In the battle of the benefits, tactics are shifting 鈥� The Boston Globe

, the chief people officer at HubSpot, for its story on the changing nature of company perks.

Reporter Scott Kirsner says that “offering dazzling benefits,” like beer taps and catered lunches “just for the sake of grabbing a candidate鈥檚 attention” isn’t the goal any more. In the Boston area specifically, firms are finding that what workers want most are benefits that create work-life balance.

Katie Burke 鈥�03, chief people officer of HubSpot, speaks about leadership at a recent Boston 乐播传媒 Business Network event. (Paige Brown 鈥�96 for 乐播传媒 College)

鈥淭he thing we are working the most on for the year ahead is infusing flexibility into our experience,鈥� says Burke. That includes 鈥渆xploring more remote work options鈥� and 鈥渕aking no travel or minimal travel an option for senior positions.鈥�

Burke notes that while “it鈥檚 much easier” for the media “to talk about the new sexy trends鈥� related to employee benefits, “no one talks about the hard, gritty work of training good managers or training people to develop new skills.”

U.S. healthcare has an immature business model. Here’s how to fix it 鈥� The Hill

Michael Katz ’84

Pediatric anesthesiologist Michael Katz, in an , says that “Washington鈥檚 raging battles over healthcare finance reform are missing a fundamental point.”

The real problem with U.S. healthcare, he says, is the “fundamentally flawed business structure underlying its delivery.”

The answer, he says, is to force the system to evolve through new policies. Maturation means creating “a highly consolidated industry,” rather than the current fragmented one, that “will drive health systems to compete on price.”

A “moral obligation to achieve health equality.”

The goal is not just reducing costs. Replacing the current, expensive “fee-for-service payment model with a value-based system” will give patients “higher-quality, lower-cost care with better health outcomes.”

The imperative to achieve a more-healthy society, Katz says, means that our leaders should feel a “moral obligation to achieve health equality.”

The rare equestrian product that hits the mainstream 鈥� The Plaid Horse

The , owner of the equestrian-products company EquiFit, about ShouldersBack, a posture-improving device she invented in 2001.

Since then, ShouldersBack has “successfully crossed over from the equestrian world to the mainstream market, with mainstream sales exceeding equestrian sales,” says editor Sissy Wickes.

鈥淚 love the horse industry, and that鈥檚 what we are about,鈥� Cherubini said. 鈥淏ut, it is fun to have a product that crosses over.鈥�

Worn like a vest, ShouldersBack gently encourages equestrians to maintain good posture, which helps horse and rider work together.

EquiFit has since developed “an iconic brand of [horse] boots” known as the T-Boot, “EquiFit鈥檚 flagship product…[a] the foamed-lined, non-chafing, washable boot” that is now “de rigueur for equestrians nationwide.”

The intent of any changes will be to elevate 乐播传媒 College 鈥� Lewiston Sun Journal

When the Lewiston Sun Journal , the focus was on any changes that Fein might make.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 incremental change,鈥� Fein told Assistant Sports Editor Lee Horton. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e 20th”听 list of the nation’s best athletics programs, “logic would say don鈥檛 come in and try to change a whole lot.”

Director of Athletics Jason Fein stands before a portrait of early-20th century Director of Athletics Royce Purington, Class of 1900, in the lobby of Alumni Gym. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)

Horton said that the intent of Fein’s changes “will be, of course, to elevate 乐播传媒 College.”

Fein says the focus is “how can we best support (the coaches) to make the improvements they need to? How do we get from there to there? It鈥檚 incremental, which is a cool challenge as opposed to being down here and we want to go up here.鈥�

To end racism, focus more on new policy 鈥� Maine Public

Before speaking in the Gomes Chapel on Oct. 23, historian and author Ibram X. Kendi .

Efforts to end racism in American have “focused on trying to educate away the racist ideas” through “education and love.”听 The problem is, he said, is that producers of racist ideas tend not to create them out of ignorance or hate but from “economic, political, and cultural self-interest.”

Kendi suggest that when “we think about these mass-produced racist ideas and these mass-produced racist policies…it’s more effective to challenge the policies than it is to educate away these ideas.”

Historically, he says, “we’ve actually been able to undermine racist ideas by undermining racist policies. And I think that’s where we should focus moving forward.”

Founder of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University, Kendi won the National Book Award for Stamped From The Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America.

This 乐播传媒 tweet from the Ibram X. Kendi talk on Oct. 23 has been retweeted 421 times, thanks to an initial retweet by social activist and former NFL player Colin Kaepernick.

Solving a parenting challenge with an innovative database of diverse picture books 鈥� Lewiston Sun Journal

The , who, with a team of colleagues has created the Diverse BookFinder, a searchable database of diverse children’s picture books.

