EACE 2024 Board of Directors Elections

Director, Career Growth Candidate

Katie Vagen
Associate Director, Internships & Career Development
Bridgewater State University

1. Describe your interest in serving on the EACE Board in this capacity.

Since joining EACE in 2011 and receiving the Outstanding New Member Award in 2015, I set my eyes on one day pursuing a role on the board. Over my 13+ years of membership, I am grateful to have served as Co-Chair for the Road Trips to the Real World Committee, Co-Chair for the Public Relations Committee, and Member of the Professional Connections, Professional Development - Events, and Grants & Scholarships Committees. Each of these roles helped me to contribute to EACE’s mission of empowering colleges and employers to develop an equitable future workforce. My involvement provided me with a deeper understanding of the association’s values, organizational structure, and membership needs while allowing me to grow and develop new skills as a career development professional. I am now at the stage personally and in my career where I am ready to take on the next level of commitment to the association and am excited to work with board and committee colleagues to deliver high-quality, meaningful professional development offerings to EACE members as the Director of Career Growth. 

3. What ideas and/or goals do you have for this position?

As Director of Career Growth, I would like to reassess the collective and individual strengths of our members to identify areas of growth that the association can facilitate through professional development programming. I would like to engage members at each level (new, mid-level, and seasoned) through a variety of offerings that speak to the needs of our diverse membership. I hope to engage the expertise of our members, with an increase in employer member engagement, to offer relevant webinars on a regular basis with room for networking within each session. Expanding the Mentor Network through targeted outreach to new professionals and members along with regular check ins is a sincere interest of mine after serving as liaison to the Mentoring Subcommittee through Grants & Scholarships for the past two years. I would also like to partner with organizations that offer upskilling opportunities such as industry specific certifications, training, and SHRM credits as part of our continuing education efforts. Lastly, I would like to build upon the foundation of the Leadership Empowerment Series by making it an annual signature program with virtual and in person opportunities to grow and connect across all experience levels. All these offerings will contribute to the strategic goals of connecting, developing, empowering, and sustaining EACE and its members. I am excited to give back to an association that has helped launch me to where I am today and offer my leadership with an empathetic and listening ear to the ground for what our members truly want and need to grow and achieve personal and professional success.

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