VIRGINIA ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND EMPLOYERS
THE INNERVIEW
SUMMER 2014
In This Issue…
∘ Message from the President
∘ VACE Exclusive
∘ On the Move
∘ Save the Date
∘ New Members
∘ Congratulations
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear VACE Members:
Welcome, summer! I trust this letter finds you well and hope you are enjoying a fun and safe summer. Thank you for this
opportunity to serve as your VACE President for the coming year. VACE has been such an important part of my life
professionally and personally over the last 10+ years, and I am beyond excited for this opportunity to give back to our
fantastic organization. As we all know from the work we do, the people and culture of any organization are what make it
special, and this is especially the case with VACE. Please allow me to take a moment to extend a heartfelt thank you to
some of those special people for their efforts to further our organization over the past year.
Thank you to Michael Lawston of First Investors for his service, vision and leadership as your President. It has been a
pleasure to learn from Michael this past year in my role as President-Elect. Michael and our very capable 2013-2014 Board
are handing off an organization that is financially strong and one that is better leveraging technology to advance our
organization. Thanks to Mike and his team, VACE has renewed its commitment to provide networking opportunities
throughout the year (not just at our annual conference), and we also have a clear strategic vision through 2019. Michael
and his board have set the bar high. Thanks to each of you for your hard work and dedication.
The fantastic team of Katie Steuer, Virginia Tech, and Emily Culbertson, Berkeley Research Group, along with their amazing
conference committees delivered an unforgettable “Virginia is for Jobs” annual conference at the Mason Inn in Fairfax this
April. Wow, and thank you! Feedback collected from conference attendees was incredibly positive, and Emily, along with
our 2014-15 College Director Amy Foster of Roanoke College are already hard at work planning your next VACE
conference, to be held April 22-24, 2015 at the Marriott Newport News at City Center. Mark your calendars now to attend,
and please share your feedback and suggestions directly with Emily and Amy!
I am beyond impressed with your Director of Professional Development, Sarah Hobgood of Longwood College for her
efforts in making VACE more accessible to each of you. Her hard work over the last year materialized in the form of two
new opportunities for regional networking. The first was a regional networking event in Richmond in the spring and, most
recently, a Drive-In workshop at Virginia Tech last week. Around 40 participants attended one or both of these events
making both a huge success. Sarah has also been hard at work ensuring that HRCI credits will soon be available to our PHR
and SPRH members. Sarah has put her heart and soul into increasing opportunities for VACE members to network, at no
cost, with one another throughout the year, and the success of these events directly correlates to Sarah’s efforts, so thank
you!
I am pleased to announce that final voting for our 2014-15 Board will go live online at the vace.org this week. Your
Nominations committee, led by Becca Scott, Virginia Tech, has been hard at work over the last couple of months putting
together a strong and capable slate of 2014-2015 VACE leaders, including going the extra mile when our 2014-15 Director
of Operations position unexpectedly became available after our conference.
(Continued on next page…)
I am pleased to announce the addition of Krista Leighton, Director of Career Development at Randolph College as an
addition to our slate in this role. When you vote, you will have the chance to vote to approve this change as well as to vote
for the board. I am equally pleased to announce that the Strategic Planning committee, also led by Becca Scott, will be
ready soon to present the 2014-2019 Strategic Plan online for your final vote. Keep your eyes peeled, and please vote!
Your participation is critical!
On June 19th, the VACE Board held their transition meeting in beautiful Charlottesville – thank you to Laura Craig at UVA
for graciously arranging this meeting space for us. Thank you as well to our fantastic volunteer board for sharing their
time and expertise. This meeting provided an opportunity for purposeful transition, idea sharing and as a chance to
identify areas where volunteers and leaders are still needed for committees and appointed positions within VACE. You
can expect an announcement and volunteer request from us soon! A few reminders that I’ve been asked to pass along:
•
COMMITTEES - VACE committees are currently being formed and any members who expressed interest in the
various organizational or conference committees are in the process of being contacted. Many of you may have already
been contacted. We are very excited to get our committees together and working for our organization. If you are
interested in working on a committee, it’s not too late to volunteer. Visit the VACE website at www.vace.org and click on
the link on the bottom right side of the page for “Committee Interest”.
