My Role Model: Caitlin Fadgen

Caitlin Fadgen joined the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP) in August 2017 as the Economic Development manager. She is responsible for the implementation of the PDP’s economic development strategies, including research and data analysis, business outreach, and efforts to enhance the public realm through management and place making. She is also responsible for managing the Paris to Pittsburgh building façade and sidewalk activation grant program.  Prior to joining the PDP, Caitlin worked for the Sports and Exhibition Authority of the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County (SEA) as a Sustainability Analyst. While working at the SEA, she served as a LEED Project Administrator for the LEED for Existing Buildings O+M Platinum certified David L. Lawrence Convention Center re-certification. She also worked for PPG Industries in research and development prior to earning her MBA and Master of Sustainability from Chatham University.  Ms. Fadgen earned a B.A. from Washington & Jefferson College and is also a LEED Green Associate.

When asked about her studying skills that she picked up over her years of school, she had some good advice:

“Every person is different when it comes to choosing their preferred study environment, but I have always found that I study best when I am by myself in a comfortable and quiet place with access to lots of caffeine. I need total silence in order to concentrate or read anything effectively. I have found that I always retain information best when I write/type it out, especially when prepping for essay-based exams. For presentations, I typically write everything out that I want to say in a word document and then read it several times over (sometimes out loud) so by the time I need to present, I have it all memorized and I don’t need any notes!”

           

Ms. Fadgen had several tips on building a good resume.  She stressed  that a large part of it has to do with what profession you are pursuing.  Finding a job that will help build your resume with skills for your desired profession will get you far:

“My resume always changes based on the job for which I am applying. It is important to tailor your resume based on the position that you want to pursue so that you can highlight certain skills that are in the job description.

I think that it is important to note that once you have a job, even if it’s not where you see yourself in 10 years, it is possible to seek out opportunities within your current role that will help you gain experience for when you are looking for your next job title. Opportunities for building your resume might not always be apparent or present themselves in your job, so it is on you to look for those opportunities  either at work or through a professional networking group – there are so many of these groups in Pittsburgh across a wide variety of industries!”

           

Caitlin had some interesting insights on getting the most out of campus events.  She emphasized her go to way of getting the most out of your networking efforts:

“The number one thing is to have business cards with you on hand to pass out to the connections that you make. If you give away your business card, the person who you are talking with is likely to give you theirs in return. Once you have their card, it is always a good idea to follow up with an email after the event to say that it was nice meeting them and if you want, ask them to grab coffee.

 A thing to note about having your own business cards when you are a student – even though you don’t have a job yet, get some cards printed with your name, major, and your graduation date/year, you can include a Chatham logo or just make something simple with a pop of color. Having your own business cards goes a long way.

Don’t be afraid to drink at networking events."

 When talking about internships, she reiterated something I hear a lot, “Start looking early.”  This is sound advice, along with:

“Landing an internship as a college student is a daunting task and sometimes it can be hard to find one that fits your interests (and that is paid, too!). I have found the most success in this area by using Chatham’s network of professionals to land an internship and through contacts that I’ve made in previous jobs. I believe that the best way to find an internship is through other people. There are also a variety of local newsletters that will have job postings and internship opportunities in them - my favorites are Next Pittsburgh and the Green Building Alliance’s newsletter.”

Being my former co-president of Chatham’s chapter of a business and sustainability organization on campus, Caitlin may have been a little bit biased when asked how to get involved on campus in a meaningful way and to build skills… her answer was “Net Impact!” of course.  She also added:

“I have developed strong skills by asking for feedback and incorporating it into my work. I also always make sure someone else reads over things that I do before I submit it even if that someone is my mother, it’s always best to have more than one pair of eyes to inspect your work.”

I compared this interview with the Chatham Insight article, “Not Your Average Orientation: Sustaining Students’ Momentum”.  This article is relevant to Ms. Fadgen as she was in the dual degree program advertised here.  In talking with Ms. Fadgen more, she expressed the importance of applying sustainability to business practices.  The article also talks about acclimating students to their environment and learning about the resources available to them.  It’s orientation sessions like these that helped Ms. Fadgen get to where she is today.

Discussion - Striving for Future-Fitness: A Lesson from the Suffragettes

     Geoff Kendall took an interesting spin on talking about changing "Business as Usual" in his article posted to Sustainable Brands.  What caught my attention about the article was relating it to the Women's Suffrage Movement, how women made waves with the outcome of finally having the ability to vote.  As someone who identifies as a feminist, I was intrigued to see the correlation to another passion of mine; sustainability.  There was also a term I had not heard but was eager to learn about: Future-Fitness.

     What Kendall did was talk about how the women of the Suffrage movement made a change, which then became a norm in society.  Today, one would never think (at least, most people wouldn't) to not include women or minority groups in a vote, not hire someone for their race or ethnicity, dump their industrial toxic waste into the city water supply, or numerous other things that, at one time, were sociable acceptable actions.  How did these things become so far out of the realm of possibility?  Certainly not overnight.  These were changes that took a lot of time, action, and dedication.  Paradigm shifts are slow, but carry a lot of weight behind them. Current global issues will not be solved in an instant, but action must be taken on them swiftly if we hope to have Future-Fitness.

     Future-Fitness describes a society that will maintain economic, ecological, and social ideals.  It means that companies cannot fix big problems with quick solutions.  Issues must be tackled with thoughtful and critical thinking, keeping the future of the business, and the subjects of the business, in mind.  This is important for not only the futures of companies, but the future of societies everywhere.  The actions taken now to prevent usual business practices are the ripples in a much bigger wave.  Much like the Women's Suffrage Movement, it will take many actions, some being radical and all being well thought out and mindful. 

Check out the article here.


My plans for the future Individual Assignments are as follows:
     IA2: I have reached out to my former mentor from the dual degree MBA/Sustainability masters program to complete an interview.  While he is now in San Diego, we have kept in contact and has been subject to my school projects before, he has agreed to assist.
     IA3: I have often thought of opening a business.  It would be with sustainable roots, possibly a B-Corp.  Currently I am thinking I would make a plan on how to market to restaurants to cut down on food waste and start recycling.  It would be a consulting type of business, that offers other services such as recycling and compost pick up. 
     IA4: I plan on attending the Women's Leadership Breakfast Series February 9th, and writing about "Defining and Designing Your Dream Job".
     IA5: Currently, I am planning on writing about Nazli Saka or Rebecca Harris.  I enjoyed both of their talks immensely, and admire the Center for Women's Entrepreneurship and all that they do a lot.