Virginia Association of Colleges and Employers

55th Annual Conference

Richmond, VA – April 25 – 27, 2018

Conference-at-a-Glance Schedule…………………………………………………………….….pg. 1

Letter from VACE President, Denise Meadows…………………………..…………….….pg. 2

Welcome from Conference Co-Chairs, Ashley Crute and Jennifer Weeks...….pg. 3

Map of Omni Richmond Conference Room Layout…………………………………..….pg. 4

Details of Sessions…………………………………………………………...………………..…...pgs. 5-10

Our Sponsors……………………………………………………………………………………………..pg. 11

CONFERENCE PROGRAM

VACE 2018 Conference At-A-Glance Schedule

Wednesday, April 25

9:00 am to 5:00 pm Conference Registration Open James River Foyer

10:00 am to 11:30 am Employer Visit – KPMG LLP KPMG LLP Office (in the Richmond Omni)

11:00 am to 1:00 pm Lunch On Your Own

1:15 pm to 2:30 pm Welcome & Opening Keynote James River Salon C

2:30 pm to 2:45 pm Snack Break and Vendor Hang Out James River Foyer

2:45 pm to 3:45 pm Breakout Sessions James River Salons A/B/C/Rappahannock

3:45 pm to 5:00 pm Hotel & Conference Check-In / Break

5:30 pm to 6:15 pm Newcomers Event James River Foyer

6:15 pm to 7:00 pm President’s Reception James River Foyer

7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Welcome Dinner & Awards Ceremony James River Salon C

9:00 pm to close Hospitality Suite Open Omni Hotel Room 1908

Thursday, April 26

8:00 am to 9:00 am Continental Breakfast James River Foyer

8:30 am to 1:00 pm Conference Registration Open James River Foyer

9:15 am to 10:15 am Breakout Sessions James River Salons A/B/D

10:15 am to 10:30 am Snack Break and Vendor Hang Out James River Foyer

10:30 am to 11:30 am Breakout Sessions James River Salons A/B/D/Rappahannock

11:45 am to 1:30 pm Lunch & VACE Business Meeting James River Salon C

1:30 pm to 2:30 pm Keynote Presentation James River Salon C

2:40 pm to 3:10 pm Roundtables James River Salons A/B/D/Rappahannock

3:10 pm to 4:00 pm Break

4:00 pm to 6:00 pm Happy Hour / Employer Meet-and-Greet James River Foyer / Pool Deck

6:00 pm Dinner On Your Own

8:00 pm to close Hospitality Suite Open Omni Hotel Room 1908

Friday, April 27

8:00 am to 8:30 am Hotel Check-Out

8:15 am to 9:00 am Breakfast James River Foyer

9:00 am to 10:00 am VACE Committee Roundtables & Conference Closing James River Salon C

10:00 am to 11:00 am College Panel for Employers James River Salon C

10:00 am to 12:00 pm Depart for Employer Visit – Library of Virginia James River Foyer

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Letter from VACE President, Denise Meadows

On behalf of the VACE Board and Conference Committee members, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to celebrate the 55th anniversary of VACE as part of our 2018 Capital Event in Richmond, VA. I am so very grateful for the dedication and commitment of so many in our profession that have worked tirelessly and diligently to bring all of what you are about to experience to come to fruition. From those that I have personally relied upon for guidance in serving as part of my role, to those that have contributed so much with planning and logistics, to those that

have taken the initiative to serve as presenters sharing best practices with others. It has truly been an honor for me to serve alongside all of these amazing individuals and to have followed in the footsteps of so many outstanding leaders that have come before me who have influenced my own career and our profession. What will take place as part of this conference and what has brought us to where we are as an organization has not occurred as a result of happenstance, but rather through purposeful and thoughtful consideration.

We have much to look forward to in spending our time together for the next few days. From the meticulous attention given to site arrangements led by Toni McLawhorn from Roanoke College and Cristie Lucas from Veris Consulting, you will experience all of this in surroundings that exceed your expectations to the engaging sessions you will attend organized by the Conference Program Committee, Andy Park from Christopher Newport University, Dannita Trice from KPMG LLP and Joslyn Bedell from Virginia Commonwealth University. We will start off energized by our keynote speaker, Coach Jena B., along with having the opportunity to participate in employer site visits, hear from representatives from Chamber RVA and engage in a college panel for our employer attendees.

