14th Annual WLP Fall Symposium Program

FEATURING NATIONAL 

BEST-SELLING AUTHOR 

JEAN CASE 

OCTOBER 4, 2019 

VIP RECEPTION SPONSOR: MEDIA SPONSOR: MARKETING SPONSOR:

PAGE 2 

ABOUT WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP & PHILANTROPY 

Dear Members, Partners, and Friends, 

Founded in 2005 by a small group of individuals and Tampa Bay 

area foundations and corporations, USF Women in Leadership 

& Philanthropy (WLP) advanced a collective vision 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. 14 years later, 

WLP – now numbering more than 350 individual and 24 corporate 

members strong – has helped stimulate numerous transformational 

gifts to benefit USF; has directly raised well over $6 million to 

support our mission; and has invested more than $1.5 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. 

Since our founding, WLP has awarded more than $1 million in 

scholarships, has devoted countless mentoring hours to over 

800 students, and has provided transformational grants to 35 

female faculty members through the Dr. Kathleen Moore Faculty 

Excellence Award program. WLP presents a wide variety of 

educational and leadership development programs annually at 

all three USF campuses and in the surrounding communities, and 

has formed formal mentoring partnerships with numerous campus 

colleges, units, and other entities. 

In 2016, in partnership with Valley Bank, WLP formed the WISE 

(Women Who Ignite Student Engagement) Advisory Council. 

Together with the WLP Mentoring and Program Committees and 

with the WLP/WISE Advisory Council, we developed and launched 

USF’s first student-led women’s leadership symposium in spring 

2017. Modeled after the “big” WLP Fall Symposium you are 

experiencing today, successful WISE Student Symposiums have 

been held annually, and we are planning for the 4th Annual WISE 

Student Symposium in March 2020. 

Data points are impressive, but student voices best express 

the true impact of WLP. As one scholar recently shared: 

“When I told my family about this gift, we started to jump 

for joy because of the financial relief this scholarship would 

provide. This scholarship from WLP has given me the rare 

gift of time – time to engage in actively pursuing my studies, 

and time (and opportunity) to grow and develop through 

participating in WLP’s amazing mentoring and leadership 

development programming. I appreciate the generosity of 

the members of WLP and the impact they are having on my 

life, and I know that I will not hesitate to give in the future.” 

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. 

To learn more about how 

you can make a difference 

visit USF.EDU/WLP. 

LAGRETTA LENKER, ’92 

Chair, USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy 

INSTAGRA FACEBOOK TWITTER @USF_WLP #USFWLP • 14 TH 

ANNUAL WLP FALL SYMPOSIUM

PAGE 3 

SPECIAL SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR OUR 

2019 SYMPOSIUM SPONSORS 

2019 SYMPOSIUM SPONSORS 

PRESENTED BY 

VIP RECEPTION SPONSOR MARKETING SPONSOR MEDIA SPONSOR 

NETWORKING 

BREAKFAST SPONSOR 

STUDENT 

RECEPTION SPONSOR 

George and Jane Morgan 

CONCURRENT SESSIONS SPONSORS 

BENEFACTOR SPONSORS 

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

PAGE 4 

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE 

SESSIONS 

8:00 - 8:45 A.M. 

Networking Breakfast 

GALLERIA 

9:00 - 10:00 A.M. 

Let Urgency Conquer Fear 

PALMA CEIA 

Make a Big Bet 

UNIVERSITY CLUB 

Crash and Learn 

ESPLANADE 

10:30 - 11:30 A.M. 

Fearless Leadership 

PALMA CEIA 

Be Bold, Take Risks 

UNIVERSITY CLUB 

Fearless Philanthropy 

ESPLANADE 

12:00 - 1:30 P.M. 

Luncheon with Jean Case 

BAYSHORE BALLROOM 

1:45 - 2:30 P.M. 

VIP Reception (Invitation Only) 

PALMA CEIA 

2:45 - 3:30 

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 

I 

HYDE 

PARK CHANNELSIDE 1 

ATRIUM 

III 

II 

PAGE 5 

GARRISON 

Bayshore Ballroom 

Esplanade 

Galleria 

Palma Ceia 

University Club* 


To the 

University Club 

Escalator to 1st Floor 

211 Restaurant & 

Guest Registration 

*The University Club is located across the walkway in One Tampa City Center on the 38 th floor 


PAGE 6 

J 

ean Case, the Chairman of the National Geographic Society and CEO of the 

Case Foundation, is a philanthropist, investor and internet and impact investing 

pioneer who advocates for the importance of embracing a more fearless 

approach to innovate and bring about transformational breakthroughs. Her career in the 

private sector spanned nearly two decades before co-founding the Case Foundation 

in 1997. 

A passionate believer in all things digital and the amazing potential of technology to change 

the world for the better, Jean has been profiled in a wide number of publications including the 

New York Times, CNN and CNBC for her work as a leader in the impact investing movement 

and focuses her efforts and those of the organizations she leads around many of the same 

entrepreneurial approaches she cultivated through her extensive private sector career. Under 

her leadership, the Case Foundation has been recognized for its innovative efforts to address 

significant social challenges, harnessing the best impulses of entrepreneurship, innovation, 

technology and collaboration to drive exponential impact. Out of this work, the Case Foundation 

has identified five principles that individuals and organizations can take to Be Fearless 

and bring about transformational change, and Jean has spoken at hundreds of convenings 

inspiring leaders worldwide to incorporate the principles into their work. Jean is author of 

the best-selling book, Be Fearless: 5 Principles for a Life of Breakthroughs and Purpose, 

on the five Be Fearless principles with stories of those who embody the principles. 

Before starting the Case Foundation, Jean was a senior executive at America Online, Inc. 

where she directed the marketing and branding that helped establish AOL as a household 

utility. Before joining AOL, she held strategic marketing positions at GE’s Information Services 

Division and at The Source, the nation’s first online service. 

In addition, Jean currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of National Geographic 

Partners and on the boards of Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure (ABC2) and the White House 

Historical Association. She also sits on the advisory boards of the Brain Trust Accelerator 

Fund, the Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, Georgetown University’s 

Beeck Center for Social Impact & Innovation, and the George W. Bush Presidential Library 

Center’s Women’s Initiative Policy Advisory Council. 

Jean was an advisor to the U.S. National Advisory Board to the Social Impact Investing Task 

Force established by the G8 and served in two appointed roles leading strategic public-private 

efforts, including the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, to which she was 

appointed as Chair by President George W. Bush. 

National Best-selling Author 

She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2016 and has received 

honorary degrees from Indiana University and George Mason University. 

Finally, Jean and her husband Steve joined The Giving Pledge and publicly reaffirmed their 

commitment to give away the majority of their wealth to fund worthy charitable causes. 

MEET OUR TEAM USF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP & PHILANTHROPY 

Jessica Brasseur ’17 

Staff Assistant 

Kate Evans 

Assistant Director 

India Witte 

Executive Director 

Danielle Cohen-L’Altrella ’15 

Advancement Administrator 

Katherine Lesser ’16 

Student Assistant 

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 

2019 LUNCHEON PROGRAM 

11:30 A.M. 

Luncheon Seating Begins 

12:00 P.M. 

Welcome 

LAGRETTA LENKER, PHD ’92 

WLP Chair 

Introductory Comments 

STEVEN C. CURRALL, PHD 

USF President 

WLP Community Leadership Award 

LINDA SIMMONS ’75 

WLP Lifetime Achievement Award 

DORETHA EDGECOMB ’73 

WLP Impact 

INDIA WITTE 

WLP Executive Director 

Personal Testimony 

KARLENE WILLIAMS 

WLP Scholar 

Speaker Introduction 

SHAWN TROTTER-MITCHELL 

Vice President of Network Strategy 

and Operations, Florida Blue 

12:45 - 1:30 P.M. 

Keynote Speaker 

JEAN CASE 

“Be Fearless” 

Concluding Comments 

INDIA WITTE 

WLP Executive Director 


PAGE 8 

W L P S C H O L A R S P O T L I G H T 

During the 2019-2020 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 200 awards to 

talented young 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 

GRETCHEN 

STEWART 

Carolyn A. O’Steen 

Memorial Scholarship 

NAYA 

SAYEGH 

New American Scholarship 

for Women of Excellence 

A medical student in the Morsani 

College of Medicine’s CORE program, 

Valeria is a first-generation college 

student. She graduated from USF 

with dual degrees 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 student-run 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. 

A Doctoral student majoring in 

exceptional student education 

with a specialization in educational 

neuroscience and qualitative research, 

Gretchen is passionate about the 

workings of the brain. She is interested 

in developing innovative programming 

in schools for students with unique 

learning profiles, such as autism and 

other neurologically based conditions. 

Her research focus and dissertation 

area explores the intersection of brain 

science, education and cognition. 

