Development Opportunities

The Advocates for Diversity and Accessibility ERG serves as a resource network for its members and the broader campus as we promote greater access, equity and inclusivity for employees who navigate physical or mental impairments that substantially limit one or more major life activities, senses or cognition. With better dedicated resourcing and education, we hope that more employees will exercise their rights to the reasonable accommodations afforded to them under the law.

For more information, please contact Katie King at kingcath@elon.edu, Casey Melton at cmelton6@elon.edu or Tony Reyes at treyes@elon.edu.

The Amazing Admins ERG, created for administrative professionals, provides working and networking opportunities in an environment focused on fellowship and friendship. Fellow admins, as well as special guests, speak on a variety of interesting topics and then open the floor for an enthusiastic Q & A.

For more information, please contact Tracy Pace at tpace@elon.edu.

Looking for a Notary Public? Several members of the Amazing Admins ERG are certified to provide notary public services.

This ERG is in support of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) staff and faculty at Elon University.

For more information, please contact George Dou at gdou@elon.edu or Hannah Hattori at hhattori@elon.edu.

The Black Employee Resource Group (BERG) is an organization meant to provide an encouraging environment and career advancement opportunities for Elon University Black employees and their affiliates. The group sponsors community and professional development, educational and networking events for Black faculty and staff. The Black ERG is dedicated to attracting and retaining black professionals by building strong networks and support for the black community.

Guiding Pillars:

• Advocate
• Develop
• Preserve
• Retain
• Serve

The Black Employee Resource Group is excited to share a referral guide of businesses, companies and vendors in our community recommended by Black faculty and staff.

Link to the Black Employee Resource Group Referral Guide

For more information, please contact Simone Royal at sroyal2@elon.edu, George Talbert at gtalbert4@elon.edu or Michael Williams at willimt@elon.edu.

Caregiving is an important part of life. We are all either current caregivers, past caregivers or future caregivers. This group provides education, resources and community to support past, present and future caregivers.

For more information, please contact Jeffrey Clark at jclark28@elon.edu.

The Cultivating Emerging Professionals ERG is specifically geared toward employees who are new to Elon, young professionals (35 years and below) or employees have been employed at Elon for five years or less. The mission of this group is to help emerging professionals formulate personal and professional goals, to create strategies to keep emerging professionals invested and driven within the community, to provide tools and resources for self-advocacy within the workplace among supervisors and colleagues, to strengthen weaknesses, to cultivate potential and to build confidence and professional esteem throughout the development of the emerging professional.

For more information, please contact Maria Papapietro at mpapapietro@elon.edu, Aidyn Peace at apeace@elon.edu or Lea Phelps at lphelps6@elon.edu.

The process of divorce can be confusing and stressful, and we can all benefit from the wisdom and support of colleagues who are sharing similar experiences. Whether you are newly (or not-so-newly) divorced, well along in the process, just filing or considering divorce, you are invited to attend the next meeting of Elon’s Divorce ERG. While everyone’s experience of divorce is different, depending on age or stage in life, finances, which spouse filed, etc., there are certain basics that are common to most divorces. Come join our discussion, share advice, ask questions, work through the many issues that may arise and celebrate the small victories along the way for you and your colleagues.

For more information, please contact Pat Burton at pburton@elon.edu.

This group is open to any staff or faculty employee who has any number of children of any age. Join us as we discuss best ways to move forward and support each other through this journey of parenthood.

For more information, please contact Kristin Walker at kwalker19@elon.edu or Jennie Goforth at jgoforth@elon.edu.

The Global Connections ERG provides support and information to international faculty and staff. It offers a space for community building and professional development to Elon’s international faculty/staff and those interested in global engagement. The group sponsors community and professional development, as well as educational and networking events.

For more information, please contact Sylvia Munoz at munozs@elon.edu or Takudzwa Madzima at tmadzima@elon.edu.

The Latinx/Hispanic Employee Resource Group (ERG) is committed to fostering an inclusive community that supports the professional, social, and personal development of Latinx and Hispanic employees at Elon University. Our mission is to provide a platform where members can connect, share experiences, and build relationships that strengthen our collective identity and presence within the institution. Through mentorship, social engagement, and leadership development initiatives, we aim to empower our members to thrive professionally and personally.

Key Priorities:

1. Social Development: Create a supportive network that encourages cultural exchange, community building, and personal well-being among Latinx and Hispanic employees through events and initiatives that celebrate our heritage.

2. Mentorship: Foster opportunities for mentorship, connecting members with experienced professionals to guide their career growth and provide advice on navigating the workplace as a Latinx/Hispanic individual.

3. Professional Development: Provide resources and programs to advance members’ professional skills, leadership abilities, and career opportunities through workshops, seminars, and networking events.

By promoting inclusion and understanding, we aim to enhance the representation and influence of Latinx/Hispanic employees within Elon while contributing to a diverse and equitable workplace culture.

