EACE 2026 Board of Directors Elections
Director, Career Growth Candidate
 Jocelyn Coalter
Senior Director of Career and Leadership Development
St. John's University
1. Describe your interest in serving on the EACE Board in this capacity.
I am eager to serve as Director of Career Growth because my involvement with EACE has been such a rewarding aspect of my professional journey. This association has provided invaluable community, insight, and support to both my colleagues and me, and I am committed to giving back in a meaningful way. Having served as a member and co chair of multiple committees, I have experienced firsthand how EACE’s programming strengthens our field, and I would welcome the opportunity to contribute again at the Board level.
This role aligns deeply with my professional experience and personal passion. My 20+ years supporting students in their career exploration and development, along with extensive experience supervising and developing both professional and student staff, have reinforced my belief in the importance of lifelong learning. Helping professionals grow, stay engaged, and continue advancing in their careers is work that energizes me.
My previous service as Co Chair of the Professional Development Committee—as well as my years on the Awards and Recognition Committee—has given me a strong understanding of how EACE programs are built, delivered, and sustained. I would be excited to step into a position where I can guide and support an entire committee, foster collaboration, and help shape impactful professional development opportunities for our members.
Serving in this role would allow me to give back to an organization I care deeply about while contributing my strengths in leadership, engagement, and program development to support EACE’s mission.
2. What skills and experiences do you possess that have prepared you to be successful in this role?
My career has been dedicated to building, strengthening, and innovating professional development experiences, and I believe this background aligns strongly with the expectations of the Director, Career Growth role. I would bring my extensive experience in career services – including strategic planning, curriculum design, employer relations, operations management, technology, piloting and scaling programs, assessment, and budget management – to the Board and to EACE as an association. My work has consistently centered on engaging diverse constituencies and creating inclusive, responsive programming. For more than fifteen years, I have led and developed teams, guiding both professional and student staff toward shared strategic goals. I currently oversee a mentoring program and am piloting another, in partnership with the Tobin School of Business, demonstrating experience directly aligned with the role’s responsibility to support mentoring and continuing education initiatives. I have planned and executed a wide range of programs including conference presentations, webinars, virtual learning sessions, and large scale events—mirroring the coordination and leadership the position requires. My service as Vice President and later President of MNYCCPOA strengthened my ability to lead across committees, benchmark programming, and align offerings to member needs, responsibilities emphasized for this role. Through collaborations with other professional associations such as CSTM and AUC3P, I have cultivated partnerships that enhance professional development and support lifelong learning. I consider my strongest assets to be my versatility, collaborative leadership style, and ability to foster meaningful engagement. These qualities prepare me to effectively guide EACE’s career growth initiatives and support its mission.
3. What ideas and/or goals do you have for this position?
I think the programs and opportunities that EACE currently offers are already invaluable, but I would look to find ways to grow or enhance current well-performing programs, such as the Mentoring program and our webinar program. Assessing current offerings and continuing to survey members for what they are looking for from the association would be top priorities. A special emphasis would be placed on employer members, as I know we are always seeking to grow membership in that area, and working with the Awards and Recognition Committee to continue to better serve middle and senior leadership in our industry. I would also look to increase collaboration across committees - for example, the Leadership Empowerment Series Committee and the Webinar Committee, or the Leadership Academy Committee and the Continuing Education and Mentoring Committees.
4. EACE History/Additional Experience
Years of Membership: 15 years
EACE Service History:
I served on the EACE Board of Directors from 2019-2021 as the Director of Public Relations and Communications. I had the interesting experience of half my tenure being a "normal" year, and we were developing the new strategic plan, and the other half dealing with the Covid pandemic, where we pivoted everything to be entirely virtual and having to reimagine the new strategic plan. The experience of being on the Board while navigating and managing the challenges and changes Covid brought about was something I will never forget.
- 2016-2018 Membership Committee - member
- 2016-2018 Tech Committee - member
- 2018-2019 - Co-Chair: Professional Development Committee
- 2019-2021 - Board Member: Director of Public Relations and Communications
- 2021 - 2022 - Co-Chair: Awards and Recognition Committee
- 2022-2023 - Co-Chair, Conference Keynote Sub-Committee
- 2023-2024 - Chair, Sponsorships Sub-Committee
- 2024-2025 - Co-Chair Leadership and Recognition Sub-Committee
- 2025-Present - Co-Chair Leadership Empowerment Sub-Committee
Awards & Presidential Citations:
- Presidential Citation 2021
- Presidential Citation 2024
Additional Experience (outside of EACE):
In addition to EACE, I have been on the Board of MNYCCPOA since 2021, serving career services professionals in the Metro New York City area. I have served as:
- First Vice President 2021-2023
- President - 2023-2025
- Past President 2025-Current
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