Member Spotlight: Patrick O’Brien

June 22, 2016

Patrick O’Brien recently started a six-month transition period as Interim co-Chair of FLY. In January, he will fully assume the duties of co-Chair with Mela Waters. We sat down with Patrick to get to know more about his path at Yale and his goals for FLY for a Member Spotlight!

How did it all begin for you?

I grew-up in East Haven and attended East Haven High School. I then went to Boston University as a Journalism and Muslim Societies student. After a few semesters, I realized that the daily life of a journalist was not for me. I wanted more structure and I found that through several internships, including one in the Media Relations and Marketing Department of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. When I graduated from B.U., I looked for marketing positions in Boston, New York, and Connecticut. It was at that time that the Marketing Coordinator position in the Office of New Haven and State Affairs and University Properties opened at Yale. Its description said that I would have the opportunity to work with New Haven businesses and non-profits to leverage the relationship with the University and those businesses to attract people to Downtown New Haven. As a native to the area, I thought that sounded awesome.

When did you become involved with FLY?

Last year, I started attending Steering Committee meetings more regularly, and - with co-Chair Alina Nevins - I worked to reinvigorate the Community Outreach Committee. The committee was a natural fit for me since my role at ONHSA/U.P. already provided opportunities to work with community partners in New Haven. I knew a lot of the organizations around town, and I wanted to help connect FLY members to those organizations so we could donate time and resources and be better neighbors.

How has FLY impacted your career?

Last year was the most fun but it was also the most chaotic year for me since I started working at the University. I got more involved with FLY, but I also joined the Core Committee for the United Way Campaign at Yale. I had been in my position for more than two years and after attending Steering Committee meetings and FLY events as well as having conversations with groups of my peers, I started to think more seriously about my career path at Yale. FLY gave me the resources and the inspiration to start acting on my long-term career goals and I looked for ways that would help me grow.

Recently, I moved into the inaugural position of Communications Officer for Yale’s Center for Teaching and Learning. When this position was posted, I emailed a lot of my FLY contacts for their advice and support. Everyone was enormously helpful. Although I found Career Connect to be very useful, my conversations with Becky and Alina about their careers and my conversations with Debbie about the University’s support for young professionals was the most encouraging aspect of the transition. Supporting future leaders is not just a mission statement. It is truly important to Mike Peel, our affinity group executive sponsor and the Vice President of Human Resources and Administration. We all want to see that this community is cultivated and developed. I am so grateful for all of the resources I had because it made the decision to grow my career at Yale a real possibility for me.

What are your goals for FLY while you’re in a leadership role with it?

Long-term, I would love to see FLY members receiving longstanding service awards at Yale - which I believe is for 25 years of service to the University.

I feel like FLY is this great arm of the University that acts like a startup company by hosting events and development opportunities for its members. At FLY we can find a community of peers from all over campus like you might find at smaller organizations or non-educational institutions. One of my main objectives is to continue to build our community. I love the Mentorship and Professional Development initiatives, and Mela is a huge advocate for both of those programs. I feel like there is a lot of value in investing in a culture where young professionals feel welcome and feel like they have peers. Often we will create programs simply because someone asked for them and we then empower them to help in the creation process. We - and, by extension, the University - are proactive but also reactive in this way. This is how the University will retain great talent - by providing opportunities to grow and to feel at home at Yale.