For more information, please contact Vanessa Bravo at vbravo@elon.edu or Keren Rivas at krivas@elon.edu.

This group welcomes all Elon University employees who identify as Jewish or employees who want to join those identifying as Jewish in Jewish cultural and religious activities.

For more information, please contact Sue Liemer at sliemer@elon.edu, Betsy Polk at bpolk3@elon.edu, or Ilyssa Salomon at isalomon@elon.edu.

The LGBTQIA ERG builds community across faculty and staff who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, intersex and asexual. Our monthly gatherings alternate between happy hour socials that build community and lunchtime meetings around LGBTQIA topics of interest that impact the personal and professional lives of Elon’s LGBTQIA faculty and staff.

For more information, please contact Luis Garay at lgaray@elon.edu or Rich Blackmon at rblackmon2@elon.edu.

The Mindfulness ERG is for those faculty and staff who are interested in harnessing the power of mindfulness to improve self-regulation, enhance social relationships in the workplace, improve resilience in the face of challenges, increase task performance and enhance overall well-being.

For more information, please contact Bob Martin at bmartin23@elon.edu.

The purpose of the Remote ERG is to create a sense of belonging and community among remote employees at Elon, helping them to feel supported and engaged with the university. This ERG serves as a valuable resource in creating a more inclusive and supportive workplace culture, particularly as remote work becomes more common. Some common activities and initiatives that the Elon University Remote ERG may undertake include virtual college coffee, virtual training or skill-building sessions, online discussion groups focused on professional development, and advocacy or outreach efforts aimed at promoting remote work or improving the remote work experience at Elon University.

For more information, please contact Brittany Slaughter at bslaughter2@elon.edu.

Do you run a social media account on campus? We have the ERG for you!

The Social Media ERG is designed to be a resource for those running social media accounts, yet it also helps build a sense of community for communicators across campus. We will meet monthly for lunch, learn about a new topic in social media, and share with our colleagues about our ideas.

For more information, please contact Lauryn Polo at lpolo@elon.edu.

The Supervisors of Student Employees ERG collaborates to inform, resource and create best practices in the area of supervision for student employees. This group is open to Elon staff and faculty who supervise, or desire to supervise, student employees. Our monthly meetings include engaging topics such as recruiting, training, development, mentoring, design thinking, corrective action and performance evaluations. Each meeting includes an introduction to the topic, followed by facilitated table discussions.

For more information, please contact Kameryn Taylor at ktaylor54@elon.edu.

Are you interested in living a more sustainable lifestyle? Would you like to help create a more sustainable work environment? The Sustainability ERG aims to inform and support employees interested in creating a more sustainable workplace. Join us as we discuss the best ways to move forward and support each other on our sustainability journeys.

For more information, please contact Kelly Harer at kharer@elon.edu.

Thrive After 55 ERG (formerly Retirement ERG) is a welcoming group that explores personal growth opportunities, retirement planning and crafting your meaningful Third Life. Topics presented have included travel, wealth management, hobbies, insurance, senior health, age and exercise, downsizing and volunteer service. We want to help you discover exciting new opportunities to engage in this stage. We will also provide critical advice about retirement planning from expert speakers. Join us to find answers and build community with Elon colleagues.

For more information, please contact Deb Shaw at dshaw9@elon.edu.

The Women’s Forum at Elon ERG was created to serve as a resource for faculty and staff women addressing issues of importance such as professional development, mentoring and empowerment.

The goals for this ERG include:

1. To foster a supportive environment for women at Elon University
2. To promote discussions and awareness around topics related to women’s lives
3. To identify and support pathways for career advancement and professional development opportunities for women

For more information, please contact Shayna Mehas at smehas@elon.edu.

The Veterans ERG at Elon invites participation from Veterans of all branches of service, family members of Veterans (Elon-employed spouses, parents, siblings, adult children and grandparents of Veterans), Elon retirees, and those who are interested in Veteran-related topics. This group provides a rich and vibrant community for Veterans, as well as Veteran-related folks employed at Elon, retirees, and a network across all quadrants of campus. We meet for both social events and professional development opportunities throughout the fall and spring semesters. To be added to our Veterans ERG listserv, please reach out to one of the co-chairs. Join us to get to know one another, to network, and to build community.

For more information, please contact Raymond Fletcher at rfletcher4@elon.edu or Jessica Hill at jhill44@elon.edu.

Calling all Elon University alumni faculty and staff! The Elon Alumni ERG is where undergrad, grad, or law alums who also work for their alma mater unite. It’s not your average group; it’s where we reminisce on Elon adventures past and present, share laughs and connect. From lunch and learns to off-campus hangouts and volunteering gigs, this ERG seeks to build the Elon alumni community. We will also high-five our Triad alumni pals and amp up the Elon pride!

For more information, please contact Lauren Forbis at lforbis3@elon.edu or Kendra Haskins at khaskins@elon.edu.