•
MENTORSHIP - All VACE members have the opportunity to join a voluntary mentorship program that allows both
new and seasoned members to share knowledge and ideas, grow professionally, and continue to build their professional
network. This is a year-long, formal relationship where Mentors and Mentees are matched based on geographic location
and specified areas of interest. We hope that you will consider becoming a part of yet another way to make VACE great. For
more information, contact Kate Morgan of Longwood College and VACE Membership Orientation Chair at
morgankb@longwood.edu or 434-395-4931.
•
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL - Make the most of your 2014-15 VACE membership and renew today! Please log on to
www.vace.org to re-up your membership for the upcoming year which promises to be a great one.
I would love to connect with you about VACE and am excited to hear your feedback and ideas! Please reach out to me
anytime at (703) 654-1422 or clucas@verisconsulting.com. Have a great summer!
In service,
Cristie Lucas
Cristie Lucas, Veris Consulting, Inc.
VACE President, 2014-15
ON THE MOVE
JMU’s Career and Academic Planning office is moving to the new Student Success Center in July! The Student Success
Center was designed to be a collaborative and high-impact learning environment where students can come to get things
done. The newly renovated Success Center will be a hub of programs and services promoting student learning and
development through innovation, proximity, accessibility, and interaction with others. With a diverse group of
departments housed in the Student Success Center, the space and its functions provide an opportunity for students with
different learning styles and physical abilities to interact and learn from one another.
Highlights: 250,000 square foot center, 21 different university departments and functions, Learning Commons – open
areas for individual and group study, EPIC Center – Innovative and experiential classrooms/meeting rooms, the Only
Dunkin’ Donuts in Harrisonburg! See additional details at www.jmu.edu/successcenter.
WELCOME NEW VACE MEMBERS!
VACE would like to extend a warm welcome to the newest members:
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College Members:
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Alicia Shrestha, University of Virginia
Anita Mundy, Thomas Nelson Community College
Bethany Mickel, VMI
Bonnie Graham, University of Richmond
Dorothy Hayden, VMI
Everette Fortner, University of Virginia
Heather Palmer, University of Virginia
Jennifer Allen, Hampden-Sydney College
Jewel Williams- Jones, Thomas Nelson Community College
John Gray Williams, Virginia Tech
Katie Brankley, Longwood University
Kelly McVicar, George Washington University
Marie Hawley, Germanna Community College
Melissa Hurst, University of Virginia
Miya Miles, Thomas Nelson Community College
Patrick Murray, South University
Peggy Reed, University of Virginia
Sarah Orem, James Madison University
Sarah Rogis, Radford University
Susan Lentini, South University
Takeisha Brown, Virginia State University
Teresa Dickens, Radford University
Trasi Watson, Northern Virginia Community College
Alison Crehore, Virginia Commonwealth University
Jennifer Sawyer, Longwood University
Michelle Skeen, University of Virginia
Robin Hanway, Virginia Commonwealth University
Employer Members:
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Carolyn Heffner, FedBid
Jason Silitsky, First Investors
Karen Roberts, Clayton Homes
Kelly Peter, HydroGeoLogic
Shannon Johnston, Southern Teachers Agency
VACE EXCLUSIVE
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You are invited to the 2nd Annual Employer Relations Best Practices Exchange on Thursday, July 31, 2014,
9:00AM-3:30PM. This event is open to anyone working in and around university/college career planning,
regardless of their specific role. As we all know, employer relations is a team effort! Location: Christopher Newport
University. Click here to RSVP. Please register by July 1, and individual members from each office should RSVP
separately.
