NEX GEN

Last chance to nominate your rising executives for SNPA's mentor program

Aug. 22 is the deadline to apply

Posted

Aug. 22 is the deadline to nominate your employees with executive potential for the SNPA NEX GEN mentor program.  It's an ideal way to help them develop leadership skills and grow professionally.  The program pairs employees with leadership potential with seasoned executives in a year-long one-on-one mentorship.

The program includes a variety of events and activities throughout the year designed to strengthen participants' industry knowledge, professional relationships, analytical skills and aptitude for innovation.

  • Applications must be received by Friday, Aug. 22. 
  • Participants chosen for this program will be notified by Sept. 2.

Mentors and protégés from the SNPA Foundation's first NEX GEN mentorship program engaged in very open, candid, comfortable and mutually beneficial conversations that have emphasized the fact that newspapers have a rich future.

"Anytime you can share your knowledge with someone, there is always a good payback," said Orage Quarles III, president and publisher of The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C.  "With all the challenges that the industry faces, it's good to know we can step back and have some quality time with folks."  Quarles serves as a mentor to Todd A. Benz, director of audience development at the Times-News in Burlington, N.C.

Here's what several protégés in the first NEX GEN class had to say about their experience:

  • "It is not often you are paired with an industry great and able to ask the questions that are on your mind.  This experience has been a good one." Nathan Edwards, vice president of sales, The Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle.
  • "NEX GEN has been a great opportunity to learn more about what helps make a good business, whether media or otherwise. The exchange of ideas with peers and some of the best in the industry has been invaluable. An excellent experience." Mike Strain, news editor, Tulsa (Okla.) World

The program was developed by SNPA President Tom Silvestri, publisher of the Richmond Times-Dispatch; Future Leaders Committee chairman Jason Taylor, president and publisher of The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss.; and SNPA member services director Howard Hoffman.

"It is billed as a 'two-way' program because we fully expect the seasoned mentors to get as much or more from the relationship as the protégés who are assigned to them," said SNPA Executive Director Edward VanHorn.

Newspapers whose candidates are accepted into the NEX GEN Mentor program agree to pay $750 as a commitment fee and pledge to grant time for their participants to attend the 2014 and 2015 SNPA News Industry Summits and to complete assignments as outlined in the syllabus

The rising executives who are chosen to participate will meet for the first time with their mentors at SNPA's News Industry Summit in Charlottesville, Va., Oct. 6-8.  The 2014-15 program will culminate with a presentation at the SNPA News Industry Summit in Savannah, Ga., Oct. 4-6, 2015.

The SNPA Foundation will subsidize many of the costs of participation by the selected executives, including their conference fees, hotel rooms, meals and up to $300 for airfare to attend each of the two meetings.

SNPA executives who would like to be a mentor in this program should contact Howard Hoffman via email or phone: (404) 256-0444. 

Newspapers that want to nominate a candidate to participate in the program will find details about the program and an application here.

NEXT GEN, mentors
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