KNOXVILLE, Tenn., June 26, 2019 — Sarah Lobb, human resources administrator for the College of Engineering at the University of Iowa, is one of 12 College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) members selected to participate in the 2019-20 CUPA-HR Wildfire program, a 12-month leadership development experience designed for early- career higher education human resources professionals. Lobb and the other program participants make up the sixth Wildfire class and will have the opportunity to develop their professional skills through tailored learning experiences including mentorship, a shadow visit on the campus of a higher ed HR leader, attending the CUPA-HR Annual Conference and Expo thanks to support from HigherEdJobs, and completing a year-end project highlighting the insights they gain throughout the year.
This year’s program received more than 150 applications. Participants were selected based on their HR strengths and areas for development identified on the program application as well as their interest in and commitment to the program.
The program formally kicks off on July 11 at CUPA-HR’s annual Association Leadership Program, which brings together more than 200 of the association’s leaders from across the country to connect with one another, share ideas and be immersed in all that is CUPA-HR.
“We are excited to welcome our sixth Wildfire class,” says CUPA-HR President and Chief Executive Officer Andy Brantley. “The experience these early-career professionals receive through the Wildfire program is not only an outstanding leadership development opportunity for them, but also a great opportunity for our higher ed HR leaders to give back and help prepare the next generation of higher ed leaders.”
Wildfire program facilitators include Mark Coldren, associate vice president for HR at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York; David Blake, Ph.D., vice president for human resources at California Western School of Law; and Julie Boggs, director of member marketing and engagement at CUPA-HR.
“CUPA-HR’s investment in these early career professionals is one of the best things we do as an association,” says Coldren. “The Wildfire program is helping develop passionate and talented higher education HR professionals as leaders on their campuses and within our organization. I am so excited to be working with the new cohort. Getting to know the previous Wildfire participants has been a wonderful gift. I have learned so much from them, and I am proud to call them colleagues and, more importantly, friends.”
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 31,000 HR professionals and other campus leaders at more than 2,000 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.