Along with all of the opportunities you will have available to you to acquire content-rich knowledge, I encourage you to take advantage of as many opportunities as you can experience, both formal and informal, to create connections with colleagues and possibly lifelong friends as has been my experience with VACE. Some of what our dedicated Conference Directors, Ashley Crute from Longwood College and Jen Weeks from GEICO have led in coordination are the reception for our Newcomers to learn more about VACE and meet board members; our awards ceremony and President’s dinner to recognize contributions of deserving members; the dinner tour which will be educational and fun; our networking happy hour for attendees and employers from the area who want to get to know VACE; and last, but definitely not least, our hospitality suite which is a great way to end each conference day and spend time with each other.

I have no doubt, and I am certain, that our VACE Capital Event will culminate with you returning to your offices feeling proud to be a professional who positively impacts the lives of others throughout our Commonwealth along with an energy to continue to innovate in the spaces we create.

This is who we are, this is VACE.

Sincerely, Denise Meadows VACE President, 2017-2018

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Welcome from your Conference Co-Chairs

Hello and Welcome to Our Great Capital City!

We are thrilled to have you at conference this year to celebrate VACE’s 55th year! The theme this year is “VACE 2018: A Capital Event” and we know this year we will deliver a red carpet – capital experience! It has been a few years since we have been to Richmond and we are so excited to share all the fun, amazing new things that have come to our great city!

We hope you enjoy not only our amazing keynote speakers, but the breakout sessions, roundtable discussions, and networking opportunities. Special thanks goes out to Andy Park, Joslyn Bedell, and Dannita Trice from our Programs Committee for all of your hard work to ensure our sessions were not only intriguing, but were built to provide you with new ideas to put into action.

We would not be at Conference without the AMAZING volunteers that are our Conference Committee. Huge shout out to Katie Beach, Joslyn Bedell, Roseanne Biase, Christina Brooks, Kristi Bundick, Catherine Copeland, Kyle Danzey, Grace de la Cruz, Amy Foster, Rhonda Hall, Melody Iannone, Cristie Lucas, Debbie Lumpkin, Catherine Lyon, Denise Meadows, Heidi McCormick, Toni McLawhorn, Debbie Murray, Andy Park, Kimberly Phillips, Peggy Reed, Scott Robert, Rachel Rodney, Summer Steelman, Carolyn Sutphin and Dannita Trice. Also, we cannot THANK our sponsors enough for their donations, without YOU we could not hold this event. We hope that you enjoy the next couple of days as well as the time off in the schedule to deepen connections and build new relationships.

Enjoy Conference!

Ashley Crute, Longwood University Jennifer Weeks, GEICO

VACE 2017-2018 Board Members

President: Denise Meadows, James Madison University Immediate Past President: Catherine Copeland, Virginia Tech President-Elect: Peggy Reed, University of Virginia Director of Finance: Kimberly Phillips, Eastern Mennonite University Director of Finance-Elect: Melody Iannone, Old Dominion University Director of Operations: Amy Foster, Roanoke College Director of Marketing and Members: Sara Greene, University of Virginia Director of Professional Development: Dannita Trice, KPMG LLP Director of Technology & Communications: Christina Brooks, Opportunity, Inc. College Director / Conference Co-Chair: Ashley Crute, Longwood University Employer Director / Conference Co-Chair: Jennifer Weeks, GEICO

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Omni Hotel Meeting Space Floor Plan

Wednesday, April 25

10:30 am – 11:30 am - Employer Visit : KMPG LLP

One of the Big 4 accounting firms specializing in Audit, Tax, and Advisory services.

11:00am – 1:00 pm - Lunch On Your Own

There are so many amazing dining options within walking distance of the Omni – enjoy!

