Alumni Career Snapshots

Cynthia Fagan
 

Employer Name  

Partnership for Families, Children and Adults

Employer  Website

 http://www.partnershipfca.com/

Job Title  

Associate Director of Development

Current Location Chattanooga, TN

Major and Class Year

BA/BA Art History/Business Administration-1998

Additional education

  • MBA, Marketing Concentration, Cox School of Business, SMU

  • MA, Arts Administration, Meadows School of the Arts, SMU

Briefly describe what you do   

My current position consists of fundraising and public relations for a large social services agency.

What other jobs have you had?

  • Mail Boxes Etc., owner

  • Chattanooga Symphony & Opera, Manager of Public Relations and Communications

  • Ferguson Computer Systems, web designer

  • IPS Consulting, recruiter

What are the key skills, abilities, and personal qualities necessary to succeed in this type of work?  

Strong communications skills, interpersonal skills, organization and flexibility

What do you enjoy most about your current position?  

Strategizing and trying new methods to achieve organizational goals

Most important/valuable lesson or activity in college that impacted your career  

 

the importance of follow-through!!  You're only as good as your reputation, so always be a perfectionist when your name is on the project. Teamwork is also valuable; it's almost impossible to find a job that won't require some level of teamwork.

What advice for someone entering this field?

 

Volunteer in the development office at Trinity or become an Ambassador, join a volunteer group that does some fundraising, and look into a non-profit management course.  These are all good ways to get an introduction to the field.

Questions?
 

E-mail your questions to askalumni@trinity.edu
Put the name of the alumni you wish to contact in the subject line, then type your question.