Alumni Professional Development

Bates Office of Alumni Engagement is excited to provide alumni learning opportunities to enhance their professional development at any stage of their careers. Find recommendations for career coaches from within our alumni network, tune in for virtual trainings, and connect with current students and fellow alumni through several forms of career services and volunteer opportunities.


Career Coaches

Bates offers recommended Career Coaches as a resource to help alumni in the exploration of career development. Coaches provide discounted fee-based services. Rate details are available through the coaches and may vary by services sought, market, and other factors. Coaches offer services in-person or virtually. When first contacting a coach, please be sure to mention that you are a Bates College alum.

The coaches are not employees, agents, or representatives of Bates College, and should you choose to establish any relationship with a coach or to retain the services of a coach, Bates College will not be a party to such resulting relationship. Please be advised that Bates College makes no representation as to the training, credentials, or conduct of any coach, nor does Bates College make any representation about the nature of the services such coach may provide to you or the results of such services. Fees may be incurred for certain services, please familiarize yourself with these.

Anne Keenan Shields ’80, P’18
Lighthouse Career Coaching
lighthousecareercoach.com

Anne Shields ’90 P’18

After graduating from Bates, Anne began her career in higher education, working with students and alumni. Anne has 30+ years of experience, having run the career programs at Bowdoin, Carleton, Davidson, and Carnegie Mellon. She has consulted for peer colleges and teaches career coaching through the Institute of Life Coach Training. She earned her MS and holds BCC and ACC coaching certifications; Anne is a “Designing Your Life” trained coach. She founded Lighthouse Career Coaching as an encore career. She and her husband Ron live in western New York and have two grown sons.

About Anne’s coaching:
Straight lines in careers are rare. You get to choose, change your interests, your mind, and change directions.

As a coach, I help clients think outside of the box by showing how they might reconfigure their unique skills, experiences, and values to design a career that might not present itself as a defined path or a ladder. The result is a life and work that represents their whole self, focusing on what most matters to them, their purposeful work.

To learn more or make an appointment contact:

David Ehrenthal ‘83
Mach10 Career & Leadership Coaching
mach10career.com

After graduating from Bates in 1983, David began his career as an economist. After attending The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, he then spent the next 30 years in CEO and senior marketing leadership roles, in the US and Europe, working with global brands such as American Express, AXA, State Street Global Advisors, IKEA, and Sun Life Financial. He is certified by the International Coaching Federation and the Gestalt International Study Center.

About David’s coaching:

As a principal at Mach10 Career & Leadership Coaching, I support my clients’ quest for work that’s both rewarding and sustainable. In some cases, this means expanding the range of possibilities, challenging assumptions, and preparing to go to market. In other cases, it means surfacing blind spots, engaging with resistance, and adding new leadership skills for personal growth.

Today, I lead my life in Concord, MA with my wife Florence and two adult children and work with clients around the globe.

To learn more or make an appointment contact:

Tracy O’Mara Peacock ‘94, P’24, P’26
Peacocknine
Website Coming Soon

After graduating from Bates in 1994 with a degree in Religious Studies, Tracy has worked to understand how change happens within organizations, teams, and individuals. Her work, which has spanned Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, non-profits, community, and cultural organizations, has reinforced Tracy’s passion for continuous learning and her curiosity about how adults learn, develop, and ultimately change behaviors to achieve their desired goals. Tracy recently formalized this learning with an MS in Learning Sciences and Organizational Change from Northwestern University, where in addition to her master’s, she earned certifications for Leadership and Organizational Coaching and Leading for Equity and Inclusion in Organizations.

As a coach, I aim to help individuals develop the momentum for change and the desire to discover new possibilities for living, working, and relating with others. Through active listening and inquiry, I hope to guide individuals towards a deeper understanding of how they think, act, and create forward momentum in their lives. If you are facing a life transition or feeling stuck in a current role, I would love to help you move forward. Do you want your work to be more inspiring and aligned with your personal values? I would love to help you build that bridge. Would you like to be more effective as a manager or leader? I would love to help you to increase your self-awareness, develop a personal brand and increase your professional presence.

I am open and eager to work with anyone, but I am also particularly interested in young alumni who are early in their careers, transitioning into their professional roles, and developing as leaders.

Tracy lives in the northern suburbs of Chicago with her husband Bradley ‘92 and is the proud parent of two current Bobcats. To learn more or connect with Tracy:

To learn more or make an appointment contact:

Are you interested in becoming an Alumni Career Coach? Contact us at alumni@bates.edu.


Webinar Programs:

Bates has partnered with Anne Keenan Shields ’80 of Lighthouse Career Associates to offer the following virtual programming for our alumni community.

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Jan
13
2025

Making the Jump: Young Professionals Making their First Career Change

Join us for the first of our three virtual Professional Development offerings sponsored by our Alumni Council. This virtual presentation hosted by Alumni Council members…

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Jan
21
2025

Refresh, Reset, Revitalize: A Three-Step Cleaning for Your Overwhelmed Life

This workshop is for you if you are a busy professional or parent struggling to balance multiple responsibilities. You feel constantly overwhelmed and stressed and/or want to create a more organized, fulfilling, and intentional life.

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Dec
3

[WATCH RECORDING] Digital Etiquette: Redefining Courtesy in an AI-Driven World

Discover how AI shapes human interactions by balancing civility, privacy, and empathy in an increasingly digital world.

