In 2020, our Women of Avista employee resource group (ERG) developed a mentorship program subcommittee that wanted to support employees in their professional development by providing an avenue for mentors and mentees to be paired based on specific development topics.

The committee developed a 6-month pilot mentorship program for 12 pairs. The program included the following aspects:

• submittal form for mentees and mentors
• selection and pairing process
• training for mentees and mentors
• kick off meeting
• collection of topics that were emailed to mentor and mentee pairs to supplement their conversations
• celebration wrap-up for mentees, mentors and subcommittee members
• surveys to collect feedback

The pilot program provided helpful learnings and a solid foundation to launch a full mentorship program within the Women of Avista ERG. The mentorship program has proved to be a success, with the third seasonal program launching fall 2022. In the second program season, an additional 11 pairs of mentees and mentors worked together in the program. Additionally, past mentees have moved on to be mentors after their experiences. Moreover in 2022, Women of Avista added an Engaging Men emphasis, and additional mentorship programs are now in development in other areas of our company.