Our History

Description of Talent Development's history and purpose statement.
Group with their hands together as a team.

Prior to Talent Development

Before the birth of an organized campus-wide training program, it was up to each department at CSU to develop and conduct employee training. The administration at CSU saw a need for a centralized training program.

Fall 2021

Diverse Deliveries

The Talent Development team worked to develop new and innovative ways to deliver training options for the CSU community offering online, hybrid, and in-person professional development opportunities to meet the needs of our faculty and staff working from home and on various campuses. 

Fall 2021

Spring 2020

COVID-19 Pandemic

Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, Talent Development shifted in mid-March 2020 to an entirely virtual learning experience. TD rapidly adjusted content to respond to employees’ needs during a time of transition and uncertainty. 

TD also launched its first self-paced course in the LMS – eLearning versions of the one-hour curricula. 

Spring 2020

Summer 2019

Talent Development

The team changed the office name to ‘Talent Development.’

The new name, Talent Development (TD), placed focus on what the office does through training and facilitation, by building the knowledge, skills, and abilities of others and helping them develop and achieve their potential so that the organizations they work for can succeed and grow.

Summer 2019

Spring 2018

Emergency Readiness Trainings

The building proctor program expanded to include new emergency readiness trainings for all of campus led by a multi-disciplinary team of trainers. 

Spring 2018

Spring 2018

Learning Management System

Recognizing the need for a centralized university employee registration and tracking system, TOD sponsored and launched a Learning Management System (LMS) for employees. The LMS is used to monitor professional development, safety, research and compliance training across campus. The team added an LMS Coordinator to provide operational and technical support within TOD and to LMS department administrators across campus.

TOD produced its first online live training to reach  supervisors and other employees who work off-campus.

Spring 2018

Fall 2017

Supervisor Development Program Requirement

In conjunction with administrations reflection upon the campus climate survey and at the request of the employee councils former President Tony Frank announced the support for a required supervisor training program. TOD met this request with increased offerings within the Supervisor Development Program.

Fall 2017

Summer 2016

Expansion of Training & Organizational Development

TOD expanded its staff with the addition of two Training & Organized Development Specialists. Their primary focus was to create a required Supervisor Development Program and expand services to provide strengths coaching and customized facilitation. The TOD team also revamped the University Orientation Program.

Summer 2016

Spring 2013

Meet Marsha

Marsha Benedetti brought TOD her experience managing training in the healthcare industry. She also built upon her past CSU management experience to continue TOD leadership. 

Marsha Benedetti, current director of Talent Development.
Spring 2013

Fall 2005

Proctor Training

The Training and Organizational Development unit added a part-time staff member to provide building proctor training across campus.

Fall 2005

Training & Organizational Development

Lorie Expanded the department services with her background and experience in organizational psychology. The office name changed to Training & Organizational Development to reflect this expansion.

Spring 2000

Meet Lorie

Lorie Smith, along with a support staff, continued the development of the employee training program. The office partnered with Facilities; Student Affairs, including Housing & Dining Services; and the Colleges of Business and Health & Human Sciences.
  Lorie Smith, former director of Talent Development.

Spring 2000

Fall 1999

The Program is Launched

Initially the program was called “Training & Development” and launched in the fall of 1999, extending through the Spring of 2000. The program focused on the development of soft skills, including leadership, relationship building, evaluating staff, and how to have difficult conversations.

Fall 1999

Pilot Program Development

Mims worked with two part-time student employees and partnered with the Lory Student Center and Housing & Dining Services to their training curricula. This resulted in a leadership pilot program intended for deans, directors, and department heads at the University. 

Spring 1999

Meet Mims Harris

Mims Harris began working for Colorado State University in 1970 as the associate Director of Cultural Programs. She later began the Director of campus activities. In 1999 she worked under the Human Resources Department with a focus on employee training and development. 

Mims Harris, former director of Talent Development.
Spring 1999