13th Annual WLP Fall Symposium Program

FEATURING NEW YORK TIMES 

BEST-SELLING AUTHOR 

JEANNETTE WALLS 

AGAINST 

ALL ODDS 

OCTOBER 19, 2018 

VIP RECEPTION SPONSOR: MEDIA SPONSOR: MARKETING SPONSOR:

PAGE 2 

ABOUT WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP 

& PHILANTHROPY 

Dear Members, Partners, and Friends, 

Founded in 2005 by a small group of individuals and a 

handful of Tampa Bay area corporations, WLP advanced a 

vision shared by noted philanthropist Carol Morsani and USF 

System President Judy Genshaft to create the first women’s 

philanthropic organization in the Tampa Bay region focused 

on developing the intellectual and leadership potential of 

women through the promotion of mentorship, philanthropy, 

community engagement and scholarly excellence. Fast 

forward 13 years and WLP - now numbering more than 350 

individual and 22 corporate members strong - has helped 

stimulate numerous transformational gifts to benefit the 

USF System; has directly raised well over $5 million; and 

has invested more than $1 million in grants, scholarships, 

and programmatic funding to assist female students, faculty 

members, and women in the Tampa Bay region. These 

achievements are a clear sign that USF WLP is a trailblazer 

in advancing women’s leadership and philanthropy in our 

communities and is fulfilling the vision of our founding 

members. 

Throughout the past decade, WLP has awarded more than $1 

million in scholarships and devoted mentoring hours to 635 

scholars, and has provided research awards to 29 female 

faculty members. WLP presents a wide variety of educational 

and leadership development programs annually at all three 

USF System institutions and in our surrounding communities, 

and has formed formal mentoring partnerships with USF 

Health, USF’s Center for Leadership & Civic Engagement, 

Office of Veteran Success, Athletics, Transitional Advising 

Center, the Honors College, USF St. Petersburg and 

USF Sarasota-Manatee, among other entities. 

the WLP/WISE Advisory Council, we developed and 

launched the USF System’s first student-led leadership 

symposium in spring 2017, and continued with another 

successful WISE Student Symposium in March 2018. 

The continued success of WLP is the result of the 

collective generosity of all of our members, who 

lend their time, talent, and treasure to make WLP the 

impactful organization that it has become. We thank 

our Founding, Lifetime, Corporate, and Individual 

members for their engagement and continued 

leadership and support, and for each of you for your 

attendance here today. Together we are truly making 

a difference. 

Sincerely, 

In 2016, in partnership with Valley National Bank (formerly 

USAmeriBank), WLP formed the WISE (Women Who Ignite 

Student Engagement) Advisory Council. Together with 

the WLP Mentoring and Program Committees and with 

CAROLYN HOUSE STEWART, ESQ. ’74 

Chair, USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy 

WLP Lifetime Member 

To learn more about how you can make a difference 

visit USF.EDU/WLP. 

FACEBOOK TWITTER #USFWLP • 13 TH 

ANNUAL WLP FALL SYMPOSIUM

PAGE 3 

SPECIAL THANKS 

TO OUR 2018 

SYMPOSIUM SPONSORS 

PRESENTED BY 

VIP RECEPTION SPONSOR 

MARKETING SPONSOR 

MEDIA SPONSOR 

SWIMDIGITALGROUP.COM 

NETWORKING 

BREAKFAST SPONSOR 

STUDENT 

RECEPTION SPONSOR 

CONCURRENT SESSIONS SPONSORS 

BENEFACTOR SPONSORS 

USF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP & PHILANTHROPY • USF.EDU/WLP

PAGE 4 

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE 

SESSIONS 

8:00 - 8:45 AM 

Networking Breakfast 

GALLERIA 

9:00 - 10:00 AM 

Let’s Talk About ALICE 

PALMA CEIA 

Let’s Talk About Passion and Purpose 

UNIVERSITY CLUB 

Let’s Talk About #TimesUp, Time for a Solution 

ESPLANADE 

10:30 - 11:30 AM 

Let’s Talk About Diversity 

ESPLANADE 

Let’s Talk About Self-Care 

PALMA CEIA 

Let’s Talk About Women in the C-Suite 

UNIVERSITY CLUB 

12:00 - 1:30 PM 

Luncheon with Jeannette Walls 

BAYSHORE BALLROOM 

1:45 - 2:30 PM 

VIP Reception (Invitation Only) 

PALMA CEIA 

2:45 - 3:30 PM 

Student Reception 

ESPLANADE 



II 

ESPLANADE 

IV 

EXIT 

EXIT 

CONVENTION 

REGISTRATION DESK 

V 

CORRIDOR 

VI 

I 

I 

VII 

I 

Freight Elevator 

to Street 

GALLERIA B 

II 

BAYSHORE BALLROOM 

IV 

III 

ADMINI STRATION OFFICES 

SERVICE 

PALMA CEIA BALLROOM 

GALLERIA A 


SERVICE 

SERVICE 

YBOR 

II 

III 

CHANNELSIDE 2 

ESPLANADE FOYER 

ESPLANADE SUITE 

III 

IV 

EXIT 

SERVICE SERVICE 

HYDE 

PARK CHANNELSIDE 1 

ATRIUM 

III 

II 

I 

GARRISON 

PAGE 5 

Bayshore Ballroom 

Esplanade 

Galleria 

Palma Ceia 

University Club 


Escalator to 1st Floor 

211 Restaurant & 

Guest Registration 

To the 



PAGE 6 

KEYNOTE SPEAKER 


New York Times Best-selling Author 

From the pages of her celebrated memoir, Jeannette Walls moves 

you to realize the power of the human spirit as she inspires courage 

in the face of new and longstanding fears, and reveals how our flaws 

can be our greatest assets. 

A celebrated journalist and author, Jeannette is best known for 

her New York Times best-selling memoir, The Glass Castle, which 

details her life growing up in extreme poverty and the tale of her 

emergence from it, AGAINST ALL ODDS. Named by Amazon as one 

of the top 10 books of the decade, in August 2017, her inspiring story 

was brought to the big screen in a highly-anticipated major motion 

picture starring Oscar nominees Woody Harrelson and Naomi Watts 

as her parents and Oscar winner Brie Larson as Jeannette. 

On stage, Jeannette takes audiences inside her hard-fought journey, 

delivering a compelling first-person testament of the various 

struggles and long-lasting emotional burdens of destitution. She 

ignites our innate belief in possibility as she reveals how unyielding 

determination and hope for the future enabled her to overcome 

unimaginable obstacles. 

Audiences are captivated as she reveals bittersweet anecdotes 

from her past that often exemplify grander truths about courage and 

the positive rewards that come from confronting challenges. With an 

unforgettable story of triumph over unrelenting adversity, Jeannette 

inspires the realization that we’re all stronger than we think, leaving 

listeners emboldened to face the demons in their lives. 

MEET OUR TEAM USF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP & PHILANTHROPY 

KRISTI LARIBEE 

Advancement Administrator 

INDIA WITTE 

WLP Executive Director 

KATE EVANS 

Assistant Director 

(813) 974-9894 

klaribee@usf.edu 

(813) 974-1886 

iwitte@usf.edu 

(813) 974-6996 

carodi@usf.edu 

Those interested in learning more about membership in WLP should contact our team at (813) 974-1810 or via email 

at wlp@usf.edu. 



PAGE 7 

2018 LUNCHEON PROGRAM 

11:30 AM 

Luncheon Seating Begins 

12:00 PM 

Welcome 

CAROLYN HOUSE STEWART, ESQ. ’ 74 

WLP Chair 

Introductory Comments 

DR. JUDY GENSHAFT 

USF System President 

The Pamela Muma Women’s Health Center 

PAMELA MUMA 

Community Leader & Philanthropist 

WLP Community Leadership Award 

LIZ KENNEDY ’ 80 

WLP Lifetime Achievement Award 

LIANA FERNANDEZ FOX, PHD, ’ 80, ’98 

WLP Impact 

INDIA WITTE 


Personal Testimony 

SHARI ZAMANI 

WLP Endowed Scholarship Recipient 

Speaker Introduction 

AMY RUTH 

Chief Human Resource Officer, Florida Blue 

12:45 - 1:30 PM 

Keynote Speaker 


“Against All Odds” 

Concluding Comments 

INDIA WITTE 



PAGE 8 

WLP SCHOLAR SPOTLIGHT 

During the 2018-2019 academic year, almost 9,000 students in the USF System applied for scholarships through the 

Women in Leadership & Philanthropy scholarship program, and WLP was pleased to provide a record 161 awards to 

talented women throughout the USF System. We invite you to meet a few of these outstanding young scholars. 

VALERIA 

PEREIRA MARTINEZ 

WLP/Florida Blue Leadership 

in Healthcare Scholarship 

TIANA 

HILL 

WLP/Bank of America 

East Tampa Scholarship 

TIGRA 

LOPEZ 

WLP/Vincent Zecchino M.D. 

Dream Givers USA Scholarship 

First-year medical student in the 

Morsani College of Medicine’s 

CORE program. Valeria is a 

first-generation college student. 

She graduated from USF 

with a dual degree in Public 

Health and Chemistry, with 

an emphasis in Biochemistry. 

As an undergraduate at USF, 

Valeria dedicated a great deal 

of her free time volunteering for 

the BRIDGE Clinic, a studentrun 

free medical clinic, and 

working as a tutor for USF’s 

Center for Migrant Education. 

Through these positions, Valeria 

found her passion for serving 

underserved populations. Her 

goal is to continue to serve 

people throughout her medical 

career by supporting clinics that 

focus on aiding those with the 

greatest needs. She also plans 

to be involved in research and 

academic medicine throughout 

her career. In her free time, 

Valeria enjoys drawing, painting, 

reading, and dancing. 

Junior, majoring in social work. Tiana, 

the first in her family to attend college, 

has chosen to pursue a career in social 

work because she is passionate about 

improving her community and youth 

development. Tiana’s goal is to work with 

Children’s Board of Hillsborough County – 

an organization that invests in partnerships 

and quality programs to support the 

success of all children and families in 

Hillsborough County. Tiana is dedicated 

to teaching children the importance of 

defining their own success and striving 

to be their best. She volunteers with 

Junior Achievement Village, Hillsborough 

Education Foundation and the Collegiate 

100, and is a proud member of Sigma 

Alpha Lambda, Phi Theta Kappa, and the 

Black Leadership Network. Tiana enjoys 

spending time with guidance counselors 

and teachers from schools in the Tampa 

Bay area, attending church services at 

House of Prayer Eternal Ministries in Palm 

River, and spending quality time with her 

family. 

Senior, majoring in elementary 

education. Tigra’s goal is 

to finish her final year as an 

undergraduate in strong 

fashion and make her family 

proud. As a single mother and 

the first in her family to attend 

college, graduation will be a 

major accomplishment. Tigra 

brings her son to campus 

and USF events as much as 

possible so he knows college 

is attainable. After graduation, 

she plans to enroll in a master’s 

degree program to become 

certified to teach interns. Tigra 

is passionate about building 

connections with students in 

the classroom and making a 

difference through parental 

involvement. She wants her 

future students to know it 

doesn’t matter what family they 

come from, how different they 

might look, or what obstacles 

are thrown at them, anyone can 

succeed and do great things! 



