2019-2020 Coaching Academy Cohort 1

The NYS Student Success Center would like to announce the following 19 coaches completed the inaugural 2019-2020 Coaching Academy program.

2019-2020 Coaching Academy Cohort I includes:

• Alfredo Balarin, Peer Mentor Coach
• Wendy Beesley, Senior Coach
• Dawn-Marie Vittoria Blasl
• Dante A. Cantú, Peer Mentor Coach
• Thomas Chew, Peer Mentor Coach
• Kathleen D’Aprix, Institute Coach
• Matt DelConte, Peer Mentor Coach
• Kimberly DeLardge, Peer Mentor Coach
• Renee K. Dimino, Senior Coach
• Joseph Falco, Institute Coach
• Michele Forte, Peer Mentor Coach
• Gary C. Johnson, Peer Mentor Coach
• Jean A. Karutis, Peer Mentor Coach
• Patty Munsch, Institute Coach
• Jason O. Parker, Institute Coach
• Susan L. Rogers, Peer Mentor Coach
• Daniel Ryan, Peer Mentor Coach
• Brenda Oursler White, Peer Mentor Coach
• Jessica Wilkie, Senior Coach

The coaches completed a rigorous yearlong training program and developed expertise as guided pathways institute coaches to support the SUNY Guided Pathways Institute Cohort II colleges or peer mentor coaches to support colleges in their efforts around student success reform focused on equity and transformational change.

Special thanks to the Coaching Academy Leadership Team who were instrumental in the design, development and ongoing planning for the program. Members include: Dr. Michael Baston, President, Rockland Community College & Coaching Academy Leadership Team Chair; Kim Scalzo, Executive Director, Open SUNY; Dr. Andrea Wade, Provost, Monroe Community College; and Kimberley Collins, Associate Vice President, Academic Services at Monroe Community College. Dr. Lisa Wetzstein at CCRI served as our JFF Coaching Grant partner and advisor for the program.

Coaches provide facilitation of change management principles, content expertise around specific coaching topics, and strategic support to guided pathways colleges, as well as other colleges focused on student success reforms. Colleges can engage coaches in short or long-term support of student success projects. If a college is interested in working with a coach, they should reach out to Jennifer Miller, Executive Director, at jennifer(dot)miller(at)suny(dot)edu for more information.

Support for the program was provided by support from the Jobs for the Future (JFF) Coaching Implementation Grant. The Coaching Academy expects to launch the second cohort in Spring 2021.

About the NYS Student Success Center Coaching Academy:

In 2019, the New York State Student Success Center (NYSSSC) launched the New York State Student Success Coaching Academy to provide a professional development & training program for college leaders to support student success reforms at campuses across the state.

By using effective coaching practices and project management strategies within a student success and guided pathways context, the Coaching Academy seeks to:

• Develop confident, skilled, thought leader peer mentor and institute coaches;
• Build substantive student success reform capacity, innovation and leadership across the state;
• Support evidence-based strategies to support student success reforms at scale for all students;
• Identify structural and cultural practices and policies that positively impact campus-based student success and support closing equity gaps.

For more information on the program, visit: https://nysssc.org/key-strategies/coachingacademy/