A corporate mentor, Shanley’s door always open

CUTTING THEIR TEETH: Kathryn Shanley, center, has worked in her 30-year career to help young employees, college students and even high school students. She's pictured above with Delta Dental Administrative Services Manager Linda Pichette, left, and Assistant Vice President Ellen Henrix. / PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY
CUTTING THEIR TEETH: Kathryn Shanley, center, has worked in her 30-year career to help young employees, college students and even high school students. She's pictured above with Delta Dental Administrative Services Manager Linda Pichette, left, and Assistant Vice President Ellen Henrix. / PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

For a college student with little experience in the world of business, career networking with corporate executives can be an intimidating task.
Fortunately, at most companies there is someone willing to take the time to encourage college interns or those seeking an informational interview. At Delta Dental of Rhode Island, that person is Kathryn M. Shanley, the company’s vice president of external affairs.
“Kathryn was always available to give feedback on my work and encouraged me to excel,” said Erin Lawler, a Providence College senior who was an intern last year in Delta Dental’s corporate communications office.
“What’s more, she was willing to offer insight on my educational and career plans from a professional perspective, whether it was suggesting a particular course to take, or giving me tips on approaching the job market after graduation. … She’s a very approachable person, and immediately took an interest not only in my educational and career goals, but also in my personal pursuits.”
Through her 30-year career, Shanley has offered advice and opportunities to many people taking their first steps toward a business career. It’s something she picked up from her father, the late Joseph Shanley, a co-founder of the Providence-based advertising agency Duffy & Shanley. He frequently counseled his children on how to do their best, and she has passed on those lessons to others.
“I’ve always enjoyed helping people who work for me reach their full potential in the workplace,” she said. “I want to see them taking on new challenges, maybe things they didn’t think they could do. For me, the biggest compliment is when someone tells me I made a difference in their professional life.”
Young employees, college students, and even high schoolers have all benefited from her guidance and friendship. She has helped establish internship programs and provides career advice. Her door is always open to young people who request informational interviews. She is, in short, a mentor, and generous with her time and energy.
A graduate of Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass., Shanley began her career at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, where she rose to the position of director of marketing-support services. In 1992, she returned to her native Rhode Island to join the newly independent Delta Dental, the state’s leading dental insurer. As vice president of external affairs, she is involved with corporate communications, public relations and Statehouse lobbying. She is also responsible for corporate-compliance programs and oversees the office of the dental director, program integrity and dental case management. Shanley has always recognized the importance of corporate citizenship. She worked closely with company President and CEO Joseph A. Nagle to establish the company’s permanent philanthropic endowment, the Delta Dental of Rhode Island Fund. Through the years the fund has distributed more than $750,000 in grants and donations to dental-related programs.
She has also ensured the company is committed to the community in more personal ways. Shanley chaired the board of trustees for McAuley House, an organization that provides food, shelter and other services to those in need. She helped the organization provide dental assistance to its clients by forging a relationship with the Samuel Sinclair Dental Clinic.
She also assigned a Delta Dental employee to help create a video that informs McAuley donors and volunteers about the agency’s work. And when Shanley’s term ended, she took the time to steer another Delta Dental executive to the board.
“Kathryn brought an analytic mind, calm manner and keen insight to challenging decisions, and was a steady hand on the tiller throughout,” said the Rev. Mary Margaret Earl, associate director at McAuley House. “For me, she modeled a leadership style based on integrity, composure and a quiet confidence. She set an example both for other trustees and managers within the organization.”
She has served on the board of directors for Textron Chamber Academy, a Providence charter school where at-risk teens receive an education that helps them prepare for business careers. Through her efforts, Delta Dental set up an internship program for students there, as well as an annual scholarship for graduating seniors.
At Providence College, Shanley serves on the president’s council, a group of business leaders who advise the college. Members of the group serve as career counselors to students as well, and for the past two years, Shanley has arranged for student internships at her company. More informally, she is known at Delta Dental as someone ready to support young employees or women returning to the workplace.
Julie Ferrini, who serves as the company’s director of program integrity and network management, recalls how Shanley encouraged her when she was first hired and charged with helping to develop a subsidiary in Massachusetts.
“I had recently left clinical practice as a hygienist. I began in an entry-level role, and was hesitant to pursue a new opportunity,” she said. “Her patience and coaching has shaped me into an effective manager and leader. … She saw something in me that I always knew was there. I just needed someone to recognize and acknowledge those abilities and skills.”
During Ferrini’s first year on the job, Shanley urged her to return to college. She enrolled in night school at Providence College; a little more than three years later, she had earned a bachelor’s degree. At graduation, she was handed her diploma by the college president, the Rev. Brian Shanley, her mentor’s brother.
“That says a lot about Kathryn’s follow through,” Ferrini said. “By my seventh anniversary at Delta Dental, I was promoted once again and am now managing 11 employees, and overseeing several critical functional areas. Daily, I look to Kathryn to advise me as to the appropriate course of action, whether it be internally or externally. I admire her management skills, but most importantly, it’s her people skills that set her apart.”
You’ll hear similar words from others at the company.
“I admire Kathryn on many different levels” said Debbie Abbruzzi, Delta Dental’s former director of professional relations, “not only for how she has mentored me over the years, but also how she reaches out to others. … You can walk into her office at any time to discuss a problem or concern. She listens. And more importantly, she values your opinion. Kathryn’s confidence in my abilities and judgment helped me grow and mature as a manager.”
“I’ve worked closely with Kathryn for the past 15 years in maintaining Delta Dental’s corporate and brand image,” added Mary Sommer, director of corporate communications.
“Kathryn is an exceptional role model for women of every age in our organization, from midlevel managers to student interns,” she said. &#8226

No posts to display