Alaska Public Media launches mentorship program with Tom Case Leadership Fellows

Fellows in UAA’s Tom Case Leadership program have been paired with Alaska Public Media
for a mentorship in nonprofit board governance. Fellows shown here include Ross Spencer,
Melanie Murdock, Vlad Finko and Andy Palomares, along with Julie Wrigley, UAA professor
of management and TCLF program director. Anujin Bayarjargal (not pictured) is also
a fellow in 2022-23. 

UAA’s Tom Case Leadership Fellows (TCLF) program pairs participants with local business leaders for a year-long mentorship.
This year, the program added an additional component: mentorship from Alaska Public
Media’s (APM) nonprofit board of directors.

As a TV, radio and news leader, Alaska Public Media and its affiliates deliver content that reaches 97% of the state’s population. In
2022 its board of directors and TCLF program leadership worked together to launch
a mentorship program to engage students and young adults in nonprofit board governance
and help them understand the organization’s role in the community.

APM’s board acts in a governance capacity, overseeing organization management, finances
and strategic direction. TCLF participants have been observing monthly board meetings
and participating in one or more of the board’s six committees. Participants learn
what the job entails, what the time commitment is, how board members derive satisfaction
from their service and some of the projects that are important to the board.

“We want to inspire students to be involved with our board or another non-profit board
as part of their education,” said Deborah O’Leary, APM board secretary.

TCLF participant Andy Palomares plans to graduate in 2024 with a B.B.A. in management with a concentration in property
management and real estate. He is a non-traditional college student with a big family
and a lot of life experiences. Still, he’s already learned a lot from the mentorship.

“I didn’t realize everything that went on behind the scenes in an organization like
Alaska Public Media. There are a lot of people working together to get the best product
out there for all viewers in Alaska,” said Palomares.

“Serving on the board of directors of a nonprofit that you admire is one of the most
rewarding and valuable decisions,” O’Leary said. “When you serve on the board, you
have the honor, challenge and responsibility of understanding how everything needs
to work together for an organization to accomplish its goals.” Dedicated board members
are eager to participate in meetings, serve on committees and strive to learn as much
as possible.

That outlook is familiar to Palomares.

“Like most things in life, you get what you give,” he said. “The more active, vocal
and willing you are, the more in return you’ll receive. The Tom Case Leadership Fellow
program attracted me because it seemed like something that could help me fine-tune
my leadership, networking and organizational skills. Attending Alaska Public Media
board meetings has allowed me to see the importance of being a part of a committee
that has an impact on the community. I plan to one day join a similar board. In the
meantime, I take away what I can and apply it to my other work in teams and clubs.”

That’s exactly the outcome envisioned by Julie Wrigley, professor of management and
director of the TCLF program, when she sought the partnership. Wrigley is a community
member on the board’s audit committee.

“One of the goals of the Tom Case Leadership Fellows program is to help students bridge
the gap between the academic study of business and what implementation looks like
in real life,” she said. Alaska Public Media is a high-functioning board and our goals
are intertwined.”

The collaboration between APM and TCLF will continue next year. Application to the
TCLF program is open to graduate and senior level students in the College of Business
and Public Policy until March 31, 2023.

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Alaska Public Media launches mentorship program with Tom Case Leadership Fellows

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