PAGE 9 

YOANNA 

GUEORGUIEV 

WLP/Nancy Schneid 

Scholarship 

FREA’DRIKA 

CURRY 

WLP Endowed 

Scholarship 

MARILLULY 

PERAZA 

WLP First Generation 

Scholarship 

Senior, double major in marketing and 

finance, with a minor in business analytics 

and information systems in the Muma 

College of Business. After completing her 

undergraduate degree at USF, Yoanna 

plans to apply for graduate school at 

NYU to pursue a specialized MBA in 

Fashion and Luxury Brand Marketing. 

Her goal is to work as a brand manager 

in the entertainment and theater industry. 

She believes that nobody’s education is 

complete without the arts and she hopes 

to combine her passion for marketing 

and theater. Currently, she is a member 

of the co-ed business fraternity, Delta 

Sigma Pi, as well as a student lead with 

the USF Digital Media Commons. When 

she is not working, Yoanna studies hard 

to maintain her 3.85 GPA. In her free time, 

Yoanna volunteers as a graphic designer 

for the Laboratory Theater of Florida, a 

progressive community theater that shines 

light on important contemporary topics and 

creates outreach programs for the LGBT+ 

community of Southwest Florida. She is 

trilingual, speaking French, Bulgarian and 

English. 

Sophomore, majoring in health 

sciences with biological and social 

and behavioral health concentrations, 

and a minor in forensic behavioral 

health. Frea’Drika is from Jacksonville 

and is the first of her family to graduate 

from high school, and also the first 

to attend college. With her degree, 

Frea’Drika plans to attend medical 

school and become a doctor in the 

field of Obstetrics/Gynecology, with 

the goal of providing women with the 

health education and support that 

they need. She also plans on opening 

a non-profit organization for youth 

and offer specific programs within the 

organization to work with students 

individually and as groups. Frea’Drika 

sees herself as a role model for her 

family and for younger girls who do 

not have anyone to look up to. She is 

currently the External Vice President 

for the Black Female Development 

Circle for the 2018-19 year, a member 

of the National Society of Collegiate 

Scholars, and a member of Sigma 

Alpha Lambda Honors Society, and 

plans to be involved in much more. 

Senior, majoring in international 

affairs and economics, with a minor 

in French. Marilluly plans to pursue a 

career as an attorney and specialize in 

immigration law. Last summer, she had 

the amazing opportunity to participate 

in an internship with Arias Law Offices 

in Orlando. As an intern, Marilluly 

was able to work closely with the 

paralegal assistants and the practicing 

attorney on real cases at the office. For 

Marilluly, this internship highlighted the 

importance of being fluent in Spanish, 

English and French. This summer she 

studied abroad in Nice, France in order 

to further develop her skills in the French 

language. As a senior, this will be the 

perfect experience to complement her 

undergraduate career and she could 

not be more thankful! Marilluly expects 

her international experience to support 

her academic goals by acquiring 

new perspectives needed to solve 

real-world problems as a lawyer; her 

professional goals by allowing language 

to spark great passion for her career; 

and her personal goals by allowing her 

to communicate to others that they have 

a chance for greatness. 


PAGE 10 

2018-2019 WLP SCHOLARS 

WLP/Ann McKeel Ross 

Scholarship in Visual Arts 

Jailyn Jones 

WLP/Anne Marie Campbell 

Scholarship 

Vanessa Belcher 

WLP/Bank of America 

East Tampa Scholarship 

Tiana Hill 

Jasmine Trejo 

WLP/Berkman Family 

First Generation Scholarship 

Ella Bojanic 

Kristine Caraig 

WLP/Berkman Family Scholarship 

Ashley Pierre 

WLP/Betty Castor Scholarship 

for Global Initiatives 

Priscilla Francois 

Carine Kambou 

WLP/Bob & Liana Fernandez Fox 

Endowed Scholarship 

Daisy Solis 

WLP/Carolyn A. O’Steen Memorial 

Scholarship 

Gretchen Stewart 

WLP/Carolyn House Stewart 


Lynecee Romelus 

WLP/CREW Tampa Bay 

Scholarship 

Ana Mary Novo Contreras 

WLP/Deborah Eaves 


Cheriann Baker 

Laura Cadenas Sainz 

WLP/Donald & Ruth Anderson 

Memorial Scholarship 

Crystal Williams 

WLP/Dorothy L. Morgan Endowed 

Scholarship in Marine Science 

Makenzie Burrows 

WLP/Dorothy Warren Burke 


Xenia Sailors 

WLP/Elicia Renee Byrd 

Endowed Service Scholarship 

Jasmine Burnett 

WLP/Elsie A. Moore 


Alaina Faustini 

Jacquelyn Redrup 

Mariana Suarez 

WLP/Esther Schneid 


Cassidy Hinson 

Indira Ranaweera 

WLP/Florida Blue Leadership 

in Healthcare Scholarship 

Valeria Pereira Martinez 

WLP/Geraldine Twine 


Jadorah Saint-Leger 

WLP/Jessica Stands with Girls 


Anne Bauer 

WLP/Judith Bryan Darsey 

Scholarship 

Kali Lower 

WLP/Linda Blume Award 

Sarah Ford 

Jessica Smolen 

WLP/Martha Hodge 


Julia Sadoyan 

WLP/Nancy Schneid Scholarship 

Yoanna Gueorguiev 

WLP/National Mah Jongg League 

Foundation, Inc. Scholarship 

Dominika Borakiewicz 

Bianca Velez-Lugo 

Brianna Waldrep 

WLP/New American Scholarship 

for Women of Excellence 

Naya Sayegh 

WLP/Ouyang Yu 


Emily Palumbo 

WLP/Pam Iorio 

Leadership Scholarship 

Jasmine Green 

WLP/Philip & Ellen Asherman 

Scholarship 

Jasmine Banchs 

Alexandra Chacon 

Valeria Cifuentes Gutierrez 

Alexis Esparza 

Damien Imeh 

Kaleigh Marquis 

Hannah Pierle 

WLP/Ruth Earle & Yuko Yongue 


Daniela Farias 

WLP/Tampa Palms 

Women’s Club Scholarship 

Ashley Mason 

WLP/Triad Foundation 

& Academy Prep Center 

of Tampa Scholarship 

Sheriean Carroll 

WLP/Valley National Bank 


Monica Olender 

WLP/USF Sarasota-Manatee 

Scholarship 

Natalie Jaskolski 

WLP/USF St. Petersburg 


Maribel Cantero 

WLP/Valerie D. Riddle M.D. 


Emma Rivas 

WLP/Vincent Zecchino, M.D./ 

Dream Givers USA Scholarship 

Tigra Lopez 

WLP/Virginia Gregory 

Endowment in Entrepreneurship 

Jayde Stewart 

FACEBOOK TWITTER #USFWLP • 13 TH ANNUAL WLP FALL SYMPOSIUM

PAGE 11 

WLP/Waller-Witte 


Odette Rosales 

WLP/Wilma Fowler 


Sherika Dixon 

WLP/Wilma Fowler 

Scholarship for USFSP 

Elise Hummel 

WLP/WISE 

“Students for Students” 

Scholarship 

Karlene Williams 

Women in Leadership & Philanthropy Endowed Scholarship 

Ashley Abbondandolo 

Rebecca Klarer 

Gentry Allen 

Caitlyn Lutz 

Aleah Ataman 

Maggie Lyons 

Monica Banerjee 

Tatiana Matos 

Joannie Bewa 

Jessica Nguyen 

Neto Coulibaly 

My Nguyen 

Frea’Drika Curry 

Jessica Nida 

Hala Daou 

Kalyn Nylander 

Mikhaela Dieudonne 

Crystal Ortiz 

LeeNor Dikel 

Gabrielle Piloto 

Alexis Garcia 

Xigrid Soto 

Sara Hostelley 

Sajedah Taher 

Wainella Isaacs 

Jhulianna Vivar 

Alyssamarie Jessen 

Waverly Wahome 

Sabrina Khalil 

Shari Zamani 

WLP First Generation Scholarship 

Lauren Adkins 

Linda Alvarenga 

Asia Anderson 

Martha Balleza 

Andrene Baxter 

A’Yonna Bryan 

Allice Campbell 

Danielle Card 

Skylar Clements 

Cassandra Degaetano 

Shaienne Demerieux 

Jasmine Duong 

Melissa Durkin 

Shamara Ebanks 

Chelsea Engel 

Mayra Espinosa 

Adriana Garcia 

Annalieth Garzon 

Natalie Gaudet 

Shasline Gedeon 

Alexis Gulli 

Alexys Gurreri 

Rachel Hendel 

Kayla Heredia 

Sophia Hymes 

Ciara Jackson 

Nia Jackson 

Urja Kaushik 

Zaheera Khaleel 

Kelly Korpela 

Samantha Laguerre 

Mariah Laudenslager 

Victoria Lee 

Savanna Lewis 

Romy Lisse 

Marissa Martinez 

Brianna Mathews 

Destiny Miholics 

Sofia Morinelli 

Carolina Neyra 

Mary Ann Nicholas 

Toneshea Noel 

Nevada Norris 

Angie Ocampo 

Duaa Omari 

Carly Parks 

Marilluly Peraza 

Alyssa Persad 

Bria Pitter 

Candace Powers 

Netzy Preciado 

Karin Claire Prins 

Stefanie Ramotar 

Haley Rivera 

Marangelis Rivera 

Vivica Roberson 

Jessica Rodriguez 

Erin Rogers 

Kelsey Rogers 

Jasmine Sanchez 

Karen Sanchez 

Monica Santana 

Natalie Santana 

Zipporah Snell 

Nia Thomas 

Lisa Thompson 

Janessa Toledo 

Alexandra Torres 

Daniela Vergaray 

Leah Vidal 

Claudia Young 

Makenzie Young 

Demi Zeper 


PAGE 12 

DR. KATHLEEN MOORE FACULTY EXCELLENCE AWARD PROGRAM 

2018 RECIPIENTS 

AWARD SPOTLIGHT 

DR. SYLVIA THOMAS 

USF Tampa Faculty Award 

Dr. Sylvia Wilson Thomas is currently an Associate Professor in Electrical Engineering at the 

University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida and former Assistant Dean in the College of 

Engineering at USF. She holds BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering from Vanderbilt 

University, where she was a Patricia Roberts Harris Fellow. Dr. Thomas received her PhD 

in Electrical Engineering from Howard University, was a NSF Materials Research Center 

of Excellence Fellow and was a National Science Foundation (NSF) research engineer in 

Korea at Chonbuk National University during her doctoral program. Dr. Thomas leads the 

Advanced Materials Bio and Integration Research (AMBIR) laboratory at USF. Her research 

and teaching endeavors are focused on advanced materials for alternative energy sources, 

sustainable environments, aerospace, and bio-applications from the micro to the nano scale. 

Her research explores the synthesis and device integration of inorganic and organic thin films 

and nanofibers. In addition to these efforts, Dr. Thomas is a motivational speaker/consultant 

for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, continued/graduate 

education, K-12 efforts, career transitioning, mentoring and professional development, and she 

provides inspirational lectures to community organizations and professional societies. She is 

also an advocate for women in engineering and serves on the inaugural Board of Directors 

for Black Girls Code and frequently speaks for Girls Scouts, the Great American Teach-In, and 

teacher and parent organizations. 