Gretchen’s interest in this area was 

ignited when she became mom to two 

boys with autism. Prior to being a parent, 

Gretchen was a special education 

teacher, school administrator, and 

special education state compliance 

specialist. Outside of her busy 

schedule as a full-time homeschooling 

mom and full-time doctoral student at 

USF, Gretchen competes in triathlons 

and owns a photography business 

capturing the first days of life of 

newborn babies. Gretchen’s goal after 

graduation is to open an innovative 

neurodevelopmental and teaching 

training school in the Tampa area. 

A senior biomedical sciences major 

with an emphasis in psychology, Naya 

transferred to USF from St. Petersburg 

College and plans to pursue a career 

in dentistry upon graduation. Thanks 

to WLP, Naya is one step closer to that 

goal. Born and raised in Syria, where 

she obtained her elementary and 

middle school education, Naya moved 

to the United States in 2012 with her 

family of five. For the past six years, 

she was inspired by the goal of higher 

education and made it her mission to 

attend college and make her parents 

proud, while feeling proud of herself 

as well. 



PAGE 9 

NICOLE 

DONLEY 

WLP/Citi Women in Technology 

Endowed Scholarship 

JHULIANNA 

VIVAR 

WLP Endowed 

Scholarship 

SOFIA 

MORINELLI 

WLP First Generation 

Scholarship 

A sophomore with a concurrent major 

in Business Analytics and Information 

Systems and Global Business in the 

Muma College of Business, Nicole 

currently owns her own business as a 

web developer and content manager. 

She has created eight Wordpress 

websites and is currently working on 

her ninth. Next semester Nicole will 

be studying abroad in Florence, Italy 

focusing on international studies in 

business. After graduation she hopes 

to work at Citi as a business analyst and 

later go on to have her own business 

once again. Entrepreneurship, hard 

work, and balance are very important 

to Nicole. In addition to her studies 

and managing her own company, 

Nicole is a member of Gamma Phi 

Beta Panhellenic sorority, a number of 

intramural sports, and Catholic Bulls. 

A medical student in the USF Morsani 

College of Medicine, Jhulianna graduated 

from USF as a King O’Neal Scholar (a 

perfect GPA) in 2017 with degrees in 

biomedical sciences and psychology, and 

is now a student in the Morsani College of 

Medicine. As an undergraduate, Jhulianna 

was an USF Ambassador, vice president 

of the Multicultural Greek Council, and 

president of Omega Phi Beta. She also 

had the honor of receiving a Golden Bull 

Award in 2017. During her gap year she 

worked as a clinical research coordinator 

for the Multiple Sclerosis Division at USF 

Neurology. As a member of the busiest 

clinical research unit per clinical volume 

and revenue in the USF Morsani College 

of Medicine, she assisted in the everyday 

operations of running over 25 clinical 

trials and served as lead coordinator of 

seven trials. Jhulianna is excited to enter 

medical school and continue to give back 

to her community. She plans on becoming 

involved with the BRIDGE Clinic at USF 

and focus her scholarly concentrations 

addressing health disparities. Her goal 

is to be able to provide assistance to 

underserved groups as a physician and 

work to mend the gap in healthcare 

quality between different populations. 

Sofia is a junior majoring in biomedical 

sciences with a minor in public health. 

As the daughter of two immigrants, 

Sofia always felt the responsibility to 

make her parents proud since they 

gave up everything to give her a 

better life. Sofia’s primary goal is to 

become an obstetrician/gynecologist. 

She decided to pursue a career in 

the medical field at an early age, and 

has since been preparing for medical 

school by obtaining certifications 

such as CPR, First Aid, and EKG 

(electrocardiogram); serving as a 

summer camp nurse and as president 

of her high school medical class. 

During the summers, Sofia volunteers 

at her local hospital and shadows 

doctors there. After earning a degree 

from USF, Sofia plans to attend 

medical school and join Doctors 

Without Borders in order to help those 

around the world who cannot afford or 

don’t have access to medical care. In 

her free time, Sofia enjoys discovering 

restaurants that serve new food trends 

and volunteering in the children 

ministry at her church. 


PAGE 10 

2019-2020 WLP SCHOLARS 

WLP/Ann McKeel Ross 

Scholarship in Visual Arts 

Libbi Ponce 

WLP/Anne Marie Campbell 

Scholarship 

Elizabeth Yuravich 

WLP/Bank of America East Tampa 

Scholarship 

Tiana Hill 

Jasmine Trejo 

WLP/Berkman Family First 

Generation Scholarship 

Ella Bojanic 

Brianna Salinas 

WLP/Berkman Family Scholarship 

Lillie Harris 

WLP/Betty Castor Scholarship for 

Global Initiatives 

Lidija Crnkic 

Carine Kambou 

WLP/Bob & Liana Fernandez Fox 


Breanna Ciccone 

WLP/Carolyn A. O’Steen Memorial 

Scholarship 

Gretchen Stewart 

WLP/Carolyn House Stewart 


Chloe Watkins 

WLP/Citi Women in Technology 


Nicole Donley 

WLP/CREW Tampa Bay 

Scholarship 

Sereen Abuemaish 

WLP/Deborah Eaves Endowed 

Scholarship 

Laura Cadenas Sainz 

Karissa Hamilton 

WLP/Donald & Ruth Anderson 

Memorial Scholarship 

Kailey Taylor 

WLP/Dorothy L. Morgan Endowed 

Scholarship in Marine Science 

Natalie Sawaya 

WLP/Dorothy Warren Burke 


Xenia Sailors 

WLP/Dr. Susan MacManus 

Undergraduate Research 

Scholarship 

Dragana Mitric 

WLP/Elicia Renee Byrd Endowed 

Service Scholarship 

Natasha Ram 

WLP/Elsie A. Moore Memorial 

Scholarship 

Taylor Lambert 

Jacquelyn Redrup 

Mariana Suarez 

WLP/Esther Schneid Memorial 

Scholarship 

Cassidy Hinson 

Indira Ranaweera 

WLP/Florida Blue Leadership in 

Healthcare Scholarship 

Valeria Pereira Martinez 

WLP/Geraldine Twine Endowed 

Scholarship 

Ollicia Anderson 

WLP/Jeff and Penny Vinik 


Kamila Khasanova 

WLP/Jessica Stands with Girls 


Anne Bauer 

WLP/Judith Bryan Darsey 

Scholarship 

Beatrice Buck 

WLP/Linda Blume Award 

Jocelin Dapheline 

Sarah Ford 

WLP/Martha Hodge Memorial 

Scholarship 

Julia Sadoyan 

WLP/Nancy Schneid Scholarship 

Haley Prudhom 

WLP/National Mah Jongg League 

Foundation, Inc. Scholarship 

Mikayla Hinson 

Bianca Velez-Lugo 

Brianna Waldrep 

WLP/New American Scholarship 

for Women of Excellence 

Naya Sayegh 

WLP/Ouyang Yu Memorial 

Scholarship 

Whitney Fung 

WLP/Pam Iorio Leadership 

Scholarship 

Cheyenne Robinson 

WLP/Philip & Ellen Asherman 

Scholarship 

Alexandra Chacon 

Alexis Esparza 

Annalise Giordano 

Kaleigh Marquis 

Christina Pham 

Hannah Pierle 

Tia Wilson 

WLP/Ruth Earle & Yuko Yongue 

First Generation Scholarship 

Daniela Farias 

Keanna Haynes 

WLP/Sharon Greenbaum 


Jessi Broom 

WLP/Susan & Richard Leisner 


Lucia Carrero 

WLP/Tampa Palms Women’s Club 

Scholarship 

Samantha Stevens 

WLP/Triad Foundation & Academy 

Prep Center of Tampa Scholarship 

Sheriean Carroll 

WLP/USF Sarasota-Manatee 

Scholarship 

Amanda Driscoll 

WLP/USF St. Petersburg Endowed 

Scholarship 

Summer Devlin 

WLP/Valerie D. Riddle, MD 


Oliwia Przychodzka 

WLP/Valley Bank 


Monica Olender 

FACEBOOK TWITTER ##USFWLP • 13 TH ANNUAL WLP FALL SYMPOSIUM

PAGE 11 

WLP/Vincent Zecchino, MD/Dream Givers 

USA Scholarship 

Kaitlyn Montes 

WLP/Virginia Gregory Endowment in 

Entrepreneurship 

Yenny Aguila 

WLP/Waller-Witte Endowed Scholarship 

Odette Rosales 

WLP/Wilma Fowler Endowed Scholarship 

Rebekka Huneke 

WLP/WISE “Students for Students” 