The purpose of creating the database is about more than finding good bedtime reading.

“There鈥檚 a lot of evidence that reading diverse picture books can make it easier for kids to interact across difference, help them develop empathy and better prepare them for our changing world,” Aronson told reporter Lindsay Tice.

For Krista Aronson, an inspiration for a new direction for her research came from her daughter’s relationships with white and Somali children at school. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)

听

乐播传媒 dishwasher raises $105,000 for the Dempsey Challenge 鈥� Lewiston Sun Journal

“David Gervais has worked in the college鈥檚 kitchens for 39 years, since graduating from Lewiston High School,” . “He鈥檚 also a Dempsey Challenge fundraiser. A very good one.”

In nine years, Gervais has raised more than $105,000.

Held annually in October, the Dempsey Challenge running and bicycling fundraiser supports the Dempsey Center, which serves, free of charge, anyone affected by cancer.

It’s sponsored by actor, philanthropist, and Lewiston native Patrick Dempsey, who received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree at Commencement in May.

He jokes that he and actor Patrick Dempsey are 鈥渓ike that,鈥� crossing his two fingers. 鈥�(He鈥檚) super nice,鈥� Gervais told Skelton. 鈥淓very year at the (fundraiser) banquets, he would come over and say hi. There were a lot of girls around and they would say, 鈥楬ow do you know Patrick Dempsey?’鈥�

David Gervais of 乐播传媒 Dining Services poses with Patrick Dempsey in October 2016. (Lewiston Sun Journal photo)

Jason Fein is the college鈥檚 new director of athletics,听coming to 乐播传媒听from Drew University. His rise through the AD ranks is a bit distinctive 鈥� in the same way his Brooklyn-bred New York sports loyalties are distinctive here in Maine.

While a traditional path to becoming an AD is through the ranks of coaches, Fein began his career in sports information and media relations, first at his alma mater, Brooklyn College 鈥� his bachelor鈥檚 degree was in athletic training and his master鈥檚 in sports management 鈥� and then with the College of Staten Island, where he became director of athletics in 2006.

While at Staten Island, Fein received a rising star award from the College Sports Information Directors of America. He鈥檚 also worked in media relations at the professional and international levels, for the New York Yankees for a number of years and at the 1996 Atlanta and 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games.

He was appointed AD at Drew in 2008. In 2015鈥�16, he was named Athletic Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Division III Athletic, as well as the ECAC Division III Administrator of the Year.

Director of Athletics Jason Fein poses in the Alumni Gym lobby adjacent to his office shortly after his July 1 arrival at 乐播传媒. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)

His approach to athletic administration, he says, begins and ends with communications. 鈥淐ommunication ties into every administrative thing we do,鈥� he says.

Meanwhile, his goal is for the athletics program to match 乐播传媒 students鈥� ambitions. 鈥淥bviously, our students are very high-achieving academically and very high-achieving athletically 鈥� they want to do it all, and they can do it all at a school like 乐播传媒.鈥�

We spoke with Fein recently about his career and his thoughts about 乐播传媒 athletics.

You had an successful听career at Drew. So what attracted you to 乐播传媒?

In the Division III world, where I have spent most of my career, NESCAC is the tops, and I鈥檝e also heard great things about the institution. Admittedly I don鈥檛 know too much about Maine, but I know 乐播传媒 has a great program and 乐播传媒 is a great school. We鈥檝e had a lot of success recently, and I just wanted to come and try to be a part of that.

What are your impressions so far?

Beautiful! It鈥檚 August and it鈥檚 44 degrees this morning, so I guess I might as well get used to a little bit of chilly weather. But everybody has been super-friendly. We鈥檝e got a great team here at 乐播传媒. We have great coaches and a great staff. I am so happy to be up here.

What鈥檚 been the biggest surprise so far?

Just how much of a team everybody is. Everybody talked about the family atmosphere when you get to 乐播传媒, how everyone is a big family. You think, well, maybe they鈥檙e putting on a little bit of a show for you during the interview process.

But everyone 鈥� from the president to the great staff in Dining Services and Facilities Services 鈥� was听welcoming and warm. Not to say that people in New Jersey and in New York, where I鈥檓 from, aren鈥檛 warm! We love them too.

How has your background in sports information influenced your approach as director of athletics?

Communications, marketing, promotions have always been of interest to me. I鈥檝e always been interested in how events worked. I was a PA announcer. I did the radio broadcasts. I still try to be as active on social media as I can.

Jason Fein talks about the importance of communications in his work.

To stay in touch with what today鈥檚 student athletes are all about, you鈥檝e got to be tied into the communications, and social media is obviously a huge part of that.