SAVE THE DATE

SoACE Annual Conference: “Unmasking Potential”
December 7-10, 2014: Astor Crown Plaza, New Orleans, LA

VACE Annual Conference
April 22-24, 2015: Marriott Newport News at City Center
Submit news for
future VACE
newsletters to
Kimberly Phillips at
kphillips@wlu.edu
CONGRATULATIONS!

Several VACE members were recognized for special achievements and membership milestones at this year’s
annual VACE Conference on April 23, 2014, in Fairfax, VA. Congratulations to these individuals!
o Membership Awards
 5 Years:
Emily Culbertson, Peggy Ehrenberg, Anita Hazel Taylor, Mary Riner, Johanna Smith
 10 Years:
Misty Brown, Barbara Hampton, John Liptak
 15 Years:
Brandy Ewell, Christine Harriger, Andre Luck, Nash Montgomery
 30 Years:
Sam Ratcliffe, Andy Ferguson
 35 Years:
Patricia Carretta
 40 Years:
Nikki Fallis, Jim Malone
o Honorary Lifetime Membership Awards
 Patricia Carretta, Renee Herrell, Beverly Lorig, Mary Schilling
o Leadership Awards, The Leadership Award is presented annually to board members as they complete their term on
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the board of VACE. It is with great appreciation that we thank them for their dedication, service and leadership to VACE.
 Becca Scott: Immediate Past President
 Shannon Dintini: Director of Finance
 Catherine Copeland: Director of Technology
 Katie Steuer: College Director/ Conference Chair
 Chandra Lane: Director of Operations
Emerging Leaders Award, This award is presented to a member who has made a significant contribution through
service, on a committee, a task force, or in some other capacity.
 Raphaela Kamholtz, Enterprise
 Monica Hill, Christopher Newport University
Patricia J. Carretta Special Achievement Award, The Patricia J. Carretta award may be given to a member who
has made a significant contribution to VACE during the past year. This award recognizes outstanding performance in
carrying out special assignments or appointments. They have distinguished themselves as role models in their dedication
to and advocacy for career services and HR professionals. The recipient should possess leadership qualities, a positive
attitude and willingness to go the extra mile for the organization.
 Ellen Masters, Hampden-Sydney College
John L. Chase Award, Eligibility is based on active VACE membership and includes those who have made
exceptionally valuable contributions to cooperative education, career services or college recruiting, who have been
continuous and ardent workers in the ranks over a long period of time and whose services deserve recognition.
 Becca Scott, Virginia Tech
A. Isabel Gordon Distinguished Service Award, Eligibility is based on VACE membership which includes those
who have rendered a continuing and superior level of service and leadership to the Association, and may be awarded to
persons who are currently members of the Association, the regional Association(s), or the National Association of
Colleges and Employers.
 Sarah Hobgood, Longwood University
Earlier this year the Cassell Interpretation Lab was
dedicated at the University of Maryland Department of
Communication in the College of Arts and Humanities. The
lab will support the new graduate program in interpreting
and translation and is named in honor of Donna Cassell
Ratcliffe and her mother Carolyn Harrison, both of whom
are University of Maryland alumnae. Donna is the Director
of Career Services at Virginia Tech and a former VACE and
EACE president. Congratulations, Donna!
Congratulations to Sara Greene from Washington and
Lee University on her promotion from Career Advisor to
Assistant Director of Career Development! In addition to
her work with students, Sara also coordinates
assessment, outreach, and marketing for the Career
Development office, including social media outlets such
as Facebook and Twitter. Her promotion is official on
July 1, 2014.
Thank you to the Conference Planning Committee and Co-chairs, Emily
Culbertson and Katie Steuer, for making the conference a huge success!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE VACE ANNUAL CONFERENCE
APRIL 23-25, 2014
Minute to Win It
Teambuilding
Exercise
Michael Lawston,
New Immediate
Past- President
Employer Panel
and Break-out
Sessions
Nicolette Pizzitola,
Speaker
Student Panel
Door Prizes!