1:15pm – 2:30pm - Conference Welcome & Opening Keynote Speaker brought to you, in part, by GEICO

Jena B. Singleton, PHR: CEO Coach Jena B. LLC

Jena B. Singleton is a growth-minded strategist with nearly 10 years of experience helping companies source, train, develop, and retain top talent. She has focused her career on 21st century skill building and behavioral change for students and corporations. She has worked with Fortune 500’s, non-profits, education institutions and small to mid-sized growth companies. Her consulting includes, talent building, performance management and aligning cultures with long-term strategic goals. She is also a knowledgeable trainer and facilitator, able to design content and programs that drive engagement and bottom line value. She is an influential communicator known for cultivating effective relationships with all levels of stakeholders and building consensus around complex cultural and generational diversity topics. Jena is known in the collegiate space as the author of the college and career readiness book: Super Qualified: Maximizing Your College Experience To Get The Job You Want. She is often leveraged for her unique understanding of Millennials and Generation Z and serves as a guest speaker at top Universities and Colleges. She holds a B.S. from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. She is a board member for HBCU Career Development Marketplace. Jena is certified in Human Resources (PHR) and the art of Gamification, the process of infusing fun game-like mechanics to motivate human behavior.

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VACE 2018 Conference Detailed Schedule

Wednesday, April 25 - continued

2:45 pm – 3:45 pm – Breakout Sessions

Session Title Summary Presenter(s) Location

Exploring the

Concept of Skill-Set

Recruiting:

Employers and

Career Centers

Collaborating to

Equip Students

As many adults have learned, the journey from an

academic major to a fulfilling occupation is not

always a linear process. Should the traditional

process that many employers use to recruit college

students change? Should there be a shift from

major recruiting to skill-set recruiting? Join other

employers and career services professionals for an

interactive conversation about this topic. Learn

best practices and resources from experienced

panelists and professionals in industry and on

college campuses.

Jonathan Byers,

Virginia Tech

&

Dannita Trice,

KPMG LLP

James River

Salon A

Let's Partner: 90% of

American college

students lack

international

experiences and

global skills

NAFSA: Association of International Educators cites

a 2014 survey found that almost 40% of companies

surveyed missed international business

opportunities because of a lack of internationally

competent personnel. Another NAFSA report

indicates from the most recent data 2015-2016,

Virginia college student's education abroad

participation rate is 1.89%, only 10,789 of the

569,759 college students studied abroad.

Employers and career advisers discuss how to

improve student engagement in obtaining global

skills, a critical workplace skill.

Kim Hanneman,

Virginia Commonwealth University

James River

Salon B

Career Strategy

Breakout

Switch the focus from students to those individuals

who serve them. Together we will work on how to

build a consistent brand for those you serve

(companies and students), maximize on

transferable skills, and the power of active

communication.

Coach Jena B. James River

Salon C

They've Interned,

But Now What?

Professional

Development

Programming for

Interns at

Organizations with

Limited Resources

At some internships, there's a robust professional

development program-- guest speakers, Lunch and

Learns, etc. What about those interning at smaller

organizations without the funds or manpower to

coordinate these events? In this session, you'll

learn how Idealist launched a professional

development event to support interns at social

impact organizations. Interns are invited to attend

at no cost to the organizations and given tips and

insights for weaving their internship experience

into their career narrative.

Victoria Crispo,

Idealist.org

Rappahannock

Room

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Wednesday, April 25 - continued

5:30 pm – 6:15 pm – Newcomers’ Event Location: James River Foyer Brought to you by Virginia Tech Career and Professional Development Activities designed for newcomers to VACE to feel welcome and make connections. 6:15 pm – 7:00 pm – President’s Reception Location: James River Foyer All conference attendees are welcome to gather and network. 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Welcome Dinner & Awards Ceremony Location: James River Salon C

Thursday, April 26

8:00 am – 9:00 am – Breakfast Location: James River Foyer Continental breakfast brought to you by GEICO. Note: please do not bring your breakfast items into the breakout session rooms.

9:15 am – 10:15 am – Breakout Sessions

Session Title Summary Presenter(s) Location

From the Front Line:

Employers Hiring

Priorities,

Preferences and

Prereqs

Staffing professionals hire over 15 million employees

a year and are the experts at finding a needle in the

haystack. In this encore and highly rated session from

last year, hear from staffing professionals who work

with companies first hand all day, every day hearing

their hiring priorities, preferences, and prerequisites.

