Bend ET Expert Lab—Mentorship Unlocked

Are you ready to unlock the potential of mentorship? Join us for this dynamic session led by Jeff Kitchens, an experienced mentor and advocate for professional development. In this Expert Lab, Jeff will lead us in an exploration of the importance of mentoring and what makes it such a powerful tool for personal and professional growth. He’ll clarify how mentorship differs from similar roles like coaching, management, and supervision, providing clear distinctions to help you understand where mentorship fits into your career journey.

You’ll also discover actionable steps to maximize the value of mentoring—either as a mentee or a mentor. Jeff will discuss how to cultivate meaningful mentor-mentee relationships, offer insights on giving and receiving support, and introduce participants to the ET Passport Program and how to get involved.

You will leave knowing how to:

1. Give and receive mentorship: Learn the key differences between mentorship, coaching, management, and supervision, and when to leverage each approach.

2. Maximize the mentoring experience: Discover practical ways to get the most out of being a mentee or mentor through intentional actions.

3. Overcome common challenges in mentorship: Learn common pitfalls and ways to avoid or address them.

You’ll also learn how to get involved in the Mentorship Program.

Jeff Kitchens has worked in public land and natural resource management for almost 25 years. Most of this time he has been in leadership positions. His varied career has taken him throughout the U.S. including the Southeast, Midwest, and various states in the west. Jeff currently works for the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Region as a Strategic Project Manager. In addition to these accomplishments, Jeff has been active in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility work for over 15 years (both in and out of the government). He is currently the chair for the City of Bend’s Human Rights and Equity Commission.

Throughout his career Jeff has been involved in leadership and professional development programs, many of which have had some focus on mentoring. He first enrolled in a mentoring program as a mentee 16 years ago and has been mentoring since 2014. He has been a mentor for the Bend Chamber since 2022. In addition to mentoring, Jeff also provides peer support for wildland firefighters and other federal employees and is working to become a certified career coach.

Who Should Attend:

Professionals at any stage of their career, HR and talent development specialists, and anyone interested in exploring the diverse ways people can achieve career success.

Expert Labs are ninety-minute learning opportunities with local industry leaders. You’ll gain valuable and actionable insights from executives and leaders on how they were able to enrich their careers, expand their opportunities, or as they simply share their industry knowledge. Each session is convened with a Q&A session.

Doors open at 5:00 PM | Discussion from 5:30 – 7:00 PM You may cancel your ticket for a full refund, up to 48 hours before the date and time of the event.