Conferences
Panel delves into intergenerational workforce collaboration
Photos by Lee Ferris
The Mount’s Center for Aging and Disability Policy (CADP) and the School of Business recently presented a panel discussion on Intergenerational Collaboration in the Workforce.
The conversation explored the successes and the challenges of different generations collaborating and navigating the workplace.
The panelists were:
Dr. Robert Gervasi, President, Mount Saint Mary College
Dean DiMarzo, Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Mount Saint Mary College
Doug Hovey, President and Chief Executive Officer, Independent Living, Inc.
Tim Murphy, Director of Adult Protective Services (retired), Orange County Government
Jonathan Miller, Principal Broker, JonCar Realty, Beacon, N.Y.
Kathleen Carey, Licensed Real Estate Salesperson, JonCar Realty, Beacon, N.Y.
One of the first and most important aspects of intergenerational collaboration is trust, Dr. Gervasi noted. Trust between employees of all ages is necessary for success in the workplace.
“The culture of an organization based on trust is critical,” he said. “As president, I rely on people who work with me to be honest with me. It’s got to start with honesty.”
DiMarzo noted that, like in many other facets of the professional world, intergenerational collaboration requires good communication between parties.
“Don’t be concerned about saying that you don’t know how to do something,” he said. “Be ready to be open with your coworkers about that and open to learning about how to overcome those challenges.”
The panel was moderated by Moira Tolan, professor of Business; Lawrence Force, professor of Psychology, and Jeffrey Kahana, associate professor of History. Force and Kahana are co-directors of the Mount’s Center on Aging and DIS-Ability Policy.
Local leaders in the IT field talk Cybersecurity
Tony Cusato, a Security Consultant with Enterprise Cyber Security/Strategy, Risk and Compliance with IBM, was one of two IT professionals to discuss the Cybersecurity field during a pair of Cybersecurity Month events.
Photo by Lee Ferris
In celebration of October – Cybersecurity Awareness Month – the Mount’s Center for Cybersecurity recently hosted two public talks by local leaders in the field.
Russ Gritzo, a Cybersecurity Program Manager with Strategic Management Solutions LLC., said that while technical skills are what employers are looking for in cybersecurity professionals, there are other “soft” skills one needs to succeed in the field. A good example is self-care. Whether it’s physical or mental, keeping yourself in good condition will lead to increased productivity, creativity, and teamwork. In fact, good mental and physical health are critical to the success of one’s entire team, he said.
Gritzo is currently a cybersecurity consultant, focusing on the federal government.
Tony Cusato, a Security Consultant with Enterprise Cyber Security/Strategy, Risk and Compliance with IBM, noted that as the world becomes more and more reliant on technology, the need for cybersecurity professionals will only increase. But with more technology comes more threats, and more need for risk management.
“Look at the whole landscape of your attack surface, and be able to realize how you’re going to manage all of those things,” he explained. “IT systems grow. There’s an explosion of IT infrastructure. There are cloud services that are growing…don’t ever think the attack surface of where the threat actors are looking is going to stay static. It’s constantly changing, which means we have to be constantly learning.”
Cusato is a blend of technologist, leader, and mentor with more than 40 years at IBM.
Ghosts and goblins: Irish storyteller spins spooky yarns
Irish storyteller and singer Helena Byrne told stories steeped in horror and humor.
Photo by Lee Ferris
Storyteller and singer Helena Byrne thrilled her audience with spooky tales and tunes straight from Ireland – the birthplace of Halloween – at her recent Mount performance.
From ghosts to banshees, Byrne recounted classic fairy tales from the Emerald Isle, along with a dash of her and her family’s own paranormal experiences while growing up in Dublin. The performance was punctuated with Irish folksongs and relatable humor.
In one story, she told of her father’s first solo trip to the movies when he was a child in the 1960s. Unbeknownst to him, the only film playing at the time was George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. Reluctant but unwilling to back down, the youth purchased a ticket and headed into the theatre. But on his way home in the dark, the boy noticed something peculiar in a field near his home.
“He gets about halfway up the road when he hears a sound he just can’t ignore,” said Byrne. “It’s the sound of heavy breathing. He turns to his left, and right there, in the field, illuminated by the moonlight, is the silhouette of a figure: five-foot-tall, horns protruding from the head, long, slender torso, and two spindly legs. It looks just like a devil or a demon!”
It didn’t take very long for Byrne’s father to run home, and for weeks afterward, he refused to pass by that field. But at the end of the summer, he eventually returned.
“He plucks up his courage to investigate,” Byrne said. “He walks down that same country lane, looking into the field, and right there – where he saw the devil – is a donkey. Obviously with ears, not long horns…[but] my father is suspicious of donkeys to this day.”
The event was sponsored by the Mount’s Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center, the Writing Center, and the divisions of Humanities and Education. It was spearheaded by Marie-Therese Sulit, professor of English.
Mount hosts annual OC Economic Summit
Photos by Lee Ferris
Mount Saint Mary College hosted the third annual Orange County Economic Summit during the Fall 2024 semester, which examined how to create new career opportunities for the next generation of our local leaders.
The conference was coordinated by the county economic development team, which is led by its director, Steven Gross.
Kicking off the conference was a talk by Dr. Robert Gervasi, President of the college.
“Orange County is a wonderful place to live, work, and play,” said Dr. Gervasi. “Mount Saint Mary College is committed to workforce development.”
The keynote speaker of the event was Roberta Reardon, New York State Commissioner of Labor. Reardon said that there are many career opportunities in Orange County, in fields such as tourism and the film industry. But in order to keep up with changing technological and business environments, our future leaders must embrace lifelong learning to keep up with these trends.
“We have to prepare for the next generation of workers. That is absolutely critical,” said Reardon. “I’m not talking about jobs – I’m talking about careers. Because that’s what we want for all of our young people.”
She added, “We need our workers to have a solid footing in communication, self-motivation, problem solving, and teamwork…Our economy is constantly and rapidly evolving, so it’s essential that our workforce do the same.”
Other notable speakers included Steven Neuhaus, Orange County Executive and a 1996 graduate of the Mount; William Fioravanti, Executive Director of the Orange County Industrial Development Agency and a Mount Trustee; Joe Minuta, Chairman of Education and Economic Development; Katie Bonelli, chairwoman of the Orange County Legislature; Robert Sassi, chairman of Orange County Personnel and Compensation; and more.
The second half of the conference featured three panels comprised of local leaders, which delved into topics such as “Leaders Preparing Our Future Workforce,” “What Do Our Employers Need,” and “Community Preparedness.” The panels included local leaders such as Kristine Young, President of SUNY Orange; Dave Jolly, President and CEO of Cornerstone Family Health; and Adam Bosch, President and CEO of Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress.