DR. LINDSEY RODRIGUEZ 

USF St. Petersburg Faculty Award 

Dr. Lindsey Rodriguez is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of South Florida 

St. Petersburg. She received her PhD in 2014 from the University of Houston. Very generally, 

her research program focuses on how close relationship processes interact with addictive 

and other health-risk behaviors. This includes how concerned partners communicate their 

concern to their partner (with regard to addictive behaviors or communication patterns), how 

those in struggling relationships manage their stressors (relationship-related or otherwise), 

and how addiction, stressors, and relationship problems influence mental and physical health. 

The ultimate goal of her research is to find insightful, practical, cost-effective ways to help 

individuals who are struggling with any of these problems find constructive responses to them 

rather than destructive responses such as drinking, gambling, or taking illicit substances. 

When Dr. Rodriguez isn’t engaging in research, she can be found outside — likely by a body of 

water — with her yellow lab Bentley. 

DR. VALERIE LIPSCOMB 

USF Sarasota-Manatee Faculty Award 

Dr. Valerie Lipscomb is an Associate Professor of English at the University of South Florida 

Sarasota-Manatee, where she teaches British and American literature. Her scholarship 

focuses on the performance of age in dramatic literature. In 2016, Palgrave Macmillan 

published her book, Performing Age in Modern Drama, the first monograph to examine age 

and aging as performance in contemporary plays. Her co-edited collection of essays, Staging 

Age: The Performance of Age in Theatre, Dance, and Film, also was published by Palgrave. 

Dr. Lipscomb’s articles have appeared in such journals as Modern Drama, Comparative 

Drama, the International Journal of Ageing and Later Life, and the Journal of Aging Studies. 

A native of Iowa, she earned a PhD from USF Tampa with concentrations in modern literature 

and teaching composition. Dr. Lipscomb serves on the Executive Committee of the Modern 

Language Association’s Age Studies Forum and as Treasurer of the North American Network 

in Aging Studies. 



PAGE 13 

Dr. Cheryl Vamos is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Community and Family Health 

and a Fellow with the Chiles Center for Women, Children and Families in the USF College 

of Public Health. Her research focuses on the translation of women’s health research into 

practice for providers and patients through employing health literacy, implementation science, 

and technology approaches. Past and current research projects have focused on family 

planning/contraception; prevention of HPV-associated outcomes; sexual and reproductive 

health literacy; prenatal oral health; and Maternal and Child Health (MCH) quality improvement 

projects. She has been the recipient of several internal and external grants to support her 

research. Dr. Vamos is also committed to teaching, continuing education, and technical 

assistance activities. She serves as the Director of the MCH Pipeline Program, a 5-year training 

grant funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau’s/Health Resources and Services 

Administration (MCHB/HRSA), which aims to recruit, train and mentor undergraduate students 

from under-represented backgrounds who seek graduate training in a variety of health-related 

fields. She also serves as a Co-Investigator for the Center of Excellence in MCH Education, 

Practice and Science, a 5-year training grant, which aims to provide leadership training in MCH 

and promote health equity through an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach. She has 

disseminated her work at local, state, national and international conferences, in peer-reviewed 

scholarly journals, and to community stakeholders. Dr. Vamos is also active in institutional, 

professional and community service, such as serving on the Health Literacy Advisory Board 

for the Hillsborough County Health Department, and Co-Chairing the Perinatal and Women’s 

Health Committee within the American Public Health Association. 

DR. CHERYL VAMOS 

Valerie D. Riddle, MD Award in Health 

Dr. Giti Javidi received her BS degree from University of Central Oklahoma and MS and 

PhD degrees from University of South Florida, Tampa. A long-time advocate for increasing 

participation and retention of women in STEM, Dr. Javidi has worked tirelessly on a number 

of projects in this domain for many years. She serves as an active member of the National 

Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) to increase girls’ and women’s 

meaningful participation in computing. Dr. Javidi is also a member of several other national 

organizations with the mission of advancing gender equity in STEM. At the national level, she 

has worked to develop new curricula and programs for computer science education with the 

goal of engaging a wider audience, particularly women and minorities. In the area of STEM 

education, Dr. Javidi’s research is focused on critical analysis of the issues related to biases 

and barriers to participation and success of minorities and women in STEM. Her work has 

been published in national and international journals and she has presented her work in 

significant venues, conferences and summits. Dr. Javidi has been the recipient of a number 

of prestigious Google, MSEIP (Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program), NSF 

(National Science Foundation) and NASA grants. In her first year at USF Sarasota-Manatee 

(USFSM), she was named a “Woman of Influence 2017” by Sarasota Magazine. Prior to joining 

USFSM’s Information Technology program, Dr. Javidi was a Professor of Computer Science 

at Virginia State University, where she played a pivotal role in developing and promoting a 

gender responsive pedagogy to recruit and retain girls in Computer Science. 

DR. GITI JAVIDI 

USF Junior Faculty Award 

Liz Kicak received her MFA in Creative Writing from USF in 2011 with a focus on poetry. She has 

worked at the USF Humanities Institute for seven years and currently serves as the Institute’s 

Director. Additionally, she teaches courses in creative writing and literature for the Department 

of English. Her poetry often engages with issues of ecology and eco-feminism, exploring the 

dynamics between humans and their environments, the cultural tradition of nature as a site 

of spiritual refuge, and the roles of feminine and feminist identities in poetry. Her work has 

been published in over a dozen journals and magazines including the New York Quarterly, the 

Tulane Review and WomenArts Quarterly. Kicak is also a two-time Pushcart Prize nominee. 

LIZ KICAK 

USF Instructor Award 


PAGE 14 

2018 WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP & PHILANTHROPY 

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARD 

WLP honors visionary leaders and philanthropists throughout the community doing extraordinary things to make 

the Tampa Bay region a better place for women to live and work. The Community Leadership Awards program 

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. 

LIZ KENNEDY, ’80 

Elizabeth (Liz) Kennedy has made a substantial mark on our region by helping to improve the lives of women, children and 

families through her professional, volunteer and philanthropic endeavors. The graduate of Plant High School, who earned 

her bachelor’s degree at Duke University and master’s degree at USF, has been involved in a wide array of social service 

initiatives. She was a founding board member and past president of the non-profit Child Abuse Council (now known as 

Champions for Children or CFC) from 1976-2001. Since 2011, she has been on staff with CFC, which provides support and 

education for some 40,000 people throughout the region. 

Through the years, Kennedy has made an impact on many other social service programs as well. She was a founding board 

member and chair of Hillsborough Kids, Inc.; a past board member of Healthy Start Coalition; and co-founder of the Baby 

Bungalow, a resource center for parents. She founded Ophelia Project-Tampa Bay through the Tampa Metro YMCA, serving 

as director from 2002-2009, and she helped create Layla’s House, a Sulphur Springs early childhood development center 

that provides free programs and services focused on helping newborns and children through age 5. Kennedy also made 

her presence felt at USF, where she served on the College of Education Development board. Her passion for community 

service also led her to establish Bridge Builders, an interfaith women’s group focused on creating stronger relationships 

through conversation and open dialogue. A tireless servant, Liz still volunteers roughly 100 hours each month, just as she 

has done for the past two decades. 

The issue of child abuse remains a driving force for Kennedy – some 40 years after she launched the Child Abuse Council 

with a seminar stage with the Junior League of Tampa. Last year, she set out to shine the spotlight on the problem once 

again by staging another seminar called “Community Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect.” Kennedy has been named 

a Lightning Community Hero (2013), a Civitan Citizen of the Year (2006) and a Bank of America Local Hero (2005), among 

many honors for her invaluable, impactful work. 

PAST RECIPIENTS 

Debbie Sembler (2017), Elaine Shimberg (2016), Hon. Pam Iorio, ’01 (2015), Elizabeth Fowler (2014), 

Barbara Sparks-McGlinchy ’78, ’83, ’91 (2013), Susan W. Leisner (2012), Dr. Mona Jain, ’84 (2010), 

Carol D. Morsani (2008),Pamela S. Muma (2007), Dr. Kay Glasser (2006). (Not Awarded in 2011 and 2009). 



PAGE 15 

2018 WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP & PHILANTHROPY 

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 

The WLP Community Leadership Lifetime Achievement Award is presented on a special basis to an 

outstanding leader whose life’s work has demonstrably improved our communities and has contributed to the 

advancement of women. 

LIANA FERNANDEZ FOX, PHD, ’80, ’98 

Dr. Liana Fernandez Fox was a fixture as a mathematics professor at Hillsborough Community College for 33 years, working 

at USF simultaneously for nearly half of that time to help freshmen meet their math requirements. She made it possible 

for countless students to excel, chaired numerous college committees, was elected president of HCC’s faculty union and 

also found time to earn her master’s and PhD from USF. For much of that time, some 30 years, she remained highly active 

with the League of Women Voters of Hillsborough County, serving as president for a stint, and helping produce some 

150 town halls and debates (including the much-publicized 1994 showdown between Florida governor Lawton Chiles 

and challenger Jeb Bush). 

Fox, whose childhood was rooted in old Ybor City, became a member of one of USF’s early classes and remembers the 

impact the young institution had on her life. “If this university hadn’t been built when and where it was,” she says, “an 

entire generation – especially Latin women – wouldn’t have gone to college.” Fox eventually graduated from Florida State 

University, where she became engaged to and married fellow Tampa native Bob Fox – beginning a 50-year adventure 

together that included endowing a WLP scholarship last year to help promising female students from HCC successfully 

matriculate to USF. 

PAST RECIPIENTS 

Ann McKeel Ross 

2017 

Hon. Betty Castor 

2016 

Hon. Jan Platt* 

2015 

Lee Leavengood 

2014 

Louise Lykes Ferguson* 

2013 

*Deceased 


PAGE 16 

WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP & PHILANTHROPY 

COMMITTEE STRUCTURE 

WLP Executive Committee 

Provides guidance in the planning and execution of WLP initiatives, and serves as advocates and spokespeople on behalf of the membership. 

Members are either officers, committee chairs, or at-large regional institution representatives. 

Carolyn House Stewart, Esq. ’74, Chair 

Anila Jain, MD ’79, ’81 Immediate Past Chair 

Carol Morsani, Honorary Chair 

India Witte, Executive Director 

Moira Burke, MD 

WLP Awards Committee 

Lauren Hartmann ’15 

Maja Lacevic ’09 

Lagretta Lenker, PhD ’92 

Claire Lessinger 

Jessica Muroff ’01, ’02 

Valerie Riddle, MD ’84, ’89 

USFSM Representative 

Debbie N. Sembler 

USFSP Representative 

Barbara Sparks McGlinchy ’78, ’83, ’91 

Anne Strozier, PhD 

Collaborates with WLP staff on advertising and selecting recipients for WLP Awards (Faculty Excellence, Community Leadership, etc.) and 

identifying and nominating WLP members, WLP scholars, and other key USF partners for community awards programs. 