I鈥檓 always trying to push us as far as what we do online 鈥� with the website, with video, and live-streaming. It鈥檚 so important, and it鈥檚 the way student athletes 鈥� and everyone really 鈥� communicates now.

So I think communication ties into every administrative thing we do. How is our communications affecting our enrollment, our recruiting, and our alumni support? That鈥檚 been a big part of my life, and it continues to be a big part.

What opportunities does a Division III athlete have that a Division I or Division II athlete might not?

There鈥檚 nothing bad to say about Division I or Division II. It鈥檚 just a different world that we live in in Division III.

I think that student athletes in Division III arrive expecting to have balance in their entire lives, whether it be time for school, for their sport, or for other pursuits. They want to have that balance.

But it鈥檚 also very, very important that they pursue their sport at a high level. Division III gives them the opportunity to do that, and a NESCAC school certainly gives them the opportunity to do that, as our rules encourage pursuits outside of athletics.

Overall they all want to achieve at a high level, and they want to win, and we want to help them be successful in whatever it is they are doing.

I know you鈥檙e a big Yankees fan, and you鈥檝e had the opportunity to serve as the post-season media relations coordinator for the Yankees during their World Series wins. What was that experience like?

You just outed me as a Yankee fan to all of New England! But that鈥檚 OK. We鈥檙e New Yorkers 鈥� loud and proud.

Working with the Yankees was honestly a thrill of my life. I grew up a Yankees fan. So it鈥檚 very cool from a college athletics perspective to be a bit on the pro side. I鈥檝e also done work on the international sports side, with the Olympics, which has been a great experience.

The Yankees are near and dear to my heart, and anybody, whether you鈥檙e a Yankee fan or a Sox fan who just wants to hear some good stories, come over to my office, and we鈥檒l talk.

So far, I鈥檝e gotten a couple of looks in the supermarket with my Yankee T-shirt. But you know, I鈥檓 used to the Red Sox鈥揧ankees rivalry being a heated rivalry but a good-natured one among fans.

Did you ever meet the late Mr. Steinbrenner, as Derek Jeter called him?

I met Mr. Steinbrenner several times. And I鈥檝e been yelled at by Mr. Steinbrenner. Nobody would ever question his passion and his love for the Yankees and the game. Actually, when you got to know him a little bit, he was a really generous, great guy. And I will say this, when you did have kind of a negative encounter with him, he did come back to make sure the next encounter was positive.

What opportunities do you see at 乐播传媒?

I think we can make some immediate little improvements in branding and marketing. The bigger things are our facilities, some of which are showing their age. We are going to get together with the administration and see how we can look, long-term, at our athletics facilities and our athletics program as we continue to strive.

Director of Athletics Jason Fein snaps a selfie with the Cote family after his Opening Day welcoming remarks to student athletes and their families at the Clifton Daggett Gray Athletic Building on Aug. 28. Jackson Cote ’21 (center) of Wilton, Conn., is an aspiring rower. (Theophil Syslo/乐播传媒 College)

At this point, we鈥檙e talking about incremental changes from the standpoint of our teams. We鈥檙e 20th in the nation in the Directors鈥� Cup, which is an amazing achievement. But we don鈥檛 want to go backward; we want to keep pushing forward.

What is your favorite sports memory of all-time not involving the Yankees?

Probably the first conference championship that I won as an assistant coach with our basketball team at the College of Staten Island.

I was not a conference-championship athlete by any means. So that was a great achievement: being able to work with those student athletes, see it through to the end of the season, and get to the NCAAs and get to that national stage. We got featured in The New York Times.

What did you get out of your college experience at Brooklyn College, and what do you hope the 乐播传媒 student athletes get out of theirs?

I think the message is pretty much the same. Obviously a lot of things have changed in the years since I鈥檝e been out of school. Social media 鈥� everything being on display 鈥� is certainly one of them.

Obviously, our students are very high-achieving academically and very high-achieving athletically 鈥� they want to do it all, and they can do it all at a school like 乐播传媒, which is why I enjoy being at a liberal arts school like this, where really you can do everything.

Our job in the athletics department is to give the student athletes the best possible sports experience, just as a faculty member wants to give them the best possible academic experience, and Student Affairs wants to give them a great social experience. I think we all work together really well on that, and that hasn鈥檛 changed, whether it鈥檚 me in school a few years ago or someone in school now.

How has social media changed the way we follow and consume sports?

It鈥檚 actually gotten to the point where sometimes I find myself with the same eight-second attention span as they say that students have now. If I鈥檓 looking at ESPN, I get these little 90-second video clips 鈥� very rarely will I sit down and watch like a full episode of SportsCenter.

