PDI Celebrates 10 Years of Advancing Careers
Alumni from Professional Development Institute programs gather at the Nasher to reminisce
Seven classes of employees from the Office Staff Development program and four classes from the First-Time Supervisors program met at the Nasher Museum of Art where they celebrated the occasion and reminisced about their learning experiences.
"I think this is one of the best things around," said DJ Burroughs, an accounting specialist with Corporate Tax Reporting and Services and a 2007 graduate of the Office Staff Development program. "Joining the program was great and I ended up making a lot of friends while getting the chance to advance my career. Coming back and seeing all these people is great."
More than 80 people came together to honor the Professional Development Institute, a center dedicated to providing development programs to foster career growth for employees and support Duke University and Duke University Health System staffing needs. Professional development specialists, working with recruiters in Human Resources, will train, develop and help staff who aspire to be promoted or to transfer to new opportunities.
Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for administration, spoke to the group and highlighted the success of its members, who have gone on to earn promotions and learn new technological and communication skills, among others.
"Keep thinking about progressing," he told the group. "Every day, try to do the best you can in your job because we're an institution that tries to nurture the people who do that."