Lagretta Lenker, PhD ’92, Co-Chair 

Anne Strozier, PhD, Co-Chair 

Kate Evans, Staff Liaison 

Marquita Armstead 

Kathy Bradley-Klug 

Wendy Brill 

The Honorable Betty Castor 

Robin DeLaVergne ’74 

Ruth Duncan Bell ’88 

Yvonne Fry 

Alicia Rossiter, DNP ’96, ’15 

WLP Membership Committee 

Arlynn Haarer 

Olivia Hodges, EdD 

Anila Jain, MD ’79, ’81 

Giti Javidi, PhD ’96 

Jamie Jenkins ’98 

Patricia Kruk, PhD 

Karla Mastracchio, PhD ’03 

Melissa Mora ’02 

Stephanie Morge ’06 

Kathleen Moore, PhD ’90 

Julie Perrelli 

Rebecca Puig, PhD ’08, ’10, ’15 

Audrey Schreier ’13 

Amanda Stevens 

Hannah Veitkus ’16 

India Witte 

Laura Woodard ’89 

Develops and implements strategies for recruiting new Lifetime, Annual and Corporate members to WLP and supports the operations, 

programming, and activities that promote member engagement, participation and retention. The committee also assists in the planning, 

development, and implementation of external communications and marketing of the program. 

Jessica Muroff ’01, ’02, Chair 


Kelly Addington 

Connie Bladon 

Wendy Brill 

Jennifer Carpenter 

WLP Mentoring Committee 

Julie Gillespie ’82 

Liz Kicak ’05 

Lora Kosten, PhD 

Lyda T. Lindell, MD 




Amy Rettig 

Natalie Thomas ’95 


India Witte 

Serves as the conduit to connect students and WLP members in partnership with the USF Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement, 

Honors College, Transitional Advisory Center, Veteran’s Services, USF Athletics, and other system-wide partners. 

Will work internally on the coordination of a WLP Mentoring Program for our scholars. 

Claire Lessinger, Co-Chair 

Barbara Sparks-McGlinchy 

’78, ’83, ’91, Co-Chair 



Annina Donaldson 

Roberta Burford 


Vickie Chachere 

Kristin Cunningham ’97 

Karen Dee 

Patricia Emmanuel, MD 

Jessica Fugate 

Yvonne Fry 

Sandy Goodman, MD 

Cindy Haley ’07, ’14 


Justine Hofmann 

Cindy Kane ’76 

Erin Jackson 


Virginia Kalil ’93 


Jamie Klingman 

Grace Maseda 

Valerie McDevitt 



Juliann Nichols 

Nastassia O’Connor ’11 

Betty Otter Nickerson ’76 

Amanda Page Zwierko ’09 


Carole Philipson 

Jyoti Rao 

Chris Reyes ’93 

Valerie Riddle MD ’84, ’89 

Rachel Scalzo, PhD 

Dawn Schocken, PhD ’83, ’85 

Brigitte Shaw ’83 

Patty Soltis 

Jeanne Travers 

Jeffrie van Loveren 


Christina Wisz 

India Witte 

Liz Wooten-Reschke 



PAGE 17 

WISE Advisory Committee 

A sub-group of the Mentoring Committee, this body provides guidance to our WISE (Women who Ignite Student Engagement) 

Advisory Council and oversight of the planning and promotion of the WLP WISE Student Symposium, held in the spring of each year. 

Lauren Hartmann ’15, Chair 



Trimeka Benjamin 



Ashley Ehrman ’08 

Sheau-Lei Ellison 

Liana Fernandez Fox, PhD ’80, ’98 


Shelby Harris ’16 

Fadwa Hilili ’13 






Esther Marshall 

Grace Maseda 


Betty Otter Nickerson ’76 




Lindsey Rodriguez, PhD 

Dae Sheridan, PhD ’94, ’97 

Patty Soltis 

Barbara Sparks McGlinchy ’78, ’83, ’91 

Jessica Thompson ’05, ’07 

Carrie Zeisse 

WLP WISE Advisory Council 

A select group of students, chosen through a highly competitive application process, charged with planning and implementing the 

annul WLP/WISE Student Symposium and advising WLP on the important issues related to student engagement and student success. 

Marlesha Bell 

Joannie Bewa 

Neto Coulibaly 

Augustine Haile 

Shana Indawala 

Wainella Isaacs 

Alyssa Jessen 

Holly Lippman 

Natasha Ram 

Jessica Rodriguez 

Elizabeth Seymour 

Xigrid Soto 

Shari Zamani 

WLP Program Committee 

Guides the planning and promotion of the WLP Fall Symposium and other signature annual events, including securing sponsorships 

and encouraging attendance and member participation. 



Karen Bremer 

Lindsey Crawford 

Lynn Cristina ’98 

Diane Egner 



Michelle Hamilton ’04 




Cynthia Keenan 


Alissa Lawver 


Devin O’Connell 

Nevena Pehar ’12 

Special Thanks: Vickie Chachere, Symposium Communications & Media Relations Coordinator 


Lori Rabinowitz 


Debbie Cox Roush 


Debbie Sembler 

Dawn Shields 

India Witte 

WLP Scholarship Committee 

Works with WLP Staff in the selection process for WLP scholarship recipients, assists with donor stewardship, and develops and 

implements engagement strategies for WLP scholars, WLP Members, and WLP Scholar alumna. 

Moira Burke, MD, Chair 

Kristi Laribee, Staff Liaison 

Ann Marie Campbell ’96 


Sheau-Lei Ellison 



Carolyn House Stewart, Esq. ’74 






Rita Lowman 


Maggie McCleland 

Judy Mitchell 

Melissa Mora ’02 







Jeanne Travers 


Julie Ward ’05 

India Witte 

Marion Yongue ’91 


PAGE 18 

TABLE SPONSORS 

Ms. Allison Stinson, Dr. Alicia 

Mendoza & Dr. Anne Strozier 

Anne Marie Campbell 

Cindy Kane 

Debbie Nye Sembler 

Dr. & Mrs. William S. Dalton 

Dr. Liana Fernandez Fox 

Dr. Valerie Riddle 

Heidi Shimberg & Shari Mezrah 

Jane Morgan 

Keli Mondello 

Liz Kennedy 

Mrs. Sharon Greenbaum 

Mrs. Suzette Berkman 

Nancy Schneid 

Sheryl Teague 

USF Town & Gown 

Westchase Book Club 



PAGE 19 

WLP MEMBERSHIP 

FOUNDING MEMBERS 

Bank of America 

Dore Beach, EdD ’70, ’72 

Suzette Berkman ’73, ’78 

Sharon Blanchard 

Linda Blume ’73 

Hon. Betty Castor 

Cornelia Corbett 

Martha Couch 

Florida Medical Clinic 

Foundation of Caring, Inc. 

Keri Gawrych ’87 

Judy Genshaft, PhD 

Leona Genshaft** 

Nancy Howe 


Mona Jain, MD, PhD ’84 

Muffy Longacre 


Ann McKeel Ross ’79 

Carol Morsani 

Pamela Muma 

Michele Norris ’77, ’79 

Vivien Oliva 

Pallavi Patel, MD 

Regions Financial Corporation 

Nancy Schneid ’77, ’79 

Elaine Shimberg 

Linda Simmons ’73, ’75 

Anne Strozier, PhD 

USF Town & Gown 

Erika Wallace 

Vincent Zecchino** 

CORPORATE MEMBERS 

LIFETIME MEMBERS 

Ellen and Philip Asherman, ’75, ’76 

Rebecca Bast 

Hannah Benton ’11 

Moira J. Burke, MD 

Renée Byrd ’86 

Anne Marie Campbell ’96 

Grisselle Centeno, PhD* 

Ellen Daley, PhD ’00* 

Linda D’Aquila 

Leslie Dellas 

January Dennison 

Paula Eaves 

Elizabeth Fowler 


Jamie Goldenberg, PhD* 

Sharon Greenbaum 

Virginia Gregory ’93 

Linda Hartley ’89 

Carolyn House Stewart ’74 

Hon. Pam Iorio ’01 

Patricia Kruk, PhD* 

Susan Leisner 

Donna Lindsey ’79 

Susan MacManus, PhD* 

Jody McBrien, PhD* 

Jane Morgan 

Jessica Muroff ’01, ’02 

National Mah Jongg 

League Foundation Inc. 



