JCPenney Summer 2019

A Message from the Outgoing Chair

What a year it has been for the JCPenney Leadership Program. It has been an absolute honor and such a pleasure serving as chair for the 2018-2019 term, and I am excited to share just a small portion of all that was accomplished within these past 9 months and how sincerely special my experience as chair has been. 

Other goals that were set out for the year were to enhance the fellowship amongst the program members and to improve the peer trainer presentations for the new associates. Through the hard work of our co-directors of associate development, Jayden Lasley and Shiv Patel, our students were able to cultivate stronger relationships with each other through fellowship events like tennis lessons, an escape room, an international “Friendsgiving” and TopGolf. With the increase in fellowship, there were higher levels of satisfaction among our members and an overall theme of togetherness that the program was longing for after a season of transition.

The peer trainer sessions were also executed successfully, thanks to our peer trainer team and our Director of Peer Trainers, Kyle Fronckiewicz. With the ever-changing nature of the business industry and rapid increase in competition, we wanted to ensure that the new members of our program continue to receive training that will help give them an advantage in a competitive job market. The peer trainer team enhanced their presentations to reflect this goal and an entirely new session was added to the mix. The think tank presentation was incorporated to discuss the future of business. This presentation was a favorite amongst the new associates and not only promoted insightful discussion, but also aided in increasing fellowship within the new cohort. 

To highlight just a couple of my personal favorite memories from our year, having the opportunity to be a part of the 25th anniversary of the JCPenney Leadership Program was incredibly special. Scheduling the Now and the Next Symposium before the ribbon cutting for the reveal of the updated office was impactful, as we heard from successful alumni. It was a memorable day getting to share such a monumental moment for the program with those who have gone before us, as well as my fellow peers. The OU Price College Day of Service was also a notable experience. I had the pleasure of visiting the residents at the Rivermont Living facility. My group had the opportunity to spend time with this group and play games and various activities with them. What made this day so special was the direct impact I was able to see my peers and I make on the residents resulting from something as simple as spending a couple hours of our Saturday morning with them. These are just a few of the moments, alongside countless others, that assisted with what made this past year extraordinary.

It was an eventful, successful and busy year, to say the least. However, what made this past year the most special were the people. The extremely sharp individuals who make up the JCPenney Leadership Program are what give this program so much value. I am so thankful that I was challenged, bettered and pushed by our awe-inspiring associates. It was an incredibly humbling experience to have the opportunity to learn from the students I was leading and to get to know all of the unique and lovely hearts and minds that make up the program. The JCPenney Leadership Program has helped equip me to be a confident, tenacious and diligent individual, and for that I am abundantly grateful. I am elated to be passing down my title as chair to Colleen Ward, who I am positive will do nothing short of a wonderful job. Thank you for an amazing year!