2016-17 WLP Annual Report

Since its founding, USF Women in Leadership and Philanthropy
has sought to encourage and develop the intellectual and leadership
potential of women in the Tampa Bay Area. As a proud USF
alumna, it has been my honor to serve as chairman as we continue
to grow the program and its mission. At the recent 2017 WLP Fall
Symposium, we were treated to an inspiring message from a fellow
USF alumna Grace Gealey Byers, USF Honors College theatre
grad and star of the popular Fox series “Empire”, who challenged
us to know our worth and the value of relationships. My time as
your chairman has given me moments of clarity and purpose in the
stewardship of the people and programs of WLP, and has further
strengthened my commitment to give my all to advance both the
strategic goals of WLP and of my alma mater, the University of
South Florida.
Our organization is well known for our highly impactful scholarship,
mentorship, and faculty research awards programs, but it is
important to recognize and appreciate that by working together
to advance these objectives, our collective engagement creates
opportunities to strengthen the skills we need to compete, to thrive,
and to be successful in our life journey. Our overall success depends
upon the participation of all of our members - founding, lifetime,
individual and corporate – giving generously of their time, talent
and treasure in pursuit of our mutually-shared values and goals. I
commend our outstanding WLP staff and impactful committees
for the tremendous contributions they have made to the success of
our programs, events, student engagement and overall progress.
Over the last year, we have witnessed the power and impact that
the collective contributions of our 300-plus members can generate.
Once again, WLP continued its trajectory of tremendous growth
and excellence, enjoyed a
record-setting 22% increase
in membership; an almost
100% increase in the principal
of the WLP Endowed Scholarship
fund; and a remarkable 537% increase
in the dollars dispersed by our WLP
First Generation Scholarship fund. Add that
to another sold-out WLP Fall Symposium and the successful
launch of our WLP W.I.S.E. (Women Who Ignite Student
Engagement) student leadership initiative, and I think we can all
agree that we have a tremendous reason to be proud of our organization.
If you aren’t already involved, I encourage you to “step up” your
membership engagement and join a committee in the coming year.
We need your talent, skills, passion and influence to continue on
this path. Harnessing the power of our collective skills and experiences
is necessary if we hope to continue our admirable trajectory
of success.
As an USF alumna and first generation college graduate it gives
me pleasure to support and represent USF and women making a
difference in their communities. Thank you for this privilege to
serve and for making this world a better place for women.
Sincerely,
Carolyn House Stewart ‘74
1 2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT