A single-page résumé would not do justice to Eve Van de Wal. Her career has comprised an array of roles with increasing clout in the healthcare field; a textbook example of climbing the corporate ladder. While her professional impact in the healthcare field is significant, her community involvement and educational accomplishments show a well-rounded, motivated, and driven woman.
Van de Wal began her career as a Registered Nurse working for more than a decade in the Critical Care unit of Utica’s Faxton Hospital. In the late 1990s she decided to venture into healthcare administration by taking a position with Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.
Over the next 13 years, she would move up the corporate ladder in various managerial roles until being named regional president in 2008.
Before stepping into her role as regional president, Van de Wal pursued not one, but two master’s degrees, graduating in 2007 with a M.S. in health services administration and the following year with an MBA. For both degrees, choosing SUNY Poly wasn’t a difficult decision for Van de Wal. “I could have gone to Syracuse University or Cornell. SUNY Poly is local and provided me with an education that I value. I’m proud to have my degrees from such a great college.”
One of the experiences she valued most as a graduate student was learning from her classmates, many of whom came from different age groups and backgrounds. “It was a cross-generational group of students. We had different strengths. I learned from them and they learned from me.”
Van de Wal is a proponent of education and considers the educational goals of her employees a priority, counseling them individually. How does she find the time in her busy schedule? “Education is never wasted. It’s not only valuable to the individual but also positively impacts our company in the best way possible.”