Scholarship 

Karlene Williams 

Women in Leadership & Philanthropy Endowed Scholarship 

Ashley Abbondandolo 

Jessica Nguyen 

Gentry Allen 

Jessica Nida 

Aleah Ataman 

Ana Mary Novo Contreras 

Maria Becht 

Gabrielle Piloto 

Joannie Bewa 

Elizabeth Seymour 

Dominika Borakiewicz 

Jessica Suarez 

Frea’Drika Curry 

Jhulianna Vivar 

Hala Daou 

Leenor Dikel 

Alexis Garcia 

Sara Hostelley 

Onyx Imeh 

Wainella Isaacs 

Sabrina Khalil 

WLP First Generation Scholarship 

Medjine Abellard 

Stephanie Cortes 

Arijbatul Abid 

Cassandra Degaetano 

Marisela Acevedo 

Kendal Destin 

Ashley Adkins 

Tiahana Douglas 

Linda Alvarenga 

La’Nice Dunbar 

Malorie Anglin 

Megan Dutan 

Maritza Armengol 

Shamara Ebanks 

Jenny Aslan 

Jennifer Fumero 

Amanda Atkinson 

Sara Gifford 

Kiara Avila 

Ariana Gil 

Maryeli Baez 

Susana Gonzalez 

Nicole Balbuena 

Brianna Greene 

Angel Ball 

Ariana Guadiamos 

Taylor Bell 

Rachel Hendel 

Madison Belloise 

Kayla Heredia 

Alexis Belmont 

Camryn Honeycutt 

Charelaine Betancourt Vega Sophia Hymes 

Kayley Boone 

Ciara Jackson 

Alyssa Brodnax 

Melissa James 

Niatikqua Brooks 

Yvayela Jeudy 

A’Yonna Bryan 

Shakyra Jones 

Kelsey Buell 

Urja Kaushik 

Jakeema Byrd 

Ebony Kelly 

Trisha Carman 

Taina Laloi 

Bryanna Cheney 

Destany Legerme 

Christina Cherilus 

Sydney Leizear-Lanman 

Skylar Clements 

Romy Lisse 

Sara Cooke 

Marissa Lloyd-Gage 

Sabrina Madrid 

Alejandra Maldonado 

Emily Martinez 

Kathia Matute 

Brittany McDaniel 

Alyssa McDermott 

Alexa McFarland 

Nancy Mendez 

Sofia Morinelli 

Carolina Neyra 

Nguyen Nguyen 

Vy Hoang Nguyen 

Gina Ni 

Dragana Nikic 

Toneshea Noel 

Nevada Norris 

Krystal Ordonez 

Marilluly Peraza 

Stephanie Petit-Charles 

Caroline Pierre-Louis 

Leyna Pinero 

Netzy Preciado 

Karin Claire Prins 

Alterria Pyles 

Jelina Ramos Perez 

Alyssa Rees 

Esmeralda Reyes 

Shelby Rider 

Daisha Rigby 

Arlene Roberts 

Lliliam Rodriguez 

Omarianna Rountree 

Stacy Saint Paul 

Angelica San Juan 

Jessica Sands 

Monica Santana 

Alisa Smith 

Brielle Sterlace 

Sophia Swearengin 

Nia Thomas 

Channel Thompson 

Janessa Toledo 

Akwile Ujagbor 

Erika Valdespino 

Daniela Vergaray 

Leah Vidal 

Melissa Villegas 

Nicole Viverito 

Katelyn Williams 

Mykala Williams 

Madison Wilson 

Kaitlyn Youmans 

Makenzie Young 

Stephanie Zamudio 

Demi Zeper 


PAGE 12 

DR. KATHLEEN M. MOORE FACULTY EXCELLENCE AWARD PROGRAM 

2019 RECIPIENT AWARD SPOTLIGHT 

DR. DIANA M. HECHAVARRIA 

USF Tampa Faculty Excellence Award 

Dr. Diana M. Hechavarria is an Associate Professor of entrepreneurship at the University of 

South Florida’s Muma College of Business. She teaches social and global entrepreneurship, 

strategic and technical entrepreneurship and business planning. Her work is published 

in journals such as Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, Journal of Business Ethics, Small 

Business Economics, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, and a 

number of international journals. At the broadest level, her research focuses on understanding 

the phenomenon of nascent entrepreneurship. This theme links all of her work regardless of its 

disciplinary base or approach. As an economic sociologist, she approaches the majority of her 

research in entrepreneurship from the viewpoint that venturing is a contextualized economic 

and social process. She also investigates strategic processes and aspects of organizational 

behavior linked to new firm emergence. Her goal is to offer practical insights for people actually 

engaging in the process of venturing, as well as providing evidence for, or against, prominent 

theories used in the management domain. She holds a PhD in business administration from 

the University of Cincinnati, a master’s in liberal studies from Florida International University 

and a bachelor’s in sociology from University of Florida. 

DR. JILL MCCRACKEN 

USF St. Petersburg Faculty Award 

Dr. Jill McCracken is an Associate Professor of Rhetoric and Gender & Sexuality Studies at 

the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and Co-Founder / Co-Director of Sex Workers 

Outreach Program (SWOP) Behind Bars, an organization that provides direct support for 

incarcerated sex workers and victims of trafficking in US prisons and jails and connects them 

to the sex worker rights movement. Having worked with sex workers and victims of trafficking 

for over fourteen years, her primary areas of research focus on sex work and trafficking in the 

sex industry, women and incarceration, and the impact of sexuality education on marginalized 

communities. She recently completed a Fulbright Specialist Project in collaboration with the 

New Zealand Prostitutes’ Collective to investigate the presence of violence and trafficking in 

the sex industry in a country where prostitution is decriminalized. She has conducted trainings 

for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)-supported 

organizations, public defenders, human trafficking coalitions, and non-profit organizations. Her 

work has been recognized through many awards and honors including the USF Outstanding 

Faculty Award, a prior Women in Leadership and Philanthropy Faculty Research Award, and 

Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Service. 

DR. SUNITA LODWIG 

USF Sarasota-Manatee Faculty Award 

Dr. Sunita Lodwig is an Information Technology (IT) Faculty member in the College of Business 

at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee where she has been for the last fourteen 

years. Over this period, Dr. Lodwig and her colleagues have worked to develop a baccalaureate 

IT Program with a strong Cybersecurity slant from the ground up. Additionally, Dr. Lodwig has 

been instrumental in developing relationships with local industry and businesses to support an 

internship capstone program. Her technical background covers a wide range – from defining 

strategy, technical marketing, project/product management, globalization issues, to cuttingedge 

software architecture, requirements, design, development and delivery. Throughout her 

career Dr. Lodwig has been active proponent of women’s advancement in technology and 

has organized and participated in several STEM-related activities. Dr. Lodwig was a finalist 

for the 2011 Tampa Bay Business Woman of the Year award in the Education category. She is 

also a recipient of the 2013 Florida Achievement Award from the Florida Commission on the 

Status of Women. Dr. Lodwig’s spring 2016 sabbatical was devoted to developing technology 

and computer education programs for high school students and teachers in Tanzania. For 

two years in a row, the graduating classes of fall 2017 and fall 2018, chose Dr. Lodwig for the 

Outstanding Professor award. Dr. Lodwig holds a PhD in Theoretical Physics from the Indian 

Institute of technology, Delhi. 



PAGE 13 

Dr. Dinorah Martinez Tyson is an Assistant Professor in the College of Public Health and holds 

a courtesy appointment in the Department of Anthropology. As an applied anthropologist, 

her work focuses on understanding the culture, context, and circumstances surrounding 

behavior and disease that are crucial to intervention research and provide empirical rationale 

for the adaptation of interventions so that they not only improve symptoms but also engage 

communities, and respond to local needs and realities. For example, she worked to adapt 

a self-administered stress management program for Latina women with breast cancer titled 

“Cómo tratar el estrés durante la quimioterapia,” and to adapt a colorectal cancer screening 

educational program for Latinos. She has also conducted epidemiological and cross-cultural 

studies to examine the heterogeneity of the Latino/Hispanic population. Dr. Martinez Tyson’s 

scholarship builds on the tenets of community-engaged research. Dr. Martinez Tyson’s work 

has appeared in the journals Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, Cancer, Ethnicity and 

Health, Journal of Cancer Education, CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, Health Promotion 

Practice, and Social Science and Medicine. She is also the co-founder of Latinos Unidos por 

Un Nuevo Amanecer, Inc. a non-profit organization that provides support to Latinos diagnosed 

with cancer. She facilitated a monthly support group for Latinas diagnosed with cancer for 

over 10 years and co-coordinates Campamento Alegria, a 3-Day integrative educational and 

supportive program for Latina cancer survivors. 

DR. DINORAH MARTINEZ 

Valerie D. Riddle, MD Award in Health 

Dr. Wendy Rote is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of South Florida St. 

Petersburg. She received her BA in psychology from Whitman College in 2007 and her MA 

and PhD in developmental psychology from the University of Rochester in 2012 and 2014. 

