fairs? – Chesapeake Room
Afternoon Tea – 3:10-4:00 – The Homestead Lobby
A tradition at The Homestead not to be missed
Yard Games & Happy Hour – 4:30-5:30 – The Homestead Lawn (Rain location TBA)
Dinner on Your Own – 6:00
Friday, April 28
Breakfast & Employer Fair 8:30-9:30 – Commonwealth Room
Come eat breakfast and network with Employers at their booths around the room. Great time to pick up business cards
and make those last-minute connections.
Committee Interest Groups 10:00-10:30 - Commonwealth Room – pick one table
Conference, Marketing and Membership, Finance, Technology and Communications, Professional Development
Employer Panel and Conference Closing 10:30-12:00 - Commonwealth Room
Description: We welcome both employer and college members to this forum for sharing information, ideas and
experiences that you can take home to apply in your work. Panelists are employer members of VACE representing di-
versity in types of organizations, approaches to recruiting, and experience with VACE. They will address questions
about their recruiting strategies and experiences, and time will be available for questions from the audience.
Panelists:
Blake Wingfield, Talent Acquisition Manager, Enterprise Holdings
Mary Wilson, Community Outreach Coordinator, Lutheran Family Services of Virginia
Carly Bordino, Campus Recruiter, Foresters Financial Services, Inc.
Jennifer Weeks, National College Recruiter, GEICO
Debbie Lumpkin, Internship Program Coordinator, Human Resources, County of Henrico
Christina Brooks, Director Youth Services, Opportunity, Inc., of Hampton Roads
Moderator: Catherine Copeland, 2016-17 VACE President
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VACE 2017 Conference Employer Panel Bios
Blake Wingfield, Talent Acquisition Manager, Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Blake began with ERAC in November 1996 in the management training program; he has held several positions becom-
ing talent acquisition manager in 2004; currently responsible for staffing the Virginia Beach / Norfolk / Chesapeake and
Richmond sub-regions (almost 50 locations). Blake received PHR certification in 2002, and was inducted into the Golden
Key International Honor society in 2012 by Old Dominion University. Blake joined VACE in 2000, when our conference
was at The Homestead. He has served on sponsorship, scholarship, and entertainment committees, as president in 2006
-2007, and chaired the VACE 50th anniversary Golden Gala in 2013. Blake’s band, Colorblind, has provided entertain-
ment at two VACE conferences. In 2012 Blake was the recipient of the VACE Isabel Gordon Distinguished Service
award.
Mary Wilson, Grants and Community Engagement Coordinator, Lutheran Family Services of Virginia (LFSVA)
LFSVA is a non-profit Human Services organization serving persons with disabilities. Mary has a Master’s in Psychology
with a concentration in Behavior Analysis from Kaplan University and has been working in human services for over 12
years. VACE was introduced to Mary in 2016 from the employer side to develop relationships with colleges and universi-
ties as LFSVA was looking to grow their intern program as well as a potential place for employment for college gradu-
ates. Mary lives in Roanoke, Virginia, with her husband John and their 18-month old son Joe.
Carly Bordino, Campus Recruiter, Foresters Financial Services, Inc.
This is Carly’s first year being involved with VACE. She is representing Foresters on behalf of Emmett Corboy who
serves on the VACE board as employer director and conference chair. Carly is the Campus Recruiter for the Mid-Atlantic
region within Foresters Financial, and focuses on the VA, MD, PA & NJ area. She is responsible for building and main-
taining campus relationships, as well as hiring for the internship program within all of her four offices.
Jennifer Weeks, National College Recruiter, GEICO
Jennifer celebrates seven years with GEICO in April 2017; the last 3.5 years in human resources, recruiting. Before join-
ing the corporate team in Chevy Chase, Maryland, she was as a regional recruiter in Fredericksburg, Virginia; her focus
is to recruit top talent and maintain close relationships with faculty and staff at colleges and universities. With VACE: her
first conference was 2015; she was breakout session presenter in 2016; serves on the professional development com-
mittee; hosted a site visit last summer; serves as marketing/PR chair; and is the nominee for employer director / confer-
ence chair for 2017-2019. Jennifer enjoys spending time with her little girl Jalissa and her husband Jeremy.
Debbie Lumpkin, Human Resource Analyst / Internship Program Coordinator, Human Resources, County of
Henrico
Debbie has worked for almost 17 years in local government in Henrico County, moving into HR after six years. Her cur-
rent role is in employment and compensation services, and she manages the county’s internship program, which includ-
ed establishing relationships with Virginia colleges and universities. She has been a VACE member since 2015, has
worked on the professional development committee, and participated in drive-in events and webinars this year.
Christina Brooks, Director of Youth Services, Opportunity, Inc., of Hampton Roads
Christina currently serves as director of technology and communications with VACE, and administers the VACE website,
listserv and social media. She has been Facebook social media manager; and on the 2016 conference committee. In
Opportunity Inc., she provides programming and partnership development oversight to 16 community-based youth-
serving organizations; and oversees the Youth Career Center of Hampton Roads, a non-profit community center provid-
ing innovative career immersion, job preparation, and financial literacy programming for over 5,000 youth annually.
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SAVE THE DATE FOR NEXT YEAR: VACE 2018
OMNI RICHMOND APRIL 25-27, 2018