Barbara Twine-Thomas ’73 

Ruth Unger** 

Valley National Bank 

Linda Whiteford, PhD* 

India Witte 

Naomi Yavneh Klos, PhD* 

Marion Yongue ’91 

*Past recipient of the WLP Faculty Award 

**Deceased 


PAGE 20 

WLP ANNUAL MEMBERS 

Mildred Acevedo-Duncan 


Denise Akers 

Jo-Ann Alessandrini ’98 

Rafaela A. Amador ’04 

Marquita Armstead 

Jacalin Ascough 

Leni Baga 

Candace Barber 

Cécile Bare 

Deborah M. Barnes 

Michelle Barry 

Trimeka Benjamin 

Mardi Bessolo ’98 

Kathleen Betancourt 

Kathy Black, PhD* 

Susan Blackburn 

Connie Bladon 

Kathy Bradley-Klug 

Karen Bremer 

Susan Brennan 

Angela Brewer ’82, ’84 

Wendy Brill 

Karen Buesing 


Stacy Carlson, PhD ’92 


Heide Castaneda, PhD* 

Vickie Chachere 

Dara Chenevert 

Tiffany Chenneville, PhD ’92, ’96, ’00 

Kyoung Cho* 

David Christian 

Braulio Colon 

Tiffany Colucci 

Sarah Combs 

Cynthia Congelio 

Amy Corcell 

Debbie Cox-Roush 

Lindsey Crawford 

Lynn Cristina ’98 

Jessica Cross’12, ’14 

Laura Crouch ’94 

Kristin C. Cunningham ’97 

Louise Dahm 

Karen Dalton ’07 

Kimberlee DeBosier 

Karen Dee 

Robin DeLaVergne ’74 

Jackie Dixon, PhD 

Annina Donaldson 

Kathleen M. Dumala ’83 

Holly Duncan 

Ruth Duncan Bell ’88 

Diane Egner 


Alissa Ellison 

Sheau-Lei H. Ellison 

Patricia Emmanuel 

Abbe Ensminger 

Kate Evans 

Irene G. M. Ferguson 

Jessica Fugate 

Elizabeth Frazier 

Yvonne Fry 

Dolores (Dee) Garcia ’82 

Arty Giallurakis 

Cami Gibertini 


Stephanie Goforth ’82 

Brenda Gold 


Melanie Griffin 

Pati A. Gross ’76 

Arlynn Haarer 

Carol Hague ’88 

Cindy Haley ’07, ’14 

Emily Haly, MD 

Michelle Hamilton ’04 

Sandra Hanna ’82, ’89 


Lauren Hartmann ’15 

Laura Haubner, MD 

Patti Helton, PhD 


Kimberly Hill ’09, ’18 

Michele Leo Hintson 



Morgan R. Holmes 

Elizabeth Hordge-Freeman, PhD 

Sally Houston, MD 

Barbara Izzi 

Erin G. Jackson 

Molly James 

Giti Javidi, PhD ’96* 


Stephanie H Johnson, PhD ’81, ’05, ’14 




Liz Kennedy ’80 

Lauren Key 

Liz Kicak ’05* 


Kathleen M. Koszuta 

Lora Kosten, PhD 

Purnima Kumar 


Rhea Law ’77 

Alissa Lawver 

Lee Leavengood ’73 

Blossom Leibowitz 

Lagretta Lenker, PhD ’92 


Helen Levine, PhD 

Lea LeVines 

Lyda T. Lindell, MD 

Valerie Lipscomb, PhD ’94* 

Judy Lisi 

Nancy Lockwood 

Carol Long ’83 

Donna Longhouse ’84 

Rita Lowman 

Rachel Albritton Lunsford ’94 

Catherine Lynch, MD ’90 

K. Doreen MacAulay, PhD* 

Christina Majeed 

Linda Marcelli 

Stephanie Marhefka, PhD* 

William J. Mariotti ’15 

Esther Marshall 

Merritt Martin ’04 

Shari Martinez 

Grace Maseda 


Kristen McCall 

Maggie McCleland 



PAGE 21 

Suzanne McCormick 

Jill McCracken, PhD* 

Valerie McDevitt 

Shelley McDuff, ’08, ’12 

Sally McKee 

Jennifer McVan 

Jane Messina, MD 

Elizabeth Miller, PhD* 

Holly Miller 

Quinn Kathryn Miller 

Rhonda Mims 

Christina F. Mitchell 

Judy Mitchell 

Kelly Mitchell 

Debbie Momberg ’78 

Joel Momberg 

Keli Mondello 

April Monteith ’01, ’03 

Melissa Anne Mora ’02 

Taryn Morgan 

Stephanie C. Morge ’06 

Hon. Sandra Murman 

Jennifer Murphy ’96 

Mindy Murphy 

Julie Nail 

Natasha Nascimento ’07 

Ashley Nall ’06 

Lyris Newman ’72, ’77 

Fawn Ngo, PhD* 

Juliann Nichols 

Devin O’Connell 

Nastassia O’Connor ’11 

Sally B. Olsson ’73 

Betty Otter-Nickerson ’76 

Amanda Page-Zwierko ’09 

Sara Palmer 

Penny Parks 

Nevena Pehar ’12 


Susan Perry, PhD 

Donna Petersen, ScD 

Dawn Phillips ’99 


Karen G. Pittman ’84 

Anne Pollack 

Pat Porter 

Carole Post 

Angela Pottinger 


Jo Ann Farrell Quinn ’74 

Lori Rabinowitz 

Jyoti Rao 

Deborah W. Read 

Amy Rettig 

Sarah A. Ribeiro, EdD ’96 

Victoria Rich, PhD 

Nancy Ridenour 

Abby Ritter ’15 

Lindsey Rodriguez, PhD* 

Judith Rosenkranz ’63 

Alicia Rossiter, DNP ’96, ’15 

Howard Rutherford 

Julie Scales 

Rachel Scalzo, PhD 

Meredith Scerba 

Sandra Schneider-Wright, PhD 

Dawn Schocken, PhD ’83, ’85 


Lynn Scully 

Debbie Sembler 

Julianne Serovich, PhD 

Ann Shaler 


Erica Shea 

Dae Sheridan, PhD ’94, ’97 

Dawn Shields 

Lisa Simington 

Bemetra Simmons 

Debra Sinclair, PhD ’84 

Melissa Sloan, PhD* 

Rebecca Smith 

Patricia Soltis 

Marlene Spalten 

Barbara Sparks-McGlinchy ’78, ’83, ’91 

Sandra Sroka 

Jennifer Steans 

Amanda Stevens 

Allison Stinson 

Joann Strobbe 

Laurey Stryker, EdD 

Stephanie Suarez ’11 

Joanne Sullivan 

Eileen Sweeney 

Tampa Palms Women’s Club 

Sheryl Teague 

Cindy Terrano 

Liz Theofilos 

Natalie Thomas ’95 

Sylvia Thomas, PhD* 


Karen Tillman-Gosselin 

Holly Tomlin 

Jeanne Travers* 

Bettina S. Tucker ’77 

Yvonne Ulmer ’80 

Cathy Unruh 

Victoria J. Vail ’69 

Cheryl Vamos, PhD ’05* 

Jeffrie van Loveren 


Lisa Velesko 

Cindy Visot, EdD ’00 

Beth Walters 

Kati Wanek-Forsythe 

Julie Ward ’05 

Kathryn Weedman Arthur, PhD* 

Martha B. Wells 

Ivana Djokovic Wendling ’09 

Tracy West 

Ashley Westfall 

Debbie White 

Marian Winters 

Christina Wisz 

Laura Woodard ’89 

Liz Wooten-Reschke 

Jessica Worley 

Carrie Zeisse 

* Recipient of the WLP Faculty Award 


PAGE 22 

CONCURRENT SESSIONS 

9:00 - 10:00 AM (PICK ONE) 

LET’S TALK ABOUT ALICE 

Palma Ceia 

SPONSORED BY: 

ALICE stands for Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed. Headlines 

often quote the number of people living at or below the poverty line, but those 

numbers can be drastically misinterpreted. The recently updated ALICE study 

by United Way of Florida and Rutgers University collected data on the cost of 

basic needs in Florida such as housing, food, transportation, health, and child 

care. The results show that 44 percent of Florida’s population are living with – or 

dangerously close to – a financial crisis every day, even when employed. Do you 

know an ALICE? You might be surprised that you do. 


Community Advocate; Professor of Mathematics, HCC & USF (Retired) 

MODERATOR 

Dr. Liana Fernandez Fox is a native of Tampa and a proud descendant of Cuban and Sicilian cigar makers. She began attending 

the University of South Florida in 1964 and received her PhD from USF in 1998. She retired from Hillsborough Community 

College as a full professor after 33 years, having served in numerous leadership roles for HCC at the Ybor City campus and at 

the University of South Florida. She pioneered HCC’s offering of online mathematics courses. Liana is a graduate of Leadership 

Florida, was National President of the USF Alumni Association, and President of the League of Women Voters of Hillsborough 

County. She is currently a Trustee for the Tampa Bay History Center and board member for Champions for Children. She has 

served on the boards of United Way Suncoast and United Way of Florida and has been a member of United Way’s ALICE 

Research Advisory Committee for Florida since 2014. Liana is an active member of USF’s Women in Leadership and Philanthropy 

and the USF Latin Community Advisory Committee. Her advocacy priorities have been improving access and affordability of a 

higher education, encouragement of active participation of citizens in government and addressing social justice issues in our 

community. 

LIZ GUTIERREZ Founder & CEO, Enterprising Latinas 

Liz Gutierrez is a community development professional with extensive experience organizing communities 

around a vision for community change. Liz has a Masters in Community Economic Development from the 

Southern New Hampshire University and has enduring ties with community leaders she likes to take 

credit for discovering and supporting through her work in the Northeast and West Coast communities of 

Florida. Through Enterprising Latinas, Inc. (ELI), which she founded in 2009, Liz is improving the quality 

of life of the Tampa Bay area by promoting the economic prosperity of low-income women, particularly 

Latinas. Among her many endeavors as ELI’s CEO, Liz is transforming community challenges like lack of 

childcare for children and limited public transportation in the community into new economic opportunities 

for women. In addition to her work with Enterprising Latinas, Liz consults with government agencies, 

funders, non-profits and allied organizations that are committed to building the capacity of the non-profit 

sector so that they can become a united force for community change. As anyone that knows Liz will tell 

you, she is a great dancer, terrible cook and adoring mother to her son, Willy! 



PAGE 23 

PAULA GONZALEZ ‘18 WLP Scholar Alumna 

Paula Gonzalez was born and raised in Colombia and moved to the United States when she was 10 years 

old. She received dual bachelor degrees in Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, and graduated from 

the University of South Florida with honors in May 2018. Currently, she is applying to medical school 

while working as a standardized patient at USF’s Morsani College of Medicine where she plays the role 

of a patient in various cases to simulate real-life experiences for medical students. Paula is also a tutor 

for the Supporting and Empowering Educational and Developmental Services (SEEDS) Program. As a 

tutor, Paula helps young students start developing their love for math and reading by doing interactive 

lessons. She also helps create a suitable plan so the parents can learn how to best help with their 

children’s education. Paula also continues to volunteer at USF’s Free Clinic, Building Relationship and 

Initiatives Dedicated to Gaining Equality Healthcare Clinic (BRIDGE) and is continuing doing research 

under the health and outcomes department at the Moffitt research center. 

JENNA NELSON Executive Vice President, Human Resources; Sykes 

Jenna Nelson has been with SYKES since August 1993, supporting SYKES’ dynamic growth in digital 

marketing, customer service and as a provider of technical support and services to some of the world’s 

most recognized brands. Her career at SYKES has grown as the Company has grown, starting with just 

800 employees in the US, growing to more than 50,000 employees worldwide. She has held various HR 

leadership positions throughout her 25-year career with responsibility across all areas of HR; including 

strategic and organizational planning, talent acquisition and development, compensation and benefits, 

employment law, HR technology and shared services. In her current role, Jenna is responsible for 

developing global policies, managing HR related risk, and developing contemporary people strategies to 

successfully support the company’s growing global operations. She leads a team of HR professionals who 

help enable the success of their diverse workforce, while supporting them in reaching their professional 

goals. Jenna also serves on the board for Feeding Tampa Bay, a branch of the country’s largest charitable 

hunger-relief organization. 


PAGE 24 


9:00 - 10:00 AM (PICK ONE) 

LET’S TALK ABOUT PASSION AND PURPOSE 


Record numbers of women today are putting their passions into action – as 

outspoken advocates, business leaders, and political candidates for local, state 

and national offices. How can we encourage more girls and women to develop 

an ambitious spirit? And how can we support and empower more women to 

take on roles where they can effect change in their communities? Our panelists 

will share insights from their personal experiences on being outspoken and out 

front. They will discuss how they recognized their personal passions, and how 

they took their first steps in starting a business or entering the political arena. 

They’ll also discuss failure and how to regroup and recover in order to persist. 

SPONSORED BY: 

Yvonne Fry 

CEO, Fryed Egg Productions 

MODERATOR 

A native Floridian, Yvonne Fry graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi. She owns Lines of Communications, a fullservice 

telecommunications management and auditing company and is CEO of Fry Entertainment Inc., holding several companies 

including Fryed Egg Productions, a branding, marketing, film, event, and talent management firm. 

Yvonne is dedicated to organizations involving women, children, education and political issues. She is a Past Chair for both the 

Florida and Hillsborough Commissions on the Status of Women, a member of the BayCare Board of Trustees, Vice President 

for the Tampa Tiger Bay Club, Past Chair of the Plant City Chamber of Commerce, on the Executive Committee of the Plant City 

Economic Development Corporation, and on the board of Plant City Main Street. She is an Advisory Board Member of The Spring 

Tampa Bay, the Junior League of Tampa, Frameworks of Tampa Bay, and the Plant City Board of Adjustment. 

Yvonne is a member of the Athena Society, Working Women of Tampa Bay, and USF’s Women in Leadership & Philanthropy. 

Yvonne was named a Woman of Distinction in 2016 by the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida, awarded the Plant City Chamber 

Chairman’s Award in 2014, and named among Florida International University’s Top 25 Women Entrepreneurs in Florida in 2011. 

She previously served on the Plant City High School PTSA and Lincoln IB Elementary PTSA. She is the current Chair of both the 

PCHS Raider Champions Foundation Board and the PCHS Business Advisory Board, and serves on the Tomlin Middle School 

PTSA Board. 

CAMI GIBERTINI Senior Vice President, Director of Women In Business; Valley National Bank 

Cami Gibertini is Senior Vice President, Director of Women In Business at Valley National Bank. Formerly 

“Women Entrepreneurs,” Cami was a co-creator of this program for female business professionals 

launched in 2016. 