Dr. Rote’s research examines parental socialization behaviors, particularly guilt induction and 

overparenting, and how parents must adjust and realign their parenting strategies as children 

become more autonomous during adolescence and young adulthood. She specifically 

focuses on how parents’ and teens’ perceptions of these parenting behaviors differ, especially 

as children age, and factors influencing these divergent perceptions. The ultimate aim of Dr. 

Rote’s research is to better tailor parenting advice and family therapies to specific situations 

by incorporating knowledge about contextual differences and individual features of family 

members. Dr. Rote has published numerous articles on her research and gives presentations 

in the local community on ways to improve parent-adolescent relationships and parenting 

practices. She currently lives in Seminole, FL with her husband and mother and stays busy 

raising two young children of her own. 

DR. WENDY ROTE 

USF Junior Faculty Award 

Dr. Leia K. Cain is an instructor in the Educational Measurement and Research Program within 

the Department of Educational and Psychological Studies. She obtained her undergraduate 

degree from East Carolina University and her MEd and PhD from the University of South 

Carolina. Leia’s research focuses on issues of equity for marginalized populations and on 

researcher identity development. These areas often overlap, as reflexive practices teach us 

that our own identities, as researchers, affect the decisions that we make during the research 

process. Leia is currently in her second year as co-chair of the Presidential Advisory Committee 

for Issues of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (CISOGI) and of the College of Education’s 

Diversity Committee. In addition to these commitments, Leia has developed tailored curricula 

for local businesses and national corporations concerning how to treat LGBTQ+ employees 

and address issues of equity and climate in the workplace for LGBTQ+ populations. Further, 

she has been invited to speak for the National Diversity Council at two of their events in recent 

years. She has disseminated her work through local, national, and international conferences, 

and has published in multiple peer-reviewed journals. 

DR. LEIA K. CAIN 

USF Instructor Award 


PAGE 14 

2019 WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP & PHILANTHROPY 

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARD 

LINDA 

SIMMONS ’75 

Linda Simmons is a successful businesswoman and philanthropist — with a hand in building the University of South Florida’s Tampa campus enjoyed 

by so many today. 

Simmons serves as the President and CEO of R.R. Simmons Construction Corporation, which specializes in design, engineering and construction 

management services for corporate clients ranging from Volkswagen of America and Coca-Cola to the Tampa Port Authority and her alma mater, USF. 

The firm is responsible for the Lee Roy Selmon Athletics Center, several athletics facilities and a wing of the Gibbons Alumni Center, cementing their 

legacy on campus. 

Though she was born outside of the state, Simmons’ father moved the family to his native Florida when she was just six months old and Simmons grew 

up in the Tampa Bay area, attending schools in Hillsborough County. Then, when she was just 15, her father suddenly passed away. 

In the years that followed, Simmons’ mother put herself through college at USF while raising three children, earning her undergraduate degree in 1971, 

the same year Simmons graduated high school. In the following years, they attended USF together — without the benefit of financial aid — and in 1975, 

Simmons graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. 

Linda began her career in finance, graduating from the American Bankers Association Stonier School of Banking and blazing a trail as a female leader 

in the Tampa Bay banking industry before joining her husband, Randy Simmons, in the family construction business. 

Under Simmons’ leadership, the company has received a number of accolades for its projects, including numerous NAIOP Best of the Best Awards, 

Tilt-Up Concrete Association Awards and Design/Build Institute of America awards. The U.S. company’s headquarters building earned the Green 

Building Council’s LEED Silver Certification (2010), 

Simmons relationship with USF came full circle when she was invited to become a member of the USF Alumni Association Board. She went on to 

help found and chair USF’s Women in Leadership and Philanthropy, serve as a member and chair of the USF Foundation board of directors and join 

the board of the Gus A. Stavros Center. Simmons was honored with the USF Alumni Association’s Donald A. Gifford Service Award in 2011, which 

recognizes individuals who have provided unparalleled volunteer leadership and service to the university. 

The Simmons have generously given to USF to advance athletics as Iron Bull members, have supported Women in Leadership & Philanthropy 

programming, the Stavros Center and the USF Research Foundation, but the bulk of their efforts have focused on scholarships. Remembering her 

mother’s struggle to finish school, they established the Carolyn A. O’Steen Memorial Scholarship in WLP, which benefits single parents, in memory of 

her mother, as well as the Linda and Randy Simmons Endowed Athletic Scholarship that provides full scholarships to one female and one male athlete 

annually. 

Outside of USF, Simmons has used her skill for rethinking organizational structure and service delivery on a number of nonprofit boards, including 

the United Way, the American Heart Association, the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, Friends of Boca Grande Community Center, IWF Florida 

Suncoast, Grow Financial, Associated General Contractors, Brandon Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Brandon, and others. Linda’s professional 

achievements, her tremendous service to the University of South Florida, and her significant community leadership contributions make her a fitting 

recipient of the 2019 WLP Community Leadership Award. 

PAST RECIPIENTS 

Liz Kennedy ’80 (2018), 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 (co-awarded in 2008), Dr. Kay Glasser (2007). (Not Awarded in 2011 and 2009). 



PAGE 15 

2019 WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP & PHILANTHROPY 

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 

DORETHA 

EDGECOMB ’73 

Doretha Edgecomb has enjoyed a remarkable 52-year career in education — as a teacher and administrator in Hillsborough County Public Schools, a 

trainer with Educational Testing Service, and a longtime member of the Hillsborough County school board. 

The segregated school system Tampa-native Edgecomb experienced as a child was much different than the one she would later serve, but her 

childhood experiences fueled her lifelong passion to provide equity, access and the opportunity for excellence for all students. After graduating from 

the original Middleton High School, which was the first high school for African Americans in Hillsborough County, Edgecomb attended Talladega 

College in Alabama, taking part in civil rights marches in the small Southern town. The idea that if she wanted to see change, she had to be part of that 

change would inform the rest of her career and her significant lifetime of leadership and service. 

After college, Edgecomb returned to Tampa to serve as a junior high school teacher in Hillsborough County Public Schools, married her high school 

sweetheart and began a family. In 1976, she experienced personal tragedy when her beloved husband, the Hon. George Edgecomb, passed away 

from leukemia at the age of 33. George Edgecomb was Hillsborough County’s first African-American prosecutor and county court judge. The county 

courthouse downtown now bears his name. Their daughter, Allison, followed in her mother’s footsteps in the field of public education, now serving as 

the middle school supervisor for Hillsborough County Public Schools. 

Edgecomb persevered, continuing in her profession while earning a Masters of Arts in reading education and receiving certification in educational 

leadership from the University of South Florida. Her career as an educator encompassed numerous positions, including reading teacher, learning 

specialist, Title I parent involvement coordinator, reading supervisor and elementary school principal. In 1996, after retiring from the Hillsborough 

County School District, she joined Educational Testing Service, serving as a trainer, program developer and technical assistance advisor for schools, 

school districts and state departments of education in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and also taught in the College of Education at 

the University of South Florida. 

After her retirement, Edgecomb’s commitment to public education did not wane. In 2004, she was elected to the District 5 seat on the Hillsborough 

County School Board and served three terms (2004–2016), and was elected vice chair of the board in 2010 and chair in 2011. She was one of seven 

members responsible for making policy decisions and overseeing a total budget of $2.9 billion for the eighth largest school district in the nation and 

the county’s largest employer with 25,000 employees. 

Today, Edgecomb remains extremely active in the community. Honoring the memory of her husband, Doretha has helped the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer 

Center launch the George Edgecomb Society, a cancer outreach initiative focusing on the African-American community. She also remains actively 

involved in numerous professional, civic, social and community organizations, including Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Athena Society, which 

she led as president in 2017-2018, board member of the Hillsborough Education Foundation and the Plant Museum, and as a member of the advisory 

committee of NOPE, Inc. 

Over the years, Edgecomb has humbly accepted several awards for her service to the community. In 2010 she was named both the Educator of the 

Year by the Tampa Bay Professional Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, the international honor society of educators, and also received the Citizen of the 

Year Award presented by the MuMu Chapter and the Pi Iota Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. She was honored with the Tampa Metropolitan 

Area YMCA Community Impact Award and the Girls Scouts of West Central Florida’s Women of Distinction Award in 2017, and in the summer of 2019, 

Edgecomb received USF’s highest non-academic award, the Distinguished Citizen Award. 

USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy is honored to recognize the depth and breadth of Doretha Edgecomb’s lifetime of impactful achievement 

and service by naming her the 2019 USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy Lifetime Achievement Award winner. 

PAST RECIPIENTS 

2018 Dr. Liana Fernandez-Fox ’80, ’98 

2017 Ann McKeel Ross ’79 

2016 Hon. Betty Castor 

Hon. Jan Platt* 2015 

Lee Leavengood ’73 2014 

Louise Lykes Ferguson* 2013 

*Deceased 


PAGE 16 

W O M E N I N L E A D E R S H I P & P H I L A N T H R O P Y C O M M I T T E E S T R U C T U R E 

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. 

