Women from all walks of life will flock to Arcadia University on Saturday, March 22, for the fifth annual Women Who Lead Forum. In celebration of this milestone, we asked Brigette A. Bryant, Vice President for Development and Alumni Engagement, about the event’s evolution and what attendees could expect this year.

How has the Women Who Lead Forum evolved over the past five years?

The Women Who Lead Forum launched in 2021 on Zoom…during COVID. While a digital presentation hadn’t been the original vision for the forum, I knew we had to start somewhere.  We highlighted four exceptional women — Susan Tressider ’84, ’90M, Kelsey Koelzer, M. Susan Savage ’74, and Patricia St. Cyr-Hager ’91 — in that first year, but making it an interactive, personal event was the primary objective. The evolution of Women Who Lead Forum has been strategic and nothing short of miraculous to behold. We had 50 guests online.

Our second year set the tone for what could be. Held outdoors under a tent, the forum blossomed in perfect sunny spring weather. We honored Bette Landman, Barbara Nodine, and Elaine Maimon, dear friends to each other as well as leaders in higher education, whose paths all crossed at Beaver College and Arcadia University. Our guest speaker was Nancy Glass, a six-time Emmy winner and local business woman, who brought joy and laughter during her speech on leadership. Our guest total was 93.

By our third year, we had to bring the Forum indoors when rain threatened our event. This weather challenge turned out to be the best thing that could have happened. Our guests preferred to be inside. Hiroko Otani Kiffner ’62, the brains behind Rachael Ray’s cooking empire, was our guest speaker. Her interview mesmerized as we slowly understood that she navigated her way through the industry in which she works through a strong vision, sheer grit, and determination. The event was full of surprises, including Rachael Ray herself on video with a message for Hiroko. In her days at Beaver, Hiroko traveled in a trio of friendships, two classmates who we were able to bring (one by video) and the other (in person) to amplify Hiroko’s congratulations. However, unbeknownst to Dr. Barbara Sparks Favazza ’62, she, too, was honored at the Women Who Lead Forum for her academic success at Beaver College (she was #1 in her Class) and for her achievement as the first African American to graduate from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. We also honored our then President of the Alumni Association, Maya B. Johnson ’97, who was stepping down that year. Our guest total was 140.

Last year, we grew to five honorees, three of whom celebrated on-site with us. We had Kay WalkingStick ’59, an internationally renowned indigenous artist; the President of the Motley Fool Asset Manager, Kelsey Mowrey ’10; Iris Bonner ’07, a designer and artist, whose work has been worn by Joy Ann Reid on the set of her then show, “The ReidOut,” as well as on Cardi B; Susan C. Lask ’82, ’83M, a noted and fearless attorney who has fought legal battles that changes the drug industry; and Jenna Mulhall-Brereton ’08M, an important voice at the National Philanthropic Trust. Additionally, we celebrated Beaver College Foundation and the women leaders who made it all possible. Lastly, to round out WWLF, Blue Note artist Kandace Springs performed with her all-woman band to put a sweet cadence to our day. Our guest total was 125. 

Each year, we select from among the best of our alumnae to find women who have pushed beyond barriers and led inspirational lives. With their life stories, they make their Alma Mater proud and demonstrate, through their lived experiences, that they lead so that others may follow.

This year we recognize the work of Dr. Joann B. Sweasy ’80 who, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, leads the Fred and Pamela Buffet Cancer Center and the Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases. LaVada English ’02 is an entrepreneur in Los Angeles, who serves as CEO of Bright Places, a strategic coaching firm specializing in leadership development, Jacquelyn Barrett-Washington ’72, ‘01H, who was elected as the first African American sheriff in the country, Dr. Ellen Schecter ’66, ‘11H, the power behind “The Magic School Bus” and “Reading Rainbow,” and Phyllis Brody Taylor ’63, who as a student at Beaver, was a Freedom Rider and courageous fighter for the civil rights of the disenfranchised. Today, she is a nurse, who also works in the prison to ensure that those who have lost their freedom do not also have to lose their rights. Our pre-event guest count is currently 69; we expect at least 150.

The WWLF has become a signature event for Arcadia, drawing guests from our alumni, friend, and student communities, inspiring others to their own personal greatness.

Why is WWLF important?

From an alumni engagement perspective, Arcadia has not always done the best job of letting our alumni know how much we appreciate them and how much we cheer for them. In fact, I would say that I wouldn’t feel terribly surprised if our alumni felt largely ignored. Since 2019, as VP, I have been working with my team to change misperceptions and find ways to show our appreciation and love for our alumni more. In some cases, we have missed the boat. But in others, we are welcomed with open arms and a willingness to reconnect. We are so deeply grateful for those moments. 

So, think of WWLF as my love letter to our alumnae. I love Arcadia’s origin story as Beaver Female Seminary. The journey from seminary with its five name changes, its founding mission in 1872 to be a place to teach both men and women, the amazing opportunities it afforded women to its beloved 94-year history as Beaver College drive the work we do.  

Started as a celebration of Arcadia’s roots as a women’s college, WWLF has maintained that focus and developed wings as a platform to celebrate and showcase exceptional talent, resilience in the pursuit of excellence, and inspirational leadership by women in our community. WWLF is the University’s way of thanking our alumnae for being role models for our students, for charting paths where none existed before, and for being a proud representative of the Beaver College and Arcadia University story.

What matters most is the pride that can be felt by not only the alumni who attend the event, but also the lessons that our students absorb and the encouragement it gives our students when they see alumni and hear their stories who, at one point, were students just as they are today.

Lastly, WWLF is really about building a supportive sisterhood, where we intentionally serve to help one another because of a shared experience at our beloved institution.

You can register for the Women Who Lead Forum at this link until March 14.