by Ann Donnelly
New York’s State University Board of Trustees has appointed Dr. Kelli Borgos-Hatin as SUNY Distinguished Professor. Dr. Borgos-Hatin has been a Business Professor at SUNY Adirondack for over 23 years, starting when the college was known as Adirondack Community College, and has taught and mentored hundreds of students during that time. While building the next generation of business leaders is a great passion, she is also a highly regarded entrepreneur. Throughout her career, Borgos-Hatin had also worked in event catering and saw frequent issues with staffing the bar, so in 2011, she founded Mixaritas, mobile bartending services, with Jenn Berry-Youngs, who had been a student in Borgos-Hatin’s Hospitality Management Classes. Since then, the business has seen great success, leading to another business opportunity for Borgos-Hatin. Many event guests asked to purchase the flavored simple syrups she uses in her cocktails.
In 2019, Borgos-Hatin launched Mixa-Fusion, making syrups with pure cane sugar and natural ingredients with no added preservatives, powders, or extracts. In addition to the syrups, Mixa-Fusion makes and sells hot cocoa bombs in various flavors and scented hand sanitizer that they started producing when there was a significant demand early on during the pandemic.
Early in her career, Borgos-Hatin worked with two strong businesswomen from the region who she cites as role models: Maureen Monahan Chase of Monahan Chase Caterers and Catherine Fisher, who owned a Carvel Ice Cream franchise. Her parents were also significant influences: her mother, JoAnn Borgos, showed her how to manage a busy yet happy household successfully, and her father, Stephen Borgos, who was Professor of Business Emeritus at Adirondack Community College (SUNY Adirondack), working there from 1966-2001.
As a child, Borgos-Hatin would accompany her father to the school, sit in on classes, and help him in the office, so it was no surprise when she decided to attend and received her first degree there, an Associate of Science in Business, in 1992. She then went to Sienna College, earning a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Management in 1994.
After Sienna, Borgos-Hatin started as a Manager Trainee at Stewart’s Shops. She also worked in product development and became a trainer, traveling all over the state, which sparked her passion for teaching. By this time, she had married and had two children, so she decided to take a position with less travel, Office Manager at the Lake George office of property developers, Michael’s Group, where she worked from 1997 to 2000. She had been interested in property at a young age, earning her real estate license at 18. Still, when the Travel & Tourism professor role opened at Adirondack Community College in 2000, it led her to where she is today.
At first, she started teaching travel agent skills, but as careers in travel and tourism changed, so did the program at the college. The department moved to Hospitality & Tourism and then Hospitality Management. While teaching at the college, Borgos-Hatin takes on hospitality and marketing consulting and advisory roles for several organizations and has built an extensive and robust network of connections that she uses to help her students. She brings people, key in the industry, to speak and share their expertise with the students. She also uses her connections to find internship and employment opportunities for students and graduates. “It’s not just what you know; it is who you know, and I try to get a number of ‘whos’ in the classroom,” says Borgos-Hatin.
Her vast experience enables Borgos-Hatin to teach her students through real-life case studies. She also teaches and models her formula for success: hard work, service, hospitality/customer service, time management, and connections.
Borgos-Hatin had always been committed to her continuing education. In 2005, she received an MBA from Walden University; in 2016, she received a Doctor of Education from Capella University. She earned these degrees while teaching, running businesses, and managing a thriving family.
Borgos-Hatin advises women in business: “One, don’t be afraid of failure. Two, don’t back down.”