Lagretta Lenker, PhD ’92, Chair 

Carolyn House Stewart, Esq. ’74, 

Immediate Past Chair 

Carol Morsani, Honorary Chair 

Moira Burke, MD, Vice Chair 

India Witte, Executive Director 

Lauren Hartmann ’15 

Stephanie Haas ’03 

Cynthia Keenan 

Maja Lacevic ’09 

Claire Lessinger 

Chris Reyes ’93 

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

Anne Strozier, PhD 

Anila Jain, MD ’79, ’81 

USF Sarasota-Manatee Representative 

Valerie Riddle, MD ’84, ’89 

USF Health Representative 

Debbie N. Sembler 

USF St. Petersburg Representative 

WLP Awards Committee 

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. 

Anne Strozier, PhD, Chair 

Kate Evans, Staff Liaison 

Marquita Armstead 

Kathy Bradley-Klug 

Wendy Brill 

Betty Castor 

Robin DeLaVergne ’74 

Ruth Duncan Bell ’88 

Yvonne Fry 

Olivia Hodges, EdD 


Giti Javidi, PhD ’96 

Jamie Jenkins 

Patricia Kruk, PhD 

Lagretta Lenker, PhD ’92 

Karla Mastracchio, PhD ’03 

Melissa Mora ’02 

Stephanie Morge ’06 

Kathleen Moore, PhD ’90 

Devin O’Connell 

Julie Perrelli 

Rebecca Puig, PhD ’08, ’10, ’15 

Alicia Rossiter, DNP ’96, ’15 

Audrey Schreier 

Amanda Stevens 

Natalie Thomas ’95 

Janae Thomas ’18 

Hannah Veitkus ’16 

India Witte 

Laura Woodard ’89 

WLP Membership Committee 

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. 

Stephanie Haas ’03, Chair 


Danielle Cohen-L’Altrella ’15, Staff Liaison 

Jessica Muroff ’01, ’02 

Kelly Addington 

Connie Bladon 

Wendy Brill 

Jennifer Carpenter 

Julie Gillespie ’82 

Liz Kicak ’05 

Lyda T. Lindell, MD 



Amy Rettig 


Hannah Vetikus ’16 

India Witte 

WLP Mentoring Committee 

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, and work internally on the 

coordination of a WLP Mentoring Program for our scholars 

Barbara Sparks-McGlinchy ’78, ’83, ’91 ’93, 

Co-Chair 

Chris Reyes ’93, 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 ’83 



Grace Maseda 

Valerie McDevitt 



Juliann Nichols 

Nastassia O’Connor ’11 

Betty Otter Nickerson ’76 


Carole Philipson 

Jyoti Rao 


Rachel Scalzo, PhD 

Dawn Schocken, PhD ’83, ’85 

Brigitte Shaw 

Patricia Soltis 

Jeanne Travers 

Christine Turner 

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 



Sheau-Lei Ellison 

Sandy Goodman, MD 

Shelby Harris ’16 


Virginia Kalil ’93 



Esther Marshall 

Grace Maseda 

Betty Otter Nickerson ’76 




Lindsey Rodriguez, PhD 

Dae Sheridan, PhD ’94, ’97 


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, MD 

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. 

Maja Lacevic ’09, Chair 


Lindsey Crawford 

Lynn Cristina ’98 

Diane Egner 

Liana Fernandez Fox, PhD ’80, ’98 

Michelle Hamilton ’04 


Dee Garcia ’62 

Fadwa Hilili ’13 

Danyell Jones 




Nevena Pehar ’12 

Abby Ritter ’15 

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

Natalie Roberts 

Audrey Schreier ’13 

Debbie Sembler 

Dawn Shields 


India Witte 

Cynthia Keenan, Chair 

Chris Reyes ’93, Co-Chair 

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. 

Cynthia Keenan, Chair 

Danielle Cohen-L’Altrella ’15, Staff Liaison 

Moira Burke, MD 

Joena Bartolini Mitchell 

Ann Marie Campbell ’96 


Sheau-Lei Ellison 

Dee Garcia ’62 

Julie Gillespie ‘82 


Carolyn House Stewart, Esq. ’74 


Jamie Jenkins ’98 


Kathy Koszuta 

Rita Lowman 


Maggie McCleland 

Judy Mitchell 

Melissa Mora ’02 




Audrey Schreier ’13 

Brigitte Shaw ’83 




Jeanne Travers 


Julie Ward ’05 

India Witte 


PAGE 18 

T A B L E S P O N S O R S 

West Florida 

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION 

GUS A. STAVROS CENTER FOR FREE 

ENTERPRISE AND ECONOMIC EDUCATION 

USF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP & PHILANTHROPY 

Anne Marie Campbell 

Cindy Kane 

Family & Friends of Doretha Edgecomb 

George and Jane Morgan 

Keli Mondello 

Liana Fernandez Fox 

Nancy Schneid 

Sharon Greenbaum 

Suzette Berkman 

USF Town & Gown 

USF World 



PAGE 19 

W L P M E M B E R S H I P 

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 Scneid ’77, ’79 

Elaine Shimberg 

Linda Simmons ’73, ’75 

Anne Strozier, PhD 

USF Town & Gown 

Erika Wallace 

Vincent Zecchino** 

CORPORATE MEMBERS 

LIFETIME MEMBERS 

Jane Applegate, PhD 

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 

Liana Fernandez Fox, PhD ’80, ’98 

Jamie Goldenberg, PhD* 


Virginia Gregory ’93 

Linda Hartley ’89 

Carolyn House Stewart ’74 

Hon. Pam Iorio ’01 


*Past recipient of the WLP Faculty Award 

**Deceased 

Patricia Kruk, PhD* 

Susan Leisner 

Donna Lindsey ’79 

Anne McKeel Ross ’76 

Susan McManus, PhD* 

Jody McBrien, PhD* 

Jane Morgan 


National Mah Jongg League 

Foundation Inc. 



Barbara Twine-Thomas ’73 

Ruth Unger** 

Penny Vinik 

Valley Bank 

Linda Whiteford, PhD* 

India Witte 

Naomi Yavneh Klos, PhD* 

Marion Yongue ’91 


PAGE 20 

WLP ANNUAL MEMBERS 

Mildred Acevedo-Duncan, PhD 


Denise Akers 

Jo-Ann G. Alessandrini 

Lisa Altman 

Rafaela Amador Fink, ’04 

Marquita Renee Armstead 

Sarah Artz 

Jacalin Ascough 

Ellen and Phil Asherman, ’76 

Candace Barber 

Cécile Bare 

Deborah M. Barnes 

Michelle Barry 

Rebecca Bast 

Paige Beles 

Trimeka Benjamin 

Suzette Berkman ’73, ’78 

Mardi Bessolo 

Kathleen Betancourt ‘67 

Kathy Black, PhD* 

Susan Blackburn 

Connie Bladon 

Sharon Blanchard 

Ivonne Blank 

Linda Blume ’73 

Kathy Bradley-Klug, PhD 

Karen Bremer 

Susan Brennan 

Angela Brewer ‘82, ‘84 

Wendy Brill 

Karen Buesing 


Moira Burke, M.D. 