Learn the right questions to ask to find out what the

hiring managers really want and need.

Michele McCauley,

Apex Systems Inc.

&

Robin Mee

Mee Derby & Company, Inc.

James River

Salon A

Many Hands Make

Better Work:

Successful Career

Services

Collaboration in

Student & Academic

Affairs

As students prepare for the job and internship search,

there are many professionals across campus they can

turn to for guidance. Faculty, career services

professionals, advisors, and other mentors have

unique perspectives - but how do these individuals

find each other to collaborate? This session highlights

the experience of two professionals - one in academic

affairs and one in student affairs - in a successful

collaboration in the College of Integrated Science and

Engineering.

Aimee Stright & Kristin Snowden,

James Madison University

James River

Salon B

Discover the Value

and Skills of

Performing, Visual,

and Liberal Arts

Majors in our

Workforce

Performing, visual, and liberal arts majors don't lead

to jobs after graduation, so their education is neither

practical nor useful. At least that can be the

perception! During this interactive session we'll

explore our assumptions about these graduates'

career paths and contributions to our workforce. Join

fellow employers and career services professionals

for a discussion about skill acquisition and career

possibilities for this population of students and leave

with tools to guide your professional practice.

Kate Bergey &

Drew Savage,

James Madison

University

James River

Salon D

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Thursday, April 26 - continued

10:15 am – 10:30 am – Snack Break Location: James River Foyer Visit with our conference exhibitors Symplictiy & Career Fair Plus!

10:30 am – 11:30 am – Breakout Sessions

Session Title Summary Presenter(s) Location

Applying the NACE

Principles for Ethical

Professional

Practice

Join college and employer VACE members for an

engaging session that includes analysis of the

revised NACE Principles for Ethical Professional

Practice and opportunities for participants to share

how they are applying the new ethical framework

in developing related policies and protocols within

their respective organizations. Learn how the

revised Principles can inform your policy

development and how others are managing issues

and challenges, along with information about

available resources.

Sam Ratcliffe,

Virginia Military

Institute

James River

Salon A

Storytelling &

Inclusion

Storytelling is important to student success.

However, it is important that we look beyond the

content of those stories and begin to understand

the process or how the authors of those stories

came to know the content, as well.

Jeanette Hickl,

Virginia Commonwealth University

James River

Salon B

Do this, not that!:

Building and

Managing a Student

Advisory Board in

Your Career Center

Ever wonder why no one is coming to your

workshops or reading your flyers? There is one

great resource that can help you find out why - your

students! This presentation will outline successful

ways to build and manage a Student Advisory

Board in your career center. From recruitment

through the final meeting and beyond, this

presentation will walk attendees through the

process of creating a board whether you are at a

small or large institution.

Steven White,

Virginia Tech

James River

Salon D

ACE is the place!

Integrating Career

Services in

Academic Advising,

Student

Engagement, and

the First Year

Experience.

Career Services, at Virginia State University, has

been integrated into the Academic Center for

Excellence (ACE). ACE is a one stop shop retention

strategy that includes Career Services, Academic

Advising, The Trojan Odyssey or Freshmen

Experience and Strategic Learning (Tutoring,

Supplemental Instruction). Learn how this program

enhances student's academic and professional

success.

Joe Lyons &

Matt Ballou,

Virginia State

University

Rappahannock

Room

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Thursday, April 26 - continued

11:45 am – 1:30 pm – Lunch & VACE Business Meeting Location: James River Salon C Visit with Symplictiy & Career Fair Plus!

All Conference attendees are welcome. The VACE Board Members will conduct the organization's annual business meeting touching on the highlights of the year. Topics covered include committee updates and the annual transfer of leadership.

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm – Keynote Speakers – Chamber RVA Location: James River Salon C ChamberRVA: Educating, Recruiting & Retaining Young Talent to Strengthen the

Workforce Pipeline

Monica Smith-Callahan and Austin Kitchen will give an overview of ChamberRVA’s

workforce programs. They will share both quantitative and qualitative regional

workforce data gathered from their FutureRVA investor companies in addition to

sharing data and information garnered from their YRichmond on the Road program.