Social media has changed things dramatically. And everyone is a member of the media now. Aside from having all these great options, you also have to filter out what is good for you and what is not good for you. It鈥檚 changed from the days where you鈥檇 pick up a newspaper. I used to read the paper from the back page forward, starting with the sports page.

I know that the New York area is known for its pizza, have you found any worthy iterations of pizza up here yet?

That鈥檚 a great question. I鈥檓 definitely a New York pizza and bagel snob. But I have to admit Commons has perfectly good pizza. Commons does a great job and the food is really, really good.

The vegan bar is terrific, which I never would have thought of because I am not a vegan! I have an 11-year old son. His favorite is the wall of cereal, so to each their own.

Last question. Fill in the blank: You will consider your first year at 乐播传媒 a success if…

If our student athletes achieve at a high academic level and at a high athletics level; if our fans and parents and alumni have a good experience; and if we can make just a couple of improvements that folks will notice when they come out to a game, either visually or as part of their fan experience, that they notice and go 鈥淥h wow, that was great!鈥� 鈥� then I鈥檒l consider it a well-spent first year.

乐播传媒 President Clayton Spencer announced today that Jason Fein, director of athletics at Drew University, will become director of athletics at 乐播传媒 effective July 1.

鈥淚 am delighted that Jason will be joining us at 乐播传媒,鈥� said Spencer. 鈥淗e is a seasoned athletics director in Division III听with a broad and rich professional network across the NCAA. Jason鈥檚 intellect, passion, humor, and generous spirit shone through in his visit to campus and will make him a wonderful addition to the 乐播传媒 community.鈥�

Jason Fein, director of athletics at Drew University, will become director of athletics at 乐播传媒 College effective July 1.

鈥淚 am thrilled to join the team at 乐播传媒 where athletics is a strong and well-integrated element of the overall student experience,鈥� said Fein.

鈥淲ith such a distinctive brand and historic legacy in the NESCAC, 乐播传媒 is well-positioned for continued success in the most competitive Division III conference in the country. I look forward to collaborating with the entire 乐播传媒 community to strengthen the overall culture of recreation and fitness on campus.鈥�

Fein will lead a 乐播传媒 athletics program that comprises 31 varsity sports, 12 club sports, and nearly a dozen intramural athletic leagues. He will oversee the development and execution of a long-term strategic vision for 乐播传媒 athletics and manage the day-to-day operations of the athletics department, serving as an advocate for the needs of student-athletes, coaches, and staff.

鈥淛ason will be a key leader on campus, contributing to many aspects of the overall 乐播传媒 experience,鈥� said Joshua McIntosh, vice president of student affairs and dean of students. 鈥淲orking closely with students, faculty, and staff, he will cultivate programs and policies to continue 乐播传媒鈥� success in developing leadership, collaboration, and a strong work ethic among all students who participate in any aspect of athletics at 乐播传媒.鈥�

Since 2008, Fein has served as director of athletics at Drew University in Madison, N.J., a Division III varsity intercollegiate program with 20 sports and more than 300 student-athletes. In 2016, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) honored Fein as a Division III Athletic Director of the Year and the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) named him a Division III Administrator of the Year.

At Drew, Fein has overseen an expansion of athletics programming, significant facility improvements, and increased fundraising and alumni engagement. With a background in sports information, he also modernized Drew鈥檚 athletic brand identity and introduced an improved fan experience on campus and through digital media. As a national leader, he has served on NCAA, NACDA, ECAC, and other league committees on topics of diversity and inclusion, governance, and awards.

Fein鈥檚 appointment at 乐播传媒 follows a national search overseen by a committee comprising students, faculty, and staff and supported by Parker Executive Search, a leading U.S. college athletics search firm.

Prior to joining Drew University, Fein was director of athletics at the College of Staten Island (CSI) of the City University of New York, where he expanded team offerings, led fundraising efforts, and coordinated numerous capital improvements and facility developments. Before directing athletic programming at CSI, Fein served as sports information director and coached women鈥檚 volleyball and basketball. He also served as assistant director of athletics and sports information director at Brooklyn College, also part of the City University of New York.

Fein鈥檚 sports information experience extends to a wide variety of posts, including as post-season media relations coordinator for the New York Yankees from 1996 to 2012; media relations and press operations for numerous NCAA championships in men鈥檚 basketball, men鈥檚 ice hockey, women鈥檚 rowing, and football; and media relations for skating venues at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City.

Fein is a graduate of Brooklyn College, where he earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in physical education and a master鈥檚 degree in sports management. Fein will relocate to Maine this summer.

Fein succeeds Kevin McHugh, who will step down on June 30 after 10 years as director of athletics at 乐播传媒.