Renée Byrd ‘86 

Leia Cain, PhD* 

Stacy Carlson, PhD ’92 


Heide Castaneda, PhD* 

Grisselle Centeno, PhD* 

Vickie Chachere 

Colleen Chapell 

Dara M. Chenevert 

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

Kyoung Cho, DMA* 

David Christian 

Braulio Colon 

Tiffany Colucci 

Cynthia Congelio 

Lily Conrad 

Cornelia Corbett 

Amy Corcell 

Marty Couch 

Lindsey Crawford 

Lynn Cristina ’98 

Jessica Cross ’12, ’14 

Laura Crouch ’94 

Kristin C. Cunningham ’97 

Ellen Daley, PhD ’00* 

Karen Dalton ’07 

Janet H. Davis 

Kimberlee B. DeBosier 

Karen Dee 

Robin DeLaVergne ’74 

Leslie Dellas 

January Dennison 

Jackie Dixon, PhD 

Annina Donaldson 

Renee M. Dubault 

Kathleen M. Dumala 

Holly Duncan 

Ruth Duncan Bell ‘88 

Paula Eaves 

Diane Egner 

Ashley Ehrman ’08 

Alissa A. Ellison 

Sheau-Lei H. Ellison 

Patricia Emmanuel, MD 

Abbe Ensminger 

Catherine Evans 

Irene G. M. Ferguson 

Mary J. Figg ’78 

Gina Folk 

Margaret M. Fowler 

Elizabeth Fowler 

Elizabeth Frazier 

Yvonne Fry 

Jessica Fugate 

Dolores (Dee) Garcia ‘82 

Keri Gawrych ‘87 

Judy Genshaft, PhD 

Arty Giallourakis 

Cami Gibertini 

Julie Gillespie ‘82 

Stephanie Goforth ‘82 

Jamie Goldenberg, PhD* 

Sandra Goodman, MD 


Virginia Gregory ’93 

Melanie Griffin 

Pati A. Gross ’76 

Arlynn D. Haarer 

Stephanie R. Haas ’02 

Carol Hague ‘88 

Cindy Haley ’07, ’14 

Emily Haly, MD 

Michelle Hamilton ’04 

Sandra G. Hanna ‘82 


Linda Hartley ‘89 

Lauren Hartmann ’15 

Laura Haubner 

Diana Maria Hechavarria, PhD* 

Patti S. Helton, PhD 

Fadwa Hilili ’13 

Kimberly Hill ’09, ’18 



Stephanie Holmquist Johnson, PhD ‘81, ’05, ’14 

Elizabeth Hordge-Freeman, PhD* 

Carolyn House Stewart ’74 

Sally Houston, MD 

Nancy Howe 

Barbara Izzi 

Erin G. Jackson 

Molly James 

Giti Javidi, PhD* 

Jamie Jenkins ’98 

Virginia L. Kalil ’93 

Sarah Kay 


Elizabeth Kennedy ‘80 

Lauren Key 

Elizabeth Kicak* 

Tammy E. King, DPT 

Lora Kosten, PhD 

Kathy Koszuta 

Elizabeth H. Krystyn 

Maja Lacevic ’09 

Rhea Law ’77 

Lea LeVines 



PAGE 21 

Lee Leavengood ’73 

Blossom Leibowitz 

Lagretta Lenker, PhD ’92 


Helen D. Levine, PhD 

Lyda Tymiak Lindell, MD 

Donna Lindsey ’79 

Valerie Lipscomb, PhD* 

Judy Lisi 

Nancy L. Lockwood 

Sunita Lodwig, PhD* 

Carol Long ‘83 

Muffy Longacre 

Donna Longhouse ‘84 

Rita Lowman 

Rachel Albritton Lunsford ’94 

Catherine Lynch, MD ’90 

Doreen MacAulay, PhD* 

Susan A. MacManus, PhD* 

Christina Majeed 

Linda Marcelli 

Stephanie Marhefka, PhD* 

William J. Mariotti ’15 

Esther Marshall 

Merritt Martin-Lindstrom ’04 

Shari Martinez 

Dinorah Martinez Tyson, PhD* 

Grace Maseda ’14 

Andrea Masterson 


Susan Maurer 

Jody McBrien, PhD* 

Kristen N. McCall 

Maggie McCleland 

Suzanne McCormick 

Jill McCracken, PhD* 

Valerie McDevitt 

Shelley McDuff ’08, ’12 

Sally McKee 

Jane Messina, MD 

Quinn Kathryn Miller 

Elizabeth Miller, PhD* 

Holly Miller 

Rhonda Mims 

Kelli Mitchell ’95 

Christina F. Mitchell 

Judy Mitchell 

Joel Momberg 

Debbie Momberg ’78 

Keli Mondello 

Melissa A. Mora ’02 

Taryn Morgan 

Jane Morgan 

Stephanie C. Morge ’06 

Pamela S. Muma 

Hon. Sandra Murman 


Jennifer L. Murphy 

Mindy Murphy 

Julie Nail 

Ashley Nall, ’06 

Natasha Nascimento 

Lyris Newman ’72, ’77 

Fawn Ngo, PhD* 

Juliann L. Nichols 

Michele Norris ’77, ’79 

Devin O’Connell 

Nastassia O’Connor 

Shayla O’Keeffe ’16 

Vivien Oliva 

Sally B. Olsson ’73 

Sue Orr ’77 

Betty Otter-Nickerson ’76 

Amanda Page-Zwierko ’09 

Sara Palmer 

Penny Parks 

Pallavi Patel, MD 

Nevena Pehar ’12 


Susan M. Perry, PhD 

Donna Petersen, ScD 


Karen G. Pittman ‘84 

Anne Pollack 

Pat Porter 

Carole Post 

Angela Pottinger 


Joann Farrell Quinn, PhD ’74 

Jyoti Kalyanpur Rao 

Deborah W. Read 

Elizabeth Reedy-Foley 

Amy Rettig 

Sarah A. Ribeiro, EdD ’96 

Victoria L. Rich, PhD 

Nancy Ridenour 

Abby Ritter ’15 

Natalie A. Roberts 

Louise D. Roberts-Dahm, PhD ’09 

Lindsey Rodriguez, PhD* 

Judith Rosenkranz 

Alicia Gill Rossiter, DNP ’96, ’15* 

Wendy Rote, PhD* 

Morgan Rucker Holmes 

E. Howard Rutherford 

Deborah A. Saltiel 

Mary Julianne Scales 

Rachel A. Scalzo, PhD 

Meredith Scerba 

Nancy Schneid ’77, ’79 

Sandra Schneider-Wright, PhD 

Dawn Schocken, PhD ‘83, ‘85 

Audrey Schreier ‘13 

Kathleen A. Scovel 

Lynn A. Scully 

Debbie Sembler 

Julianne Serovich, PhD 

Ann Shaler 

Brigitte Shaw ‘83 

Dae Sheridan, PhD ’94, ’97 

Dawn Shields 

Lisa Simington 

Bemetra Simmons 

Linda Simmons ’73, ’75 

Debra Sinclair, PhD ‘84 

Melissa Sloan, PhD* 

Rebecca J. Smith 


Marlene Spalten 

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

Sandra G. Sroka 

Amanda Stevens 

Allison Stinson 

Joann Strobbe 

Stephanie Suarez ’11 

Joanne Sullivan 

Eileen Sweeney 

Sheryl S. Teague 

Cindy Terrano 

Liz Theofilos 

Janae Thomas 

Sylvia Thomas, PhD* 



Karen Tillman-Gosselin 

Holly Tomlin 

Jeanne Travers* 

Bettina S. Tucker 

Christine Turner, APR 

Barbara Twine-Thomas ’73 

Yvonne Ulmer ‘80 

David Unger 

Cathy Unruh 

Victoria J. Vail ‘69 

Cheryl A. Vamos, PhD* 

Jeffrie van Loveren 

Hannah Veitkus 

Lisa Velesko 

Cindy Visot, EdD ’00 

Erika Wallace 

Kati Wanek-Forsythe 

Julie Ward ’05 

Sarah O. Watkins 

Kathryn Weedman Arthur, PhD* 

Martha B. Wells 

Ivana Djokovic Wendling ’09 

Kathy Werner 

Tracy West 

Debbie White 

Linda Whiteford, PhD* 

Kathryn A. Wilson 

Marian Winters 

Christina Wisz 

Laura Woodard ‘89 

Liz Wooten-Reschke 

Jessica Worley 

Naomi Yavneh Klos, PhD* 

Carrie Zeisse 

* Recipient of the WLP Faculty Award 


PAGE 22 

CONCURRENT SESSIONS 

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

LET URGENCY CONQUER FEAR 

Palma Ceia 

SPONSORED BY: 

It’s natural to want to study a problem from all angles, but getting caught up 

in questions like “What if we’re wrong?” and “What if there is a better way?” 

can leave you paralyzed with fear and indecision. This panel will provide expert 

advice on how to keep your focus on action, rather than letting your progress 

be bogged down with overthinking and overanalyzing every conceivable pitfall. 

Lisette Campos 

Corporate Communications Executive 

MODERATOR 

Lissette Campos is a seven-time Emmy award winning journalist and the recipient of the prestigious “Silver Circle” Award from 

the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences - Suncoast Region. Her 30+ year career includes undercover reporting from 

Russia and Cuba, and anchoring from New York City on the first anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. An avid storyteller, Lissette 

has leveraged her journalism career to serve in leadership roles at the Disney Company, USF Health, and WFTS TV. Tampa 

Bay area viewers know her best as the face of “Positively Tampa Bay”, which she produced and hosted on ABC Action News. 

Her spotlight on local non-profits helped generate volunteers, donations and brand awareness for countless charities from 

2008 - 2019. Lissette is also known for her work creating the nationally recognized “Taking Action Against Domestic Violence” 

campaign. The company-wide initiative, 2008 - 2018, earned national, regional and state recognition - winning 5 Emmy awards, 

the National Association of Broadcasters “Service to Community in Television Award”, 22 state journalism awards, and the 

Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence “Key to Hope Award”. Lissette and her husband have two daughters Sophia and 

Audrey. Both are USF Bulls! (Class of 2019 and Class of 2026!) 