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Oct
15

[WATCH THE RECORDING] Strategies for Navigating Change and Advocating for Positive Transformation

Change is inevitable, but your response is in your control! This workshop empowers you to embrace change confidently, advocate for your vision, and lead positive transformation in your workplace…

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Jul
23

Portland: Bates Student & Alumni Networking Event

Get ready for an exciting opportunity! The Portland Bates Network and Purposeful Work are thrilled to invite Bates student interns spending their summer in Portland…

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Jul
18

New York: Bates Student & Alumni Networking Event

Get ready for an exciting opportunity! The New York Bates Network and Purposeful Work are thrilled to invite Bates student interns spending their summer in…

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Jul
16

Boston: Bates Student & Alumni Networking Event

Boston alumni and summer student interns are gathering at Harvest in Cambridge for a a summer networking event!

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May
23

[Watch Recording] Crush Imposter Syndrome: A Natural Reaction to Living and Leading Courageously 

Imposter Syndrome is an all-too-common challenge faced by professionals across industries, hindering their growth and success…

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Mar
26

[WATCH RECORDING] (Re)Claim your NO!

Elevate your personal and professional life by joining us to delve into the art of setting boundaries and reclaiming the power of “NO.” Don’t miss this opportunity to boost your personal growth, enhance your professional skills, and embrace the power of “NO” in this interactive program. 

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Jan
30

WATCH THE RECORDING: Future Skills in the Age of AI

This is an exciting time for all students, where technology and human-centric skills suggest the increased value of a liberal arts education. How will you help foster these future skills in the age of AI? REGISTER FOR FREE TODAY!

Navigating the maze of workplace dilemmas
Dec
5
2023

[WATCH RECORDING] Navigating the Maze of Workplace Dilemmas

Whether your employees are on-site, hybrid, or 100% remote, the community and culture in which you manage your employees have changed. Now is a great time to pause, discover, and reflect on the management skills you choose to adopt for this next evolution of work.

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Oct
17
2023

[WATCH RECORDING] Grad School: Now, Later or Never?

Whether your employees are on-site, hybrid, or 100% remote, the community and culture in which you manage your employees have changed. Now is a great time to pause, discover, and reflect on the management skills you choose to adopt for this next evolution of work.

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Apr
11
2023

Three Keys to Crushing Compensation

Whether your employees are on-site, hybrid, or 100% remote, the community and culture in which you manage your employees have changed. Now is a great time to pause, discover, and reflect on the management skills you choose to adopt for this next evolution of work.

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Mar
15
2023

[WATCH THE RECORDING]: Making Meetings Matter

Bad meetings. They can be aggravating to a point of being painful. They are so common that 71% of senior managers in a related survey reported that they viewed meetings as unproductive.

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Jan
18
2023

[WATCH THE RECORDING] High-Functioning Teams

Whether your employees are on-site, hybrid, or 100% remote, the community and culture in which you manage your employees have changed. Now is a great time to pause, discover, and reflect on the management skills you choose to adopt for this next evolution of work.

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Nov
9
2022

Staying connected while working apart — Pt. 2

Whether your employees are on-site, hybrid, or 100% remote, the community and culture in which you manage your employees have changed. Now is a great time to pause, discover, and reflect on the management skills you choose to adopt for this next evolution of work.

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Oct
12
2022

Staying connected while working apart — Pt. 1

Where we used to love connecting via impromptu drop-ins, café meet-ups, and “water cooler collisions,” we now seek to find creative and meaningful connections in a distributed and/or hybrid workplace. These shifts go far deeper than the experienced physical and behavioral change – they punctuate our basic wiring and beliefs.

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Sep
22
2022

Navigating Transitions

Change is constant for all of us and can range from minor course corrections to profound life events. While change is external, transition is a complex internal process that occurs before, during, or after change. Healthy transitions are key to subsequent satisfaction and success.

Alumni Professional Development
Jun
22
2022

[WATCH THE RECORDING] Can this job be saved?

The pressure of doing more with less, the frustration of being unappreciated, and the empty space where “meaning” might have previously lived, all contribute to the question “stay or leave?”

Alumni Professional Development
May
4
2022

[WATCH THE RECORDING] Relaunch Your Career

Bates College + Lighthouse Career Associates Present a New Virtual Professional Development Program Series! Relaunch Your Career It was hard deciding to leave your job,…

Alumni Professional Development
Mar
3
2022

[WATCH THE RECORDING] Designing an Encore Career

Bates College + Lighthouse Career Associates Present a New Virtual Professional Development Program Series! Designing an Encore Career So, what are you going to do…

Alumni Professional Development
Feb
2
2022

[WATCH THE RECORDING] Grad School: now, later, or never?

For many Bates alums a year, or two, or a few after graduation, the question comes up. Niggling at first, then more persistent, we wonder when (or if) heading back to school is a good idea. After all, most of us assumed we would pick up another degree at some point. Is now the right time? If not now, when?

Alumni Professional Development
Dec
9
2021

Extinguishing Burnout

Caring for others can drain our own physical and emotional strength. This presentation will give an overview of the symptoms of compassion fatigue, how to recognize it in workers and how to measure its severity, and research-based techniques to address it.

Alumni Professional Development
Nov
10
2021

Results-Driven Teamwork

In the modern workplace, team members must navigate an environment that is in constant flux. Participants will walk away with practical tips that they can employ immediately to improve their teamwork skills and help their teams become more effective.


Alumni Career Services and Volunteer Opportunities

LinkedIn Groups
Purposeful Work Job Shadows and more alumni resources
Recruiting at Bates

Looking for more?