Monica Smith-Callahan is Director of Workforce Programs for ChamberRVA. She leads

the workforce development work that was identified in the FutureRVA fundraising

campaign. Monica works closely with business leaders, K-12 officials, Community

College officials, local and state government officials and staff, economic development

professionals and educators to access the workforce needs in the region.

Austin Kitchen is the Director of Leadership and Engagement at ChamberRVA focused

on leadership programming while attracting and retaining young talent to our region.

After running a “Top 10 Internship” program in her previous career, she has used her

knowledge on millennial interests to help RVA organizations build better young

professional culture through professional development, networking and community

engagement initiatives.

2:40 pm – 3:10 pm – Round Table Topic Sessions

Session Title Summary Presenter(s) Location

Exploring the

Concept of Skill-Set

Recruiting:

Employers and

Career Centers

Collaborating to

Equip Students

(roundtable format of

Wednesday’s

Breakout Session)

As many adults have learned, the journey from an

academic major to a fulfilling occupation is not

always a linear process. Should the traditional

process that many employers use to recruit college

students change? Should there be a shift from

major recruiting to skill-set recruiting? Learn best

practices and resources from experienced panelists

and professionals in industry and on college

campuses.

Jonathan Byers,

Virginia Tech

&

Dannita Trice,

KPMG LLP

James River

Salon A

Lessons learned

from an online

Internship Course

Teaching is challenging enough, but teaching online

presents even more challenges. Not seeing your

students face-to-face or having class time for

discussion makes it hard to feel connected. Laura

will share her lessons learned from her online

internship course taught last summer and share the

changes she is making for the future.

Laura Hickerson,

James Madison University

James River

Salon B

Who is more

frustrating

millennials or hiring

mangers?

As Millennials surpass Generation Xers to become

the largest generation in the U.S. labor force it

seems as if the critiques of Millennials are never-

ending. As the largest workforce generation, and

as a generation that is integrated into technology

and social media, the hiring process has become a

unique opportunity to see whether stereotypes

play out.

Cody Rogalski,

Virginia

Commonwealth

University

James River

Salon D

Let's Partner: 90%

of American college

students lack

international

experiences and

global skills

(roundtable format of

Wednesday’s

Breakout Session)

NAFSA: Association of International Educators cites

a 2014 survey found that almost 40% of companies

surveyed missed international business

opportunities because of a lack of internationally

competent personnel. Employers and career

advisers discuss how to improve student

engagement in obtaining global skills, a critical

workplace skill.

Kim Hanneman,

VCU Career Services

Rappahannock

Room

Thursday, April 26 - continued

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm – Happy Hour & Employer Meet-and-Greet Location: James River Foyer

All VACE conference attendees are welcome to attend to network with each other and employers from the local Richmond area.

6:00 pm – Dinner on your Own

There are so many amazing dining options within walking distance or a quick Uber/Taxi ride from the Omni – enjoy! Need ideas, find a Richmond local at VACE for advice! Sign up for pre-booked dinner reservation at the conference registration desk.

Friday, April 27

8:15 am – 9:00 am – Breakfast Location: James River Foyer Plated breakfast that you can bring with you into the James River Salon C 9:00 am – 10:00 am – VACE Roundtables & Conference Closing Location: James River Salon C VACE is a completely volunteer-run organization. Join one of the roundtables available

to learn more about your future involvement opportunities in VACE Committees: Conference, Marketing & Membership, Finance, Technology and Communications, and Professional Development.

10:00 am – 11:00 am – College Panel for Employers Location: James River Salon C

Have you ever wished you can sit and have an open discussion with multiple members who represent various colleges and universities? Well now you can! We welcome both employer and college members to this forum. Panelists are college members of VACE representing diversity in colleges and universities. Come share best practices and get those burning questions answered.

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Panelists: Sherry Talbott, Bridgewater College; Beverly Reid, Lynchburg College;

Peggy Reid, University of Virginia; Danielle Pearles, Virginia Commonwealth University;

Samara Reynolds, University of Richmond

Moderator: Jennifer Weeks, 2018-19 Conference Co-chair 10:00 am – 12:30 pm – Employer Visit : Library of Virginia Gather in the James River Foyer to travel with the group to the Library.

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