MARQUITA ARMSTEAD Senior Associate Director of Athletics / Senior Woman Administrator, USF Athletics 

Marquita Armstead joined USF Athletics in March of 2016 as Associate Athletic Director for Compliance, 

before being elevated to Senior Associate Director of Athletics / Senior Woman Administrator in August 

2017. 

Armstead is responsible for the oversight of academic services, admissions, athletics council, drug 

testing, financial aid, housing, sports medicine, strength and conditioning, student-athlete enhancement, 

student rights and responsibilities and Title IX. Additionally, she is the sport supervisor for softball, men’s 

soccer, women’s tennis, and the secondary sport administrator for football. She has also been serving 

as the secondary sport administrator for men’s basketball since April 2018. Marquita is a member of 

USF Women in Leadership and Philanthropy and the Tampa Bay Chapter of WISE (Women in Sports and 

Events). 

Armstead is a graduate of Mississippi State, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English in and a 

master’s of sports administration. In 2013, she received a Master’s of Business Administration from the 

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Armstead is a 2012 NCAA Leadership Institute graduate. 

She is happily married to Demetric Armstead. The couple have one son, Braylon. 



PAGE 23 

TRACY PHILLIPS CEO, TNSTYLE, LLC 

Tracy Phillips’ fashion career started at Saks Fifth Avenue in Palm Beach where she merchandised 

designer collections, worked with elite clientele, and had the honor of working with several renowned 

designers. It was not long before Tracy set her sights on launching a fashion line of her own. 

In 2009, while in her 20’s, Tracy considered herself blessed to have the opportunity to launch the 

TRACY NEGOSHIAN (TN) brand. TN is a multi-line, multi-season clothing label that is trendy, using high 

quality material, and most importantly affordable to today’s fashion-conscious woman. Tracy believes 

the right clothing can make you not only look good, but feel confident. 

Over the years, Tracy’s team built great relationships with fabulous retailers nationwide. These specialty 

boutiques helped launch the TN brand into the marketplace fast and fiercely. In addition to a growing 

retail business, TN opened two Florida flagship stores, one located in the heart of Naples on 5th Avenue, 

and the second in Sarasota’s popular St. Armand’s Circle. 

Today, a decade after launching, the TN brand is thriving and infusing color and confidence into women’s 

wardrobes nationwide! 

LAUREN WEINER, PHD CEO, WWC, LLC 

Lauren G. Weiner is WWC’s Chief Executive Officer. WWC was recently awarded the largest contract to 

a women-owned business in the history of the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), making 

WWC one of the largest government contracting firms in the Tampa Bay region. Lauren has significant 

experience in government management, both as a federal employee and a government contractor. 

Lauren worked at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the Executive Office of the President. 

Under two different Presidential administrations, she oversaw policy development, implementation and 

performance assessment for multiple Federal agencies. Lauren was Co-Founder of In Gear Career, now 

part of the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring our Heroes program, as well as a co-founder 

of the Homefront Rising program which trains military spouses for roles in politics, policy and advocacy. 

Lauren has a Ph.D. in Research Psychology from Dartmouth College, and a B.A. from the University of 

Michigan in Ann Arbor. Lauren currently serves on the Board of Directors for St. Joseph/Baptist BayCare 

Hospital System, the Commanders Board of Advisors for the Air Force 927th Reserve Wing, and the 

Board of Directors for Congregation Beth Am in Tampa. 


PAGE 24 


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

MAKE A BIG BET 


Every history-making transformation has occurred when people have decided to 

go for revolutionary change rather than cautious, incremental progress. Coming 

from the high-impact, high-profile fields of energy, local government, community 

engagement and healthcare, this panel is a collection of accomplished women 

who have rolled the dice on ambitious goals and won big. 

SPONSORED BY: 

Keri Eisenbeis 

Vice President of Government and Community Relations, BayCare 

MODERATOR 

Keri Eisenbeis is the vice president of Government and Community Relations at BayCare Health System, a leading not-for-profit 

organization comprised of 15 hospitals and hundreds of other locations. Since joining BayCare in 2009, she has helped elevate 

BayCare’s role in the community through advocacy and targeted health improvement efforts. 

Eisenbeis previously served as the director of government relations, ambulatory care and advocacy at St. Joseph’s Children’s 

Hospital, where she helped implement the hospital’s legislative agendas and served as an advocate for children’s health care in 

Tallahassee and Washington, DC. 

Before joining BayCare, Eisenbeis served as the deputy director for Congresswoman Kathy Castor and as a senior adviser for 

the United States Agency for International Development, a special assistant for the Office of Management and Budget and a 

researcher for the Brookings Institution. 

Eisenbeis holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Emory University and a master of law from the School of Law 

at Washington University in St. Louis. She completed post-graduate international relations studies at University of St. Andrews in 

Scotland, where she was a Robert T. Jones Scholar. A member of WLP, Keri also serves on several boards, including the Tampa 

YMCA Governance Board, the Homeless Leadership Board of Pinellas, the Athena Society, and the Family Healthcare Foundation. 

JONI JAMES Chief Impact Officer, Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg 

Joni James joined the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg nearly two years ago and as its Chief Impact 

Officer is charged with ensuring that all Foundation activities, resources and initiatives are deployed for 

maximum impact on the Foundation’s mission of population health and health equity. In recent months, 

that has meant overseeing the construction and operationalization of a new Center for Health Equity 

in South St. Petersburg. The Center’s goal is to promote multi-sector collaboration to address systemic 

hurdles that contribute to disproportionate health outcomes. 

This is the third professional role Joni has held since moving to Tampa Bay more than a dozen years 

ago. After 26 years as a newspaper journalist, including serving as deputy editor of editorials for the 

Tampa Bay Times, Joni left journalism in 2015. During the next three years she served as CEO of the St. 

Petersburg Downtown Partnership, a private business-membership group that serves as project manager 

for a diversity of public-interest projects. She has a bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University and a 

master’s degree from the University of Florida. She is a 2017 graduate of Leadership Florida. 



PAGE 25 

KANIKA TOMALIN, PHD Deputy Mayor for St. Petersburg 

Dr. Kanika Tomalin is a thought leader, policy-maker, community ambassador, and health advocate who 

serves as St. Petersburg’s Deputy Mayor. A fifth-generation resident of St. Petersburg, she is the first 

African-American, female Deputy Mayor and the youngest city administrator in St. Petersburg’s history. 

As St. Pete’s Chief Administrator, she led a community-wide effort to establish a vision for the city that 

guides the policies, plans and actions of Mayor Rick Kriseman’s administration. Her signature initiative, 

Healthy St. Pete, launched in 2014 to make community health a priority. The initiative impacts the lives 

of thousands of Sunshine City residents by creating access to healthy food options, implementing free 

fitness zones in city parks and in adding resources to make healthy living easier. 

Dr. Tomalin previously served as the regional vice president of external affairs for the Bayfront Health 

Network and director of strategy for Health Management Associates’ Florida 23-hospital Group. She 

has also worked as a marketeer and journalist for the then St. Petersburg Times. She has two children, 

Kai and Nia. 

Dr. Tomalin earned a B.S. in broadcast journalism from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University, an 

MBA from the University of Miami and a Doctorate in law and policy from Northeastern University. 

MELISSA SEIXAS ’96 Vice President, Florida Government & Community Relations, Duke Energy Corporation 

Melissa Seixas is vice-president of government and community relations for Duke Energy Florida. 

She directs the company’s efforts to strengthen relationships with municipal, community and civic 

organizations, as well as business leaders throughout the company’s 35 county service area. 

Melissa is a veteran of customer service and operations at Duke Energy. She joined Florida Power in 

1986, starting in distributing engineering where she learned the operational side of the electric industry. 

This experience has served as a foundation for Melissa’s 33-year career as she moved into roles with 

increasing responsibilities. 

Melissa has a strong tradition of supporting her community. She has served as a board member for many 

non-profit and business organizations including Clearwater Marine Aquarium and Pinellas County Urban 

League. She is currently the Chairwoman of the Board for the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership. 

She recently served as an appointee to the University of South Florida Consolidation Taskforce. 

Melissa holds a bachelor’s degree in American history from Eckerd College and a master’s degree 

in American history from the University of South Florida. Her executive training includes a Corporate 

Social Responsibility (CSR) certification from Johns Hopkins University, and programs with the Edison 

Electric Institute and Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. 


PAGE 26 


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

CRASH AND LEARN 

Esplanade 

Great achievers view failure as a necessary part of advancing toward success. If 

you’re trying new things, the outcome is - by definition – going to be uncertain. 

When failure happens, great innovators find meaning in the setback, apply 

the lessons learned, and share those lessons with others. Hear from a panel 

of four women on their own hard-learned lessons in the fields of philanthropy, 

community engagement and entrepreneurship. 

