Staff Stories: Cathy Gee Graney
Cathy Gee Graney, program coordinator for the Bennington Writing Seminars, shares her favorite experiences from working at 51成人猎奇 for more than 20 years.
Tell us about your own journey to Bennington.
I have two journeys to Bennington: My first was at the end of 2000, when I wanted to find a career-relevant job closer to home, as my daughters were 5 and 7 year old at the time, and I wanted to be with them before and after school.
I鈥檇 heard from some staffer friends of a few openings, interviewed with several offices, and landed an assistant role in the Office of Communications; I stayed in that department until 2017 and left when I needed a break and wanted to hone my editorial and project-management skills.
My second journey to the College came about when I heard there might be an opportunity to work with the MFA in Writing program, which I had always admired and could imagine myself partnered with to help develop more streamlined, digital- and web-based processes. I joined the small, dynamic team as Program Coordinator in 2022.
What do you do in your current position at the College?
My list of responsibilities at the College spans 20+ years, with position titles from Communications Coordinator to Assistant Director of Communications, from Communications Operations Manager to Website and Digital Communications Manager, to Bennington Writing Seminars Program Coordinator.
Most of my roles have relied heavily on my strong administrative, communication, editorial, project-management, and troubleshooting skills, and my desire to organize and manage projects.
What do you love to do in your time away from Bennington?
Now that I鈥檓 an empty-nester, I鈥檓 traveling more to visit family and friends, re-engaging with my love of scrapbooking, and listening to a lot of podcasts that make me laugh right out loud. (Laughter is, after all, medicine for the soul.)
What are some of your proudest professional achievements?
I鈥檓 proud of how I鈥檝e been able, over my 40+-year career, to look at the big picture and then develop processes, schedules, etc., to better manage projects, budgets, and resources.
What is your favorite part of working at Bennington?
The people, the place.
What advice do you want to share with current or prospective Bennington students?
Go with your gut and follow your heart鈥攖hey won鈥檛 let you down.
What is your favorite spot on campus?
Cricket Hill porch in a rocking chair, listening to nature鈥檚 soundtrack and taking in Mother Nature's beautiful canvas.