by Julie Dodd
JEA Mentoring Committee co-chair

JEA Mentoring Committee members (left to right): Julie Dodd, Peggy Gregory, Nick Ferentinos (via Skype), Judy Robinson (photographer in mirror), Linda Barrington and Bill Flechtner.

The Mentoring Committee met this evening to review progress, set goals, and discuss plans for activities during the JEA/NSPA convention.

Tomorrow is the Mentor Forum, with about 20 mentors participating in a day-long workshop to be held at the Oregon Convention Center. Peggy, Bill and Judy will be leading the session.

We started the meeting by discussing accomplishments for the committee, as we are moving toward the end of our first three-year cycle of the program — and an exciting three years. Everyone brought a list of accomplishments, and we enjoyed discussing successes of the program — including the support of the JEA Board, Yellow Chair Foundation and the Newspaper Association of America Foundation; a good-working committee relationship; establishing communication with the mentors through a listserv, the blog and JEA Mentoring Matters.

We all agreed that it’s been exciting to be involved in a project that moved from idea into action in record speed. And we’re excited about activities for the mentors for this convention — the Mentor Forum, the sessions they will present during the convention, and the judging they will be doing.