Pathbuilders launches inclusive, Cross-Company MANAGE Program - Inaugural Cohort Graduates

ATLANTA, Dec. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Pathbuilders celebrated the graduation of the inaugural cohort of Pathbuilders® MANAGE, its new inclusive, cross-company development experience building manager readiness through small-group mentoring. The cohort included 82 Mentees across 18 states and more than 20 companies.

The graduation program included recognition of powerful mentoring experiences and an inspiring keynote by DeRetta Cole Rhodes, PhD, EVP and Chief Culture and People Officer with the Atlanta Braves. Rhodes reflected on her own experience years ago as a Pathbuilders Mentee—sharing how the program shaped her leadership, and how she still circles back to lessons from her Mentor and the program to navigate challenges and lead effectively today. She also shared how proud she was of the graduates for investing in their development.

“I’m incredibly proud to see this new MANAGE program design come to life in direct response to what our clients need—an inclusive development experience that extends Pathbuilders’ proven methodologies and content to a broader audience,” says Helene Lollis, CEO of Pathbuilders. “This inaugural cohort leaned in, practiced new skills, and grew in visible ways. They leave better equipped to lead teams, manage priorities, and align across the organization to deliver results.”

MANAGE builds on Pathbuilders’ more than 20-year legacy delivering Percepta®, which has more than 2,000 graduates. It extends that foundation for managers and aspiring managers, combining small-group mentoring, peer learning, and a targeted curriculum focused on leading people and projects, building credibility, and communicating with clarity across stakeholders.

A hallmark of MANAGE is Pathbuilders’ proprietary interview and match process, designed to support high-impact mentoring relationships and accelerate development through real-world application over six months.

Pathbuilders recognized Jim Schumacher, Senior Director of R&D with Ansell, as the Outstanding Mentor for the inaugural MANAGE cohort. Schumacher’s Mentees shared that he tailored his mentoring approach to each individual in a personal way—resulting in meaningful, lasting impact.

“In our first-ever MANAGE cohort—and in our first fully inclusive cross-company mentoring design—it’s especially meaningful to recognize Jim,” adds Lollis. “His Mentees consistently described how intentional he was in meeting them where they were, challenging them appropriately, and helping them translate insight into action.”

Pathbuilders also recognized the Outstanding Mentee Group, honoring three Mentees who exemplified a high-trust team dynamic and consistent commitment to learning, application, and shared accountability: Greer Freeman (Mueller Water Products), Jenn Hall (Gas South), and Shemikia Simpson (Mansfield Oil Company). Their Mentor was Taana Kow-Mayes (Selig Enterprises).

Our graduates represent these organizations:

Alabama Power Company; American Plastics; AT&T/Cricket Wireless; Azalea Health; Balentine; CHEP; Chick-fil-A; Comcast; Emory Healthcare; Equifax; First Citizens Bank; Gas South; Georgia Power Company; Graphic Packaging International; Imerys USA; Junior Achievement of Georgia; Lendmark Financial Services; Lightera; M3; Make a Miracle; Manhattan Associates; Mansfield Energy; Mississippi Power Company; Mueller Water Products; Printpack; Purchasing Power; recteq; Rollins; Rotary Club of Atlanta; SNF Holding Company; Southern Company; SouthState Bank; Syensqo Specialty Polymers; Warner Bros. Discovery; White Cap; Woodruff Arts Center.

Pathbuilders has a rich history of developing leaders through truly unique cross-company experiences. Since 1995, more than 6,000 leaders from hundreds of organizations have graduated from Pathbuilders programs designed for four key levels in a career journey:

PERFORM: Early-career professionals learning how business works—establishing credibility, developing self-awareness, setting priorities, and delivering results.
MANAGE: Managers and aspiring managers building the skills to manage people and projects, lead across teams, and communicate with clarity and influence.
LEAD: Mid-level leaders strengthening strategic execution, navigating culture and politics, and building executive presence to move critical initiatives forward.
INSPIRE: Senior leaders positioning for maximum impact—envisioning and creating cultures where others can achieve extraordinary success.

For more information on Pathbuilders, please visit Pathbuilders.com.

Media Contact:
Pat Falotico
Pathbuilders, Inc.
(770) 809-6364
pat.falotico@pathbuilders.com

SOURCE Pathbuilders