Cami has more than 28 years of retail banking experience in various leadership roles in Tampa Bay. She 

joined USAmeriBank, now Valley National Bank, in 2008 to manage the bank’s Brandon retail branch, 

consistently a market leader in deposit growth, loan production and sales and service under her leadership. 

Cami holds banking certifications from ABA’s Stonier Graduate Banking School at the University of 

Pennsylvania with a Warton Business School Certificate of Achievement, University of Florida’s Florida 

School of Banking and University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Graduate School of Retail Banking. She attended 

University of Central Florida’s RMA Commercial Lending School and is now in the Rutgers Executive 

Leadership program with Valley’s “Leaders In Action,” anticipated to complete in early 2019. 

An active member of the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce, Cami served as chairwoman in 2016. 

She is a graduate and past alumni chair of Leadership Brandon, a graduate of Leadership Tampa and 

Leadership Tampa Bay and a past president and current Treasurer of ECHO (Emergency Care Health 

Organization) of Brandon. In 2011, she was the Honorary Mayor of Brandon. Cami is on the Board of 

Directors of the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida, which she serves with great pride. 



PAGE 25 

MAYA BROWN ‘15 Political Consultant, MB Strategies 

Maya Brown is the Principal of MB Strategies, LLC – a political and nonprofit consulting and strategy 

firm. She is an alumna of the University of South Florida. Brown coordinated Give Day Tampa Bay 2015: a 

24-hour online giving campaign that raised $1.7 million for 550 area nonprofits. While at the Community 

Foundation of Tampa Bay, she was selected as a Diversity Scholar for the Association of Fundraising 

Professionals’ 2016 International Fundraising Conference. Florida Politics recently recognized Brown as 

a ‘Rising Star’ for her work with the Hillsborough County Young Democrats as President. 

Brown has worked in several senior leadership capacities on Tampa Bay area political campaigns during 

the last three election cycles. She is a 2016 Fellow of New Leaders Council – Tampa Bay, and recently 

founded Hillsborough Young Black Progressives to identify, recruit, and train millennials of color to run 

for office and work on local political campaigns. She serves as a board member of several nonprofit 

organizations, and she also holds membership in several community and honorary organizations. 

CANDY OLSON Child Advocate 

Candy Olson served on the Hillsborough County School Board from 1994-2014, including several years 

as chair. In addition to advocating for children and their teachers, she worked with community partners 

to preserve Nature’s Classroom and helped develop guidelines for landscaping and preservation of 

historic schools. 

Prior to her service, Candy reversed a 10% budget deficit for a local non-profit, wrote grants, and chaired 

the boards of such organizations as the Spring, SERVE, and Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful (then the Mayor’s 

Beautification Program). 

She currently serves on the boards of the United Way, Catholic Charities, and Mary Lee’s House, and is 

active in her church. Her two daughters, both graduates of Hillsborough County Public Schools, have 

grown into accomplished young women. 

Candy holds a BA in political science from Newton (Mass.) College of the Sacred heart and an MBA from 

the University of South Florida, where she was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma, the national business 

honor society. 


PAGE 26 


9:00 - 10:00 AM (PICK ONE) 

LET’S TALK ABOUT #TIMESUP, TIME FOR A SOLUTION 

Esplanade 

The current national discussion on sexual harassment and assault in the 

workplace began with the #MeToo movement’s “empowerment through 

empathy” and this year grew to include #TimesUp, a campaign to identify 

solutions to this long-hidden crisis. Nearly half of working women in the United 

States say they have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, and 

many women are calling for a complete cultural transformation to eradicate 

sexual assault and harassment on the job. Join a panel of experts who will share 

their knowledge on workplace safety and how to address the difficult questions 

of workplace culture. You will leave this panel discussion with tools, strategies, 

and a new commitment to create a safer workplace environment for all. 

SPONSORED BY: 


Senior Director of Development, USF College of Arts and Sciences 

Co-Founder, One Student 

MODERATOR 

Kelly Addington’s drive and desire to show up for others has been the constant theme in her career. She has nearly 20 years 

of non-profit experience, 11 of them in development at the University of South Florida working with alumni and donors to help 

advance meaningful research and fund scholarships for students. Kelly is motivated by what her work does for others and believes 

that an investment in USF is an investment in the next generation of leaders. 

Kelly is an award winning speaker whose message has reached more than 1,000,000 students, activist, advocate, founder of the 

non-profit OneStudent.org and creator of Sexversations®. Kelly has worked with nearly 500 universities, military installations and 

senior officials at the White House to help reduce sexual assault. She has advised students, policy makers, community leaders, 

faculty and staff on how to create a culture of consent and remove the shame and stigma related to sexual assault. Kelly has 

developed resources and campaigns utilized by over 60 countries. She is a TEDx Youth speaker and feature of the documentary 

film You Are The One. 

Kelly does everything she can to ensure the world she hands her daughter is better than she found it. 

DAE SHERIDAN, PHD, LMHC, CRC ’94 

Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Board Certified Clinical Sexologist, & Certified Rehabilitation Counselor 

Dr. Dae Sheridan is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, a Board Certified Clinical Sexologist and a 

Certified Rehabilitation Counselor with a private consulting and psychotherapy practice. She serves as an 

adjunct faculty member at the University of South Florida, teaching Human Sexuality for over 10 years in 

the Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling Graduate Program and is an assistant clinical professor 

at the American Academy of Clinical Sexologists. 

A recognized speaker and commentator on sexual, mental health, parenting and rehabilitation issues, Dr. 

Sheridan regularly presents her research, facilitates psychoeducational seminars and participates as a 

featured expert for various professional organizations and media outlets, nationwide. 

As an activist and advocate for quality mental health services and sexuality education for all, Dr. Sheridan 

regularly volunteers her time, provides pro-bono services and currently contributes as a Board Member for 

the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay. She has also been recognized by the Tampa Bay Business Journal as one 

of our community’s Healthcare Heroes in the category of healthcare education. 

The top two reasons for divorce in the U.S. are money and sex… and she’s no accountant. 



PAGE 27 

RENA UPSHAW-FRAZIER, ESQ. ‘01 Principal Attorney, Rena Frazier Law, PPLC 

Rena Upshaw-Frazier is the principal attorney at Rena Frazier Law PPLC, where she represents 

businesses and individuals in a wide range of real estate matters. She previously served as Chief of 

Policy and Communication at the Office of State Attorney for the 13th Judicial District Circuit under State 

Attorney Andrew Warren, and formerly a partner at the law firm Quarles & Brady, LLP. Rena is passionate 

about and active in the Tampa and Hillsborough County community, serving on a number of boards and 

organizations, including the Hillsborough County Commission on the Status of Women, as well as the 

Board of the University Area Community Development Corporation and chairing its Affordable Housing 

Task Force. She is always looking for ways to improve the quality of life of our fellow citizens. 

Rena holds a BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of South Florida and a Law 

Degree from Stetson University College of Law. Rena and her husband Anddrikk are the proud parents 

of four children ages 4, 9, 14 and 21, and their oldest daughter is a cadet at the US Air Force Academy. 

BEVERLY WALDRON Director of Human Resources, Hillsborough County Government 

Beverly Waldron is the Director of Human Resources for Hillsborough County Government. The Human 

Resources Department is a full service HR department for almost 5,000 employees. Services include 

recruitment and hiring; labor relations; performance management; discipline; leadership development 

and training; HRIS; benefits (administration and management of self-insured health fund); workers 

compensation; leave management; and classification and compensation. She is a graduate of Louisiana 

State University and has almost 40 years of human resources experience in the public arena at the state 

and local level. The early part of her career was spent in employee assessment. She has been an active 

member of the International Personnel Assessment Council having previously served as the editor of 

the newsletter for a dozen years, on the Board of Directors and as President of the organization. (She 

even met her husband at one of the annual conferences.) She is currently a member of SHRM and 

IMPA-HR. 


PAGE 28 


10:30 - 11:30 AM (PICK ONE) 

LET’S TALK ABOUT DIVERSITY 

Esplanade 

Women are free to identify themselves in various ways, and diversity in all 

its many forms isn’t just a box to be checked on a form. Learning about the 

successes, opportunities, and challenges others have experienced broadens 

our understanding of how we can support one another as women. Join us for an 

inspiring and interactive panel discussing the overlapping and shifting identities 

of race, age, ethnicity, gender and nationality, and how personal storytelling can 

become a powerful act of inclusion. 

SPONSORED BY: 

Amy Ruth 

Chief Human Resource Officer, Florida Blue 

MODERATOR 

Amy Ruth is Florida Blue’s Chief Human Resource Officer and a member of the Enterprise Executive Management Team. Ruth 

brings her knowledge of human capital development and talent management to provide leadership in human resources, diversity, 

corporate services and strategic facilities. 

Prior to joining Florida Blue, Ruth was president of Florida Blue subsidiary, Incepture. Under Ruth’s leadership, Incepture was 

recognized by Florida Trend magazine as one of the “Best Companies to Work For.” Prior to Incepture, she held various leadership 

roles within TriServ Alliance, InterContinental Hotels Group, Towers Watson and SunTrust Banks, Inc. 

Ruth serves on the Board of Directors for GuideWell Source, Inc. and chairs the Personnel & Compensation Committee. She chairs 

the Jacksonville 2018 LUNG FORCE, is the immediate past Chair for the Jacksonville Speech and Hearing Center, and was the 

Executive Sponsor for Florida Blue’s 2017-2018 United Way campaign. Ruth is a member of the Equality Means Business Advisory 

Board and was recognized by the Jacksonville Business Journal as an “Ultimate HR Executive,” as one of Northeast Florida’s 

“Women of Influence,” and by the Girl Scouts of Gateway Council as a “Woman of Distinction.” 

Ruth holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Kennesaw State University. 

JESSICA COSTELLO, ESQ. Assistant Statewide Prosecutor, Florida Attorney General’s Office 

Jessica Costello is an Assistant Statewide Prosecutor with the Florida Attorney General’s Office. In this 

role she manages local, state and federal law enforcement teams in the prosecution of organized crime 

throughout the state with a focus on gangs, drug trafficking, human trafficking and fraud. Jessica serves as 

Statewide Prosecution’s liaison to Florida’s Counterterrorism Task Force. She also works with community 

leaders and nongovernmental organizations to engage and inform the public about issues related to victim 

advocacy, crime and our community. 

Named Florida’s Gang Prosecutor of the Year in 2015, Jessica was named a Top Government Attorney 

by Florida Trend, a ‘Woman of Color Leading Change’ by the YWCA of Tampa Bay, and recipient of the 

University of Florida’s Outstanding Young Alumni award. 

Outside of her practice, she has dedicated herself to being meaningfully involved in the Tampa community. 

Jessica serves as a director on the boards of the Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers, George 

Edgecomb Bar Association, and Community Tampa Bay. She also volunteers her time as a mentor and 

speaker throughout the State. As a new mom, her greatest joy is found in spending time with her husband, 

Shane and son, Cameron. 



PAGE 29 

JANE GROUT Vice President, Customer Relationship Management; Coca-Cola Beverages Florida 

Jane Grout is a 24-year veteran of the Coca-Cola System who serves as Vice President, Customer Relationship 

Management at Coca-Cola Beverages Florida. She leads the Company’s customer development and 

relationship management activities with national and regional retail, foodservice and on-premise customers. 

