President's Message - We are our own best asset

As many of us in higher education and private industry begin to recover from the rigors of the fall recruiting season, I cannot help but to look at the year ahead with great anticipation. This year in PennACE, the board is revisiting one of its key missions to serve as a network for career planning professionals and human resource professionals alike.

This means we will renew our commitment to membership and ignite a strong focus on employer membership, which has waned in recent years. If we are to embody our name, the Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Employers, we must live up to that by growing our employer base and by providing additional employer-centered programming to attract and retain them. Additionally, we must deepen the value of our membership for all professionals by providing workshops and activities that engage our employers with our career services professionals to network and share best practices. While we will introduce outside resources and professionals via webinars, workshops, and other programs, I also know we have incredible in-house talent.

Thus, if you are someone who has experimented with a new recruitment method or have hosted a creative networking event to engage employers with students, we want to hear from you. If you believe you have a strong grasp on the new generations employers are trying to vet and make meaningful connections with, please share your insight. Or, if you're implementing a new tool with project management or have found a way to create greater synergy among your team, let us know! Interested presenters may contact our Member-at-Large for Professional Development, Heather Balas at balashm@hiram.edu and me at kmb37@psu.edu.

So let us all look ahead with great anticipation and show our support by renewing our membership and our commitment to this mission. It is our passion for our work and our desire to help others succeed that cultivates commitment to service that makes our organization so strong. I look forward to learning with you over this next year and to seeing everyone at the Annual Conference in Gettysburg.