PRESS RELEASE 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
June 28, 2016                                                   

CUPA-HR Announces 2016-17 Wildfire Program Cohort 
Program Offers Unique Leadership Development Opportunity for Early-Career Human Resources Professionals in Higher Education

Six members of the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) have been selected to participate in the 2016-17 CUPA-HR Wildfire Program, a 12-month leadership development experience for early-career higher education human resources professionals. The six selected participants will have the opportunity to develop their professional skills through tailored learning experiences including mentorship, conference attendance, shadow visits with chief HR officers and a year-end project based on the insights they gain throughout the year.

Now in its third year, this year’s program received more than 160 applications. The six participants were selected based on their interest in and commitment to the program and on the HR strengths and areas for development they identified on the program application.

The following individuals were selected for the 2016-17 program, which formally kicks off on July 13 at CUPA-HR’s annual Association Leadership Program, which brings together association leaders from across the country to connect with one another, learn and be immersed in all that is CUPA-HR:  

Andrea Alfano, administrative assistant to senior athletics staff/HRAC officer in training, Georgia State University 

David Elliott, senior HR specialist, Arcadia University 

Kristina Gravellese, recruiter, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University 

Veronica Lenegan, HR generalist, Mills College

Katryn Stewart, equal opportunity specialist, Virginia Tech

Clarity White, HR coordinator, School of International Languages, Literatures and Cultures, The University of Arizona 

Mark Coldren, chief HR officer at University at Buffalo and a past chair of CUPA-HR, along with Ashleigh Dillon of the CUPA-HR national office, facilitate the Wildfire program. “Working closely with these early-career professionals is one of the association’s most important initiatives,” says Coldren. “The Wildfire experience represents our commitment to assist with the development of talented higher education HR professionals. The folks who have completed the program and the new cohort are nothing short of awesome and I am privileged to get to work with them.” 

“We are very pleased to celebrate the beginning of our third Wildfire class,” says CUPA-HR President and Chief Executive Officer Andy Brantley. “Every organization must be committed to the development of early-career professionals. The full-year experience these early-career professionals receive through the Wildfire program is an outstanding leadership development opportunity for them, and also a great opportunity for our higher ed HR leaders to give back and help prepare the next generation of higher ed leaders.” 

About CUPA-HR 
CUPA-HR is higher ed HR. We serve higher education by providing the knowledge, resources, advocacy and connections to achieve organizational and workforce excellence. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and serving more than 20,000 HR professionals and other campus leaders at more than 1,900 member organizations around the country and abroad, the association offers learning and professional development programs, higher education salary and benefits data, extensive online resources and just-in-time regulatory and legislative information.  

Contact Information:
Missy Kline
Content Manager –  Communications and Marketing 
[email protected]
877-287-2474