She also coordinates with the Field Sales organization to develop sales programs that accelerate local account 

development. Additionally, Jane helps to integrate the Customer Management teams in retail and FSOP into 

one overall customer management organization. Prior to joining CCBF, she was Vice President Revenue Growth 

Management, National Retail Sales. Jane previously served as Vice President and General Manager of the 

Indiana/Ohio Market Unit of Coca-Cola Refreshments. She has held various positions across the Coca-Cola 

System in customer and commercial leadership, local field sales, foodservice and on-premise sales, general 

management and strategic planning. Jane holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications and Public Affairs 

from Radford University. 

Jane currently volunteers with Metropolitan Ministries and prior to moving to Tampa was a Board of Director for 

Dress for Success Indianapolis. She has volunteered on many boards and organizations in the past including 

Junior Achievement and the Carmel Swim Club. Jane has been married to her husband, David, for 25 years and 

they have 2 children. 

SUONG IVES Managing Director for Human Resources, National Collegiate Athletic Association 

Born and raised in Vietnam, Suong was a member of the first class of women admitted to the four-year 

engineering program at the Phu Tho Polytechnic University in Saigon, Viet Nam. She graduated with a bachelor 

of science degree in civil engineering. She and her four siblings arrived in the United States in 1980, after 

spending two years in a refugee camp, like many other Vietnamese boat people. She also holds a bachelor’s 

degree in business administration and master’s degree in human resources management from Cleveland State 

and San Jose State Universities, respectively. 

She has more than 20 years of senior HR leadership experience which includes higher education institutions 

such as University of California Berkeley, New York University, and Clarkson University. She also served at 

world class organizations in human resources, talent and inclusion, such as AT&T, France Telecom, Time Warner, 

and Danaher. Presently, she is the Managing Director for Human Resources for the National Collegiate Athletic 

Association (NCAA). 

Prior to joining the NCAA, Suong held the position of Chief Inclusion Officer with Clarkson University in Potsdam, 

New York. She also is the President for the Northeast Chapter of the National Association of Diversity Officers 

in Higher Education (NADOHE). 

Her proudest accomplishments are her 2 children whom she raised as a single mom. Her daughter is a doctor 

of veterinarian medicine, specializing in wildlife medicine. Her son is a junior pursuing a bachelor’s degree in 

Nursing. 

LILA JABER 

Regional Managing Shareholder & Practice Group Leader of Government Affairs Law & Lobbying, Gunster Law Firm 

In her third decade of regulatory policy and government practice, Lila Jaber leads Gunster’s Government Affairs 

practice, as well as serves as the firm’s regional managing shareholder. Notably, Lila is also the architect of the 

Florida’s Women in Energy Leadership Forum, a group focused on highlighting the workforce and economic 

development contributions of the electric and natural gas industries in the state. 

Lila is dedicated to providing strategic and regulatory advice to clients on a number of business and economic 

development issues. Her experience ranges from utility specific matters in energy and water, to general business 

strategy development and implementation for companies doing business in Florida. Lila’s counsel includes 

C-level consulting to clients with priority for growth in Florida. A former chair of the Florida Public Service 

Commission, Lila served two terms as both commissioner and chairman, overseeing the state’s implementation 

of economic regulatory policy and procedure for the energy, natural gas, water and telecommunications 

industries. Lila is passionate about and personally committed to making Florida a great place to live and work. 

She is involved at the state and local leadership levels, helping to promote civic engagement, diversity and 

inclusion, as well as economic development for all. 


PAGE 30 


10:30 - 11:30 AM (PICK ONE) 

LET’S TALK ABOUT SELF-CARE 

Palma Ceia 

In every corner of the Tampa Bay Region, women are making a difference in their 

workplaces and communities while still fulfilling the roles of primary nurturers and 

caretakers in their homes. The demanding reality of their modern lives begs the 

question: While they are taking care of everybody else, who is taking care of them? 

SPONSORED BY: 

That answer can be found in our region’s leading healthcare providers at USF Health 

and Tampa General Hospital who, through an enduring partnership, are creating a 

transformative new approach to providing women’s health care through preserving, 

protecting and enhancing women’s physical, mental and emotional wellness at all 

stages of life. The 2019 opening of the Pamela Muma Women’s Health Center will herald 

a new era of care by creating an environment where a woman’s comprehensive wellbeing 

is put first. 

This diverse panel of female leaders in healthcare and the community will discuss the 

challenges facing women as they work to take care of themselves while balancing 

the constant demands on their time and energy, and provide insights into the new 

health knowledge, research and strategies that empower women to be their own best 

caretakers. 

Valerie Riddle, MD 

Associate Dean for Alumni Engagement & Assistant Professor 

Morsani College of Medicine 

MODERATOR 

Dr. Riddle was recently appointed as Associate Dean for Alumni Engagement and Assistant Professor at the Morsani College of Medicine. She 

began her medical career as an Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease physician at Washington Hospital Center in Washington DC, where she 

focused on the clinical care of patients with HIV/AIDS. In 1998, she became a physician executive in drug development, joining MedImmune, Inc., a 

rapidly-growing biotechnology company before becoming Sr. Vice President and Medical Director at PharmAthene, Inc., leading the development 

of the company’s portfolio of biodefense therapeutics. In 2011, she started her own company, BioPharmAdvisors LLC, which capitalizes on the 

broad range of skills Dr. Riddle has acquired throughout her medical practice and positions held in the biopharmaceutical industry. 

Valerie graduated cum laude from the University of South Florida with a BA in Chemistry in 1984; she received her MD from the University of 

South Florida in May 1989. She is Immediate Past Chair of the USF Morsani College of Medicine Alumni Society. She also serves as Entrepreneur 

in Residence at USF CONNECT, which houses the Tampa Bay Technology Incubator, and is a volunteer leader, serving as a member of the USF 

Foundation Board of Directors, a lifetime member of USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy, and as a provider with Tampa Bay Street Medicine. 

KELLY CULLEN, RN Executive Vice President & Chief Operation Officer, Tampa General Hospital 

Kelly Cullen recently joined Tampa General Hospital as its new Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. In 

this role, Cullen is tasked with managing partnerships with key constituents, while overseeing clinical and operational 

strategies for the organization. 

A healthcare leader with a proven track record of developing strong, collaborative relationships at all levels of a highly 

complex health care system, Cullen has more than 27 years of experience as a healthcare provider and in healthcare 

administration and management. She comes to Tampa General from the BayCare Health System, where she began her 

career as a nurse before taking on several leadership roles. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master 

of Business Administration in Healthcare Administration and has memberships in numerous professional organizations 

including the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Florida Hospital Association, and is committed to 

leveraging her experience to help Tampa General further its commitment to world-class care. 



PAGE 31 

PAMELA S. MUMA Community Leader & Philanthropist 

Pamela Muma has dedicated her philanthropy to improving the lives of women and children in the 

Tampa Bay area and beyond. Pam and her husband, Les, have given more than $56 million to the 

University of South Florida, placing them as the highest individual donors in the university’s history. The 

namesakes of the Muma College of Business, the Mumas have also given generously to the USF Health 

Morsani College of Medicine. In 2006, they established the Muma Chair of Neonatology and the Lisa 

Muma Weitz Laboratory at USF and funded the Jennifer Leigh Muma Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as 

a partnership between USF and Tampa General Hospital. Pam recently announced the creation of The 

Pamela Muma Women’s Health Center, a comprehensive, personalized navigated healthcare practice 

focused exclusively on women’s care at USF Health on TGH Campus. In 2012, Junior Achievement 

selected Pam from more than 138,000 volunteers to win the Gold Leadership Award, the organization’s 

highest award for volunteerism. She is also a founding member of USF Women in Leadership and 

Philanthropy, and received its Community Leadership Award in 2008. 

VICTORIA RICH, PHD Dean & Professor, College of Nursing; Senior Associate Vice President, USF Health 

Dr. Victoria Rich joined the USF College of Nursing in 2015, and was named dean of the USF College 

of Nursing and Senior AVP of USF Health in June 2017. Prior to her positions at USF, Dr. Rich was the 

chief nurse executive and associate hospital administrator for the University of Pennsylvania Medical 

Center and the associate professor of nursing administration at the University of Pennsylvania School 

of Nursing. During her tenure at PENN Health System, she helped establish a longstanding partnership 

between academia and practice, and helped develop an interprofessional model of team-based 

care, incorporating unit physicians, advanced practice providers, nurse clinician leaders, pharmacists 

and quality specialists to improve patient care. That model has been replicated both nationally and 

internationally. 

Dr. Rich earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with highest 

honors. She received her master’s degree and PhD in nursing administration from the University of 

Pittsburgh. Dr. Rich is nationally known for her work on patient safety and transformational nursing 

leadership, and has received the Prism Diversity Award from the American Organization of Nurse 

Executives, and the Patient Safety Award from Voluntary Hospital Association. Dr. Rich is a fellow in 

the American Academy of Nursing, an ambassador for the National Institute of Nursing Research, is a 

member of the Patient Safety Committee for National Quality Forum and consultant for CNO Solutions 

and Center for Applied Research. 


PAGE 32 


10:30 - 11:30 AM (PICK ONE) 

LET’S TALK ABOUT WOMEN IN THE C-SUITE 


In 2018, a modern society should expect that the demographics of corporate 

leadership reflect a civilian labor force that is almost half female and increasingly 

racially and ethnically diverse. Yet, the makeup of the C-Suite continues to be 

disproportionately male and white. This diverse panel will share the challenges 

they have overcome on the path to leading companies; the realities of inequitable 

workplaces; and their stories of perseverance in reaching their goals. The 

panelists also will share stories of men who have supported and empowered 

them throughout their careers, as well as the challenges of remaining their 

authentic selves in a male-dominated work environment. Panelists have 

been selected from companies who make it a priority to support women and 

encourage them to take on C-Suite roles. 

SPONSORED BY: 

Rita Lowman 

President, Pilot Bank 

MODERATOR 

Rita Lowman, President of Pilot Bank is a 40-year banker and industry trail blazer. Throughout her career, she has managed 22 

acquisitions and played an integral part as COO of C1 Bank as the company went public. 

In 2017/2018, Rita became the third woman in 130 years to be Elected Chair of the Florida Bankers Association. She also serves 

on the Outback Bowl Board, the Board of Governors for the Centre Club in Tampa, and the Florida School of Banking at UF. 

Rita is passionate about our community and through her role as Chair of Cattle Barons’ Ball and Making Strides Against Breast 

Cancer, she and her team have raised over $4 million for the American Cancer Society. 

Rita has been published numerous times and is a requested speaker on various subjects from Successful Management to Women 

in the Boardroom. She has been recognized throughout her career for her impact on Tampa; receiving the Crystal Grenade, the 

Florida Bankers Association Chairman’s Award, and the inaugural Rita Lowman Leadership Award, now awarded each year in her 

name to an outstanding leader within the Tampa Bay community. In 2015, 2016, and 2017 she was recognized on the Power 100 

Most Influential People by the Tampa Bay Business Journal. Rita’s book From the Farm to the Boardroom: Leadership Lessons 

has received excellent reviews and was recently named the #1 Business Book of 2017 by Richter Publishing. Rita and her husband 

have two sons and enjoy relaxing on their cattle farm in Georgia. 

