2016-17 WLP Annual Report

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2017 COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARD WLP honors visionary leaders and philanthropists throughout the community doing extraordinary things to make Tampa Bay a better place for women to live and work. With our Community Leadership Award Program, we showcase individual excellence in leadership as demonstrated by outstanding initiative, impact of work, and inspiration to others. By awarding the Community Leadership Award as a part of the program at our annual Fall Symposium, WLP publicly affirms and celebrates the immense contributions and achievements of women in our communities with the intent of raising public awareness and inspiring the leadership and service potential of current and future generations of women. DEBBIE N. SEMBLER WLP COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARD Debbie N. Sembler has been an unwavering and passionate supporter of the USF System and of USF St. Petersburg for more than a decade. As Chair of the USFSP Campus Board, she helped facilitate the burgeoning growth at USFSP in recent years. During her tenure, USFSP received the two largest gifts in its history from Kate Tiedemann and Lynn Pippenger, and a number of major construction projects were completed – the Science and Technology Building; the Debbie Nye Sembler Student Center; the HarborWalk; and an iconic feature at the heart of the campus, the Debbie and Brent Sembler Family Fountain. A former marketing executive, Debbie’s career included serving as senior account executive for Hill & Knowlton; director of public relations for Wyndham Hotel Sea World in Orlando; and as the first director of marketing for Old Hyde Park Village. While raising her three children, she shifted her focus to community work where she has served on the boards of All Children’s Hospital, the Florida Holocaust Museum, the Florida Governor’s Mansion Foundation, Shorecrest Preparatory School and Temple Beth-El. As a member of the Holocaust Museum Advisory Board, she initiated a collaboration between USFSP and the museum, focusing on collecting and preserving the testimonies of Holocaust survivors living in the area. That effort led to the establishment of the Debbie and Brent Sembler Florida Holocaust Museum Lecture Series at USFSP. They also have established a philanthropic fund through the Tampa-Orlando-Pinellas Jewish Foundation, Inc. Debbie is one of the USF System’s longest-tenured trustees, devoting 12 years of service, until her recent retirement. Her commitment to the USF System continues, as she now serves as the USFSP Member at Large on the WLP Executive Committee, and has recently joined the USF Foundation Board of Directors. She became involved with USF when then-Gov. Jeb Bush appointed her to the board, with subsequent appointments coming from governors Charlie Crist and Rick Scott. In 2015, Debbie was chosen to serve as co-chair of USFSP’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. Her philanthropy there and as a member of WLP reflects her tireless commitment to higher education and passion for student success. Through it all, Debbie continually has modeled WLP’s mission of engaging and developing the intellectual and leadership potential of women that enhances life at USF and beyond. 21 2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT
ANN MCKEEL ROSS ’79 WLP LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Ann McKeel Ross, a USF alumna, worked as Director of Community Relations at the university from 1980- 1996, receiving the Affirmative Action Award from USF’s Equal Opportunity Committee for her continued efforts to recruit and hire minorities, women and those with disabilities. She became a founding director of Pilot Bank and Vice President of Advancement for the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center (now the Straz Center). Though she retired from that position in 2001, Ann continues to serve as a member of the board of trustees. In addition to her professional achievements, Ann has made a significant mark as a volunteer. She is currently a member of the Athena Society and an honorary member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, and has served as a board member for the Museum of Science and Industry, Temple Terrace Friends of the Library, the Home Association, the Southwest Florida Board Bank, and the Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. Her contributions have led to numerous honors such as Florida Arts Recognition Award from the State of Florida, the Arts Patron of the Year Award from the Arts Council of Hillsborough County and the Outstanding Cultural Contributor Award from the Greater Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce. A native of Bowling Green, Kentucky, Ann attended and studied art at the University of Kentucky and Western Kentucky University. She halted her studies to raise three sons with her husband, Dr. James C. Ross, whose service in the U.S. Air Force led to an assignment at MacDill Air Force Base that brought the family to Tampa. She eventually earned her Bachelor of Arts in Art from USF in 1979, later becoming a Life Member of the USF Alumni Association and serving on the boards of the USF Foundation and USF Contemporary Arts Museum. She and her husband, a retired dentist, helped establish the museum and USF Graphicstudio. Ann also founded CADRE, the first arts support group at USF. USF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP & PHILANTHROPY 22
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Page 6 and 7: Retired Math Professor Liana Fernan
Page 8 and 9: By Melissa Wolfe The Inaugural Wome
Page 10 and 11: THE USF WLP FACULTY RESEARCH AWARD
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Page 18 and 19: We grew from 250 to 306 members in
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2016-17 WLP Annual Report

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