Great programs start with great leadership—and our Internship Steering Committee made this summer’s intern experience one to remember.
Led by Leisa Spears Snyder, Director of Workforce Development, a cross-functional team from across the organization, the Steering Committee played a pivotal role in designing the internship experience, supporting hiring managers and ensuring interns were set up for success. This year, the committee introduced new elements such as the Leadership Speaker Series, which featured sessions with senior leaders including Richard Steer, VP, Training, Katherine Preston, VP, Sustainability, Tom Romanowski, VP, Transformation and our CEO Michael Steen.
Interns saw real growth, reporting a 34% increase in their networking skills from pre- to post-program, a gain largely attributed to the Speaker Series and the unique access it provided to senior leadership.
“The committee’s efforts are what turn a set of individual internships into a cohesive, high-impact experience that benefits both the interns and Atlas as a whole,” said Leisa. “We want to be more than just a summer stop. We want to be a place where careers begin, grow and thrive.”
While the interns were front and center in delivering results, it was the Steering Committee’s behind-the-scenes work that made those achievements possible. From curriculum design to mentorship coordination, their leadership ensured interns had the tools, guidance and opportunities to make a real impact.
Their contributions were impressive. Interns played a key role in projects that advanced safety, improved efficiency and reduced costs—such as:
“Our interns handled a tremendous amount of work and made significant strides in helping us transition from manual excel updates to online aircraft repair data management and reporting that includes repair location view on a 3D model of each aircraft,” said Muluken Mewa, Senior Manager, Structures Engineering, and manager of two interns. “They brought fresh ideas and innovation—exactly what we expect from the next generation.”