RHONDA MIMS Executive Vice President & Chief Public Affairs Officer, WellCare Health Plans 

Rhonda is the senior vice president and chief public affairs for WellCare Health Plans, which provides 

Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans to more than 4.4. million members 

across the country. In this role, she is responsible for the development and implementation of the 

company’s corporate communications, public policy and government affairs, corporate social responsibility, 

philanthropy, diversity and inclusion, employee volunteerism and brand management. 

Rhonda also serves as the chairman emeritus of The Executive Leadership Council, president of the Thirty 

Percent Coalition and sits on the board of directors for the Greater Southeast Affiliate of the American 

Heart Association. She is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors and previously 

served on the boards of the Citizens Committee for Children in New York, the Thurgood Marshall College 

Fund, America’s Promise, YWCA USA, the U. S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the Association of 

Corporate Contributions Professionals, the UC Berkeley HAAS Center for Responsible Business and the 

Woodruff Arts Center. 

. 



PAGE 33 

MARY VAN PRAAG Brand President, Soma 

Mary van Praag serves as Brand President – Soma, having joined the Company in September 2017. Mary 

has over 30 years of global, multichannel beauty industry leadership experience. She has a proven track 

record of developing brands and executing sales growth strategies. Prior to joining the Company, Mary 

was CEO of Perricone MD from 2015 where she was instrumental in driving recruitment and retention to 

the prestige brand through digital, broadcast and international expansion. Previously, Mary held several 

international and domestic executive leadership roles at Coty, Inc., including most recently serving as 

General Manager of OPI Products, Inc. 

Prior to Coty, Mary held corporate and regional positions at Johnson & Johnson, Revlon, Inc., and other 

health, beauty, and personal care companies. 

MELANIE WILLIAMS Senior Vice President Operations, Frontier Communications’ South Region 

Melanie Williams is the Senior Vice President Operations of Frontier Communications’ South Region, 

leading an eight-state organization with 2400+ employees. Her charter is continuous growth and service 

delivery excellence for Frontier’s customers. Melanie’s team is top-ranked in Customer Experience and 

Broadband Growth. Melanie served as President of Verizon’s Florida Region prior to its 2016 acquisition 

by Frontier. Melanie serves as the Co-chair of the Frontier’s Culture and Diversity Council. While with 

Verizon, Melanie was a three-time recipient of the National Telecom Leaders Award, and twice served 

as a Verizon affinity group President. 

A Tampa Bay Business Journal 2017 Businesswoman of the Year finalist, Melanie is very active in the 

Tampa Bay community as a member of the University of Tampa Board of Trustees, a Board Member of 

the Tampa-Hillsborough Economic Development Council; Board of Directors and Executive Committee 

Member of the Tampa Bay Partnership; and Executive Cabinet Member for the American Heart 

Association. In April 2018, Melanie was named to the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority 

Board of Directors by Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn. 


PAGE 34 

BECOME A PART OF WLP 

USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy (WLP) program is 

focused on engaging and educating its members in support of 

women and women’s initiatives throughout the USF System and 

in our communities. 

WLP was formed in 2005 with the leadership of USF System 

President Judy Genshaft, longtime USF supporter Carol 

Morsani, and Tampa Bay’s leading philanthropists, business 

professionals and entrepreneurs to support a common purpose: 

promoting the educational and research endeavors of women 

throughout the university system. Leveraging the power of our 

individual and collective talents and resources, members work 

together to affect real and lasting change in the lives of students 

and faculty, and enrich the intellectual and societal fabric of our 

region. As a member of WLP, members have the opportunity to 

create bonds with students, faculty and one another and, in the 

process, help develop the next generation of women leaders. 

Annual members ($1,000 per year and $500 per year for those 

35 and younger) and corporate members ($5,000 per year) 

support WLP programmatic offerings and outreach initiatives 

and help grow the principal of the WLP Endowed, WLP/USF St. 

Petersburg and WLP/USF Sarasota-Manatee scholarship funds. 

Members contributing at the endowment level ($25,000 or 

above) join our list of lifetime members. 

We invite you to join with other WLP members, all leaders 

and philanthropists in their own right, who are committed to 

enhancing opportunities for women. Your unique passion and 

experience are certain to improve our ability to fulfill our mission 

and to contribute to our local, national and global communities. 

Together, we can strengthen opportunities for women and in 

doing so, make the Tampa Bay region a better place to live and 

work. 

To make your gift online, visit http://bit.ly/joinWLP 

CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP - $5,000 

Benefits: 

• Membership in USF President’s Council giving society 

• WLP individual membership for up to 2 representatives 

• Mentoring opportunities 

• Special University updates 

• Opportunity for representative to be featured as a panelist 

or speaker at a WLP event 

• Invitation to WLP events 

• Preferred opportunity to co-sponsor a WLP event 

• Recognition on WLP website with link to corporate website 

• Recognition in WLP monthly e-newsletter (circulated to 

over 3,000 individuals which include members, prospective 

members, USF System and regional leaders, corporate 

partners, etc.) 

• Recognition from podium at WLP events and in 

WLP Publications 

• One corporate table of ten (10) at the annual Fall Symposium 

• Recognition in the WLP Annual Awards event program 

For information regarding the WLP Corporate Member program, 

contact Kate Evans at carodi@usf.edu or (813) 974-6996. 

University of South Florida Foundation, Inc. 

4202 E. Fowler Ave., ALC100, Tampa, FL 33620-5455 

813-974-4070 • wlp@usf.edu • usf.edu\wlp 

Thank you for your generous support! 



PAGE 35 

WHAT WILL YOUR LASTING LEGACY BE? 

Whether you give to honor those who paved the way before you or to empower the next generation of women leaders, 

your deferred gift – large or small – makes a real difference in the lives of women throughout the entire USF System. 

By naming USF Women in Leadership and Philanthropy in your trust or will, you are planting a seed for future change 

and ensuring the continued success of WLP, and the impact of the program for generations to come. 

LINDA 

D’AQUILA 

WLP/ Linda D’Aquila Endowed 

Scholarship 

KATHLEEN 

MOORE, PHD ‘90 

WLP/Dr. Kathleen Moore Faculty Excellence Award 

Program and Elsie A. Moore Memorial Scholarship 

MARION 

YONGUE ‘91 

WLP/Ruth Earle and Yuko Yongue 


To paraphrase the late, great B.B. 

King, ‘The beautiful thing about an 

education is that no one can take it 

away from you.’ The gifts I make in my 

lifetime through my WLP membership 

offers me a tremendous opportunity 

to actively promote and support 

the education of women who are 

destined to transform their lives, 

their communities, and the world. 

My choice to make a provision in 

my estate plan to create the WLP/ 

Linda D’Aquila Endowed Scholarship 

ensures that future generations of 

women will have continued access 

to the transformational power of 

education through this impactful 

program. 

I hope that after I am long gone, my 

lasting legacy for generations of 

these women – despite the obstacles 

they may experience along the way – 

will be this: That I helped them proudly 

live out one of my favorite phrases: 

‘Nevertheless, she persisted.’ 

I’ve always believed in the vital 

importance of WLP’s faculty 

awards program and continue 

to been inspired by incredible 

work done by female faculty 

members throughout the USF 

System. That is why I felt such 

a deep responsibility to allow 

this amazing program and its 

impactful annual research grants 

to continue in perpetuity. My 

husband, Nicholas Nitch, and 

I were so happy to endow the 

program with a deferred gift, 

guaranteeing that the newly 

named Faculty Excellence 

Awards program will forever 

support such a diverse array of 

important projects. The need for 

philanthropy is equally critical in 

supporting our USF students, and 

I couldn’t think of a more fitting 

way to honor my mother, the late 

Elsie Moore, than by endowing a 

named scholarship to open doors 

to the future – the way she did 

in raising me and my sister by 

herself, teaching us to be selfsufficient. 

Though she was unable 

to attend college, my mother 

will now allow many students to 

pursue their hopes and dreams. 

What a wonderful legacy that is. 

It means so much to me and 

Evan to endow a scholarship 

that honors our mothers, each 

of whom sacrificed a great deal 

for our respective educations. 

My mom was unable to attend 

college due to World War II, 

marriage and children. She 

was born in Japan and learned 

English on her own, while my 

mother-in-law was a young mom 

who devoted her life to raising 

her three boys. I thought it only 

appropriate that this scholarship 

pay tribute to them for all they did 

for us, and now many others to 

come. Our gifts are in investment 

in the future – one student at a 

time. We hope that our current 

gifts will provide much needed 

support today and that through 

our estate plans our impact will 

last forever. As an alumnus, I’m 

just happy to help future Bulls 

get a good education. I was 

fortunate to receive an incredible 

education and the primary reason 

I chose USF was the freshman 

scholarship I received. 


PAGE 36 

A NOTE OF THANKS 

Dear Members, Partners, and Friends, 

As a proud USF alumna, a WLP scholarship donor and 

an active member, it has been an honor and privilege to 

serve as the Programs Committee Chair for USF Women 

in Leadership and Philanthropy. I am honored to work 

alongside a group of exceptional women leaders and the 

WLP team as we continue to grow our impactful programs 

and expand academic, philanthropic and leadership 

opportunities for women throughout the USF System and 

Tampa Bay community. 

The WLP Fall Symposium, now in its thirteenth year, began 

as a modest community luncheon and has grown to be one 

of our region’s premier leadership events, raising more than 

$1 million dollars to directly fund our mission to empower 

women to become leaders and philanthropists. The 

continued success of the symposium is due to the dedication 

of our outstanding individual and corporate members, the 

generosity of our sponsors, and the continued support of 

the Tampa Bay community and our presenting sponsor, 

Florida Blue. A special thank you to the Programs Committee 

whose tireless efforts surpassed every expectation, brought 

together an incredible group of panelists and set us on a 

path for a record breaking year. And finally, thank you to my 

friends and colleagues at Trenam Law, who has encouraged 

and supported me in my role as a volunteer leader for the 

symposium, for WLP, and for my alma mater. I could not be 

more grateful. 

issues, learn from thought leaders, become inspired, 

and empower each other to lead and give back. 

If you aren’t already involved, I encourage you to 

consider joining me and my fellow 350+ WLP members 

(male and female) in our important work to advance 

and empower women throughout the USF System and 

in the Tampa Bay region. Together, we can strengthen 

opportunities for women and in doing so, make Tampa 

Bay an even better place to live and work. 

Sincerely, 

I am continually inspired by our WLP Scholars, all remarkable, 

driven and accomplished young women who aspire to 

change the world with their many passions. USF had a 

profound impact on my career and professional development 

and WLP continues to provide an amazing platform to give 

back and continue to grow and develop. WLP programs, 

including the Symposium provide an opportunity for women 

(and men!) of all ages to come together to address important 

MAJA LACEVIC ‘ 0 9 

Program Committee Chair, 

USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy 

To learn more about how you can make a difference 

visit USF.EDU/WLP. 



PAGE 37 

NOTES 


PAGE 38 

NOTES 



PAGE 39 

NOTES 


KEYNOTE LUNCHEON SEATING CHART 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 

31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 

46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 

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76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 

90 

91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 10 0 

Breakfast 

Breakfast 

Breakfast 

Breakfast

13th Annual WLP Fall Symposium Program

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