Hobart and William Smith Colleges

16 September 2013 Basye Joins Geneva Fellowship Program

Following graduation in May, Blake Basye 13 was named to a position as an organizational development analyst (ODA) for the City of Geneva as part of the newly developed Geneva Serves Fellowship Program. Established last fall by the City and the Colleges, the program selects a graduating or recently graduated senior from HWS to join the citys management team for a one-year assignment.

In his role, Basye reports directly to City Manager Matt Horn. Through his assignment, Basye is responsible for the analysis of departmental operations for each city department, including development of process mapping, assisting department heads with data analysis and process engineering, and making recommendations on sustainability of existing practices. A mentor from the citys management team helps Basye and provides insight into an understanding of city operations and organizational dynamics.

Overall, the liberal arts education I received at HWS has really helped prepare me for working in a professional environment, Basye says. I was comfortable beginning my responsibilities in the city right away. For me, its interesting to see how a city government works.

Basye says he became interested in applying for the Geneva Serves Fellowship Program during the spring semester 2013. He says as a student he gained a familiarity working with the city through the Geneva Business Improvement District. He says hes glad to now be a part of the growing partnership between the City of Geneva and the Colleges.

The Geneva Serves Fellowship Program is another great partnership between the City and the Colleges. From the Citys perspective, its our opportunity to experiment with positions that were considering funding. Selecting a graduating senior gives us access to elevated talent and work product when compared to a traditional internship, Horn says. Blake isnt simply doing grunt work. He is churning out professional-grade product while participating as a member of our management team. Its a total immersion into city operations. I hope its as much a benefit to Blakes career as it has been to our organization and community.

At HWS, Basye was an architectural studies major, with minors in environmental studies and art history. Basye also was a member of club hockey, participated in America Reads and volunteered with the Boys & Girls Club of Geneva.