UAA College of Business and Public Policy

The College of Business and Public Policy's Leadership Fellows Program pairs high-performing CBPP students with a mentor in the Anchorage business community, giving students the opportunity to learn about real-world leadership from local business leaders. This year’s cohort includes 21 CBPP students, called protégés, and their mentors. To begin the program, each protégé interviewed their new mentor, and every week, we will feature one of these interviews with the mentors, who share their thoughts on leadership. This week’s featured protégé/mentor pairing is Roxanne Makamson, and her mentor Maureen McCabe Moore.

1 Where are you from? How did you decide to pursue a career in Alaska? 
“Maureen was born in Bethel and grew up in Seward; however, she left to go to college. After graduating from college and living in CA for a few years, her husband and she decided to move back to Alaska for a “temporary” time frame (3 years) in which turned into 20+ years. The draw to AK was the quality of life (no long commutes to work etc.) and the lower cost of living (in some ways) to CA.

2 Where did you go to college? What did you study in college? 
“Maureen graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, DC with a BS Business Administration with a double major in Finance and Management. In addition, she studied International Business in a summer program at Oxford University. She really enjoyed the management classes and also took several government classes, which were fantastic due to the location in DC.”

3 Did you have anyone you relied on for mentorship/solid career advice? If yes, what is the most important leadership advice they shared with you? 
“Over her life and career, there have been many people who have given her good advice starting with her dad. He encouraged her to go to Business school, instead of majoring in a Liberal Arts field because of the wide variety of career options that a Business degree would provide, and he was right!”

4 It is important and beneficial for CBPP and Anchorage’s business community to collaborate and invest in the next generation of leaders. What do you think should be conveyed to our next generation of leaders?
“    • Be present – in this digital age we live in, it is very easy to be distracted by the vast amounts of information flowing to us continuously. Whatever the situation, even if only for a short period of time, focus on what is in front of you. Efficiency and knowledge will be gained.
    • Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you don’t understand, it’s possible others don’t either.
    • Understand the “why” in whatever you are doing. This will not only give you purpose, but can also often lead to very creative solutions. ”

5 CBPP will be highlighting each mentor and protégé pairing on the front of it’s website during the academic year. Is there anything else you would like to add?
“ This mentorship program has been a fantastic experience, and I encourage others in the business community to participate if given the opportunity. ”