SPONSORED BY: 

Kari Goetz ’12 

Vice President of External Relations, The Florida Aquarium 

MODERATOR 

Kari Goetz has built a career out of making Tampa awesome! Kari is the Vice President of External Relations for The Florida 

Aquarium where she gets to protect and restore the Blue Planet through entertainment and education. Previously director 

of marketing for Tampa International Airport, she managed historic growth and route expansion. Kari has been an audience 

development professional for the Straz Center, and she is still a performer and director with Stageworks Theatre and Jobsite 

Theater. A Second City Hollywood founder, Kari uses her love of improvisation comedy to build workshops and MBA programs for 

students and business leaders at USF and Wayne State University. She is an (almost) Florida native, and proud to be a member of 

the Athena Society, board member for the University of Florida Eric Friedham Tourism Institute, Stageworks Theatre, Tony Jannus 

Distinguished Aviation Society, the advisory board of Visit Tampa Bay, the community advisory board of USF Graphic Studio and 

is a long-time resident and enthusiast of Seminole Heights. She lives in a funky bungalow with her groovy husband, her righteous 

son, and many animals. 

LAURA CROUCH ’94 Vice President of State and Community Relations and Economic Development, TECO 

Laura Crouch joined TECO in 1993 and has more than two decades of experience working with 

governmental agencies in a broad range of departments, including Environmental, Regulatory, Resource 

Planning and Business Strategy. Most recently, she spent five years as director of Community Relations, 

Local Government and Economic Development for Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas. 

Crouch received a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from the University of South Florida. 

She serves on the Florida Chamber Foundation Board, the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce 

Executive Committee of the board, Tampa Downtown Partnership’s Executive Committee of the board, 

Visit Tampa Bay Advisory Board, Westshore Alliance Executive Committee of the board, Leadership 

Tampa ‘15 Alumnae, Leadership Florida Cornerstone Class XXXVII and other economic development 

and community organizations. 



PAGE 27 

KERRIANN GREENHALGH, PHD ’04, ’08 CEO, KeriCure 

Dr. Kerriann Greenhalgh is a wife, mom, chemist, entrepreneur, and the inventor behind KeriCure’s 

advanced skin and wound care technology. Dr. Greenhalgh founded KeriCure in 2011, a Tampa based 

biotechnology company globally distributed products for people, animals, and medical professionals, 

that has helped more than 125,000 people worldwide prevent infections and heal naturally. Dr. 

Greenhalgh received her Bachelor’s in Biochemistry and PhD in Organic chemistry from USF (Go Bulls!). 

She was an initial member of MiMedx Group as head of R&D and NPD, where she successfully submitted 

the company’s first FDA. Her experiences working at the FDA, Homeland Security, US Army Medical 

Research Center, and for industry leaders including Battelle and Constellation, have given her valuable 

insights on how to successfully develop and launch critical need products. She has contributed to the 

invention of multiple technologies, from lifesaving medical devices to bioweapons detection systems. 

She has been an invited reviewer for NIH grant review panels, scientific journals, and is a published 

author and contributor to many medical and scientific journals. Dr. Greenhalgh has over half a dozen 

patents, including many for the KeriCure technology and has dedicated her life to bringing safe, natural, 

and effective skin and wound care products to the world. 

JOANNE SULLIVAN Director of Community Relations, USF Health Development and Alumni Relations 

Joanne Sullivan’s career in fund-raising and development in Tampa spans thirty years and includes key 

leadership positions at the University of Tampa, Florida Hospital Tampa Foundation, Academy at the 

Lakes, the Tampa Museum of Art and Berkeley Preparatory School. She currently serves the University 

of South Florida as USF Health Director of Community Relations. 

Ms. Sullivan is a graduate of Florida State University and is on the regional and state boards of 

Easterseals Florida and also serves on the Easterseals National Board of Directors where she chairs 

the Marketing and Development Committee. She is a member of Leadership Tampa Bay’s Class of 2010 

and Leadership Tampa’s Class of 1991. In addition, Joanne is a member of Red Cross Angels serving 

the American Red Cross Florida’s West Coast Region & Tampa Bay Chapter. She is a member of the 

Suncoast Chapter of the Association for Fundraising Professionals, where she is a past president and is 

a sustaining member of the Junior League of Tampa. She is a member of USF’s Women in Leadership 

& Philanthropy. 

The Tampa Bay Business Journal named Joanne a finalist for the 2012 Business Woman of the Year in 

the Tampa Bay region. In 2015, Joanne was selected by her fundraising peers in the Tampa Bay area as 

the recipient of the Lloyd Horton Lifetime Achievement Award. 


PAGE 28 


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

FEARESS LEADERSHIP 

Palma Ceia 

We all know that gender shouldn’t be a factor in whether or not a person can be 

a great leader. Fearless leadership means developing your competencies and 

collaborating with others to reach the end goal. At BayCare, women leaders are 

blazing trails within the organization, in the community and through volunteer 

leadership partnerships, such as St. Petersburg College. 

SPONSORED BY: 

Yvonne Fry 

CEO, Fryed Egg Productions 

MODERATOR 

Yvonne Fry, a native Floridian, grew up in Plant City as part of an agricultural family. After graduating from the University of 

Southern Mississippi, she returned home to pursue a career in public relations and marketing. 

Nearly two decades ago, Yvonne became a small business owner with the launch of her first company. She is now the owner of Fryed 

Egg Productions, a branding, marketing, film, and event management firm, and Lines of Communication, a telecommunications 

consulting firm. 

Recent past Chair of both the Hillsborough Commission on the Status of Women and the Florida Commission on the Status 

of Women, Fry has been involved in a wide range of civic causes. These include being a previous Chair of the Greater Plant 

City Chamber of Commerce Board, as well as the current Secretary and Treasurer of the Executive Committee of the Plant 

City Economic Development Corporation, and also serving on the advisory board of The Spring Tampa Bay, the Junior League 

Community Advisory Board, Plant City Main Street Board, and the BayCare Health System Board of Trustees. Yvonne is also the 

President of Tampa Tiger Bay and the Chair of the Plant City Board of Adjustment, and is an active member of USF Women in 

Leadership and Philanthropy and the Athena Society. 

KIMBERLY GUY Senior Vice President and Market Leader for Hillsborough and South East Pasco Counties, 

BayCare Health System 

Kimberly Guy is the Senior Vice President and Market Leader for Hillsborough and South East Pasco 

counties for BayCare Health System. The market encompasses seven hospitals, a total of 1,209 beds 

and includes a children’s hospital, women’s hospital, behavioral health center and level 2 trauma center. 

Additionally, she is the President of St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, FL. 

Kimberly currently serves as Chair on the Board at Concordia of Tampa, a Continuing Care Retirement 

Community, and also serves on the Boards of the Tampa Bay American Heart Association Metro and the 

Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce. Kimberly received her Master’s in Health Administration from Duke 

University and started her career at Rex Healthcare in Raleigh, NC. 



PAGE 29 

GAIL RYDER Vice President, BayCare Health System 

Gail Ryder joined the BayCare Health team in July of 2011. She is responsible for the continuum of services 

across the five counties of Tampa Bay for BayCare Behavioral Health. The program includes acute inpatient, 

residential, detox, rehabilitation and outpatient services. 

Unique to this service is the behavioral health integration with primary care, a novel coaching and navigation 

initiative for patients with mental illness, and a broad array of EAP services; targeted to distinct employer types 

such as schools, colleges and churches. 

The Behavioral Health division is also responsible for the management of the mental health benefit of the 

systems self – insured health plan. 

Gail was the 2014 National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems (NAPHS) board chair. 

In 2013, Gail was responsible for the establishment of the Neuroscience Service Line at BayCare. This service 

line encompasses neurology and neurosurgery. Current efforts include work in stroke and memory care. 

She spent the previous 14 years at New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York, responsible for psychiatry, 

neurology and neurosurgery. She has devoted 35 year of her career to caring for the mentally ill. 

TONJUA WILLIAMS, PHD ’96 President, St. Petersburg College 

Enhancing students’ access, success and the quality of their experiences are the most treasured values of Dr. 

Tonjua Williams who became the seventh president of St. Petersburg College in 2017. 

Nationally recognized as an expert in transforming departments and institutions through student development 

and strategic planning, she has received numerous awards and recognitions throughout her 31-year career as 

a leader in post-secondary education. Most recently she won the National Institute for Staff and Organizational 

Development’s leadership award and was named one of the top 25 women in higher education by Diverse 

Issues in Higher Education. 

Under her leadership, St. Petersburg College was named sixth best among public and private colleges in Florida, 

according to U.S. News and World Report’s 2020 study. That same study ranked SPC at number 17 among the 

top 84 public schools in the southern region, which is comprised of 12 states. 

As a tactical leader of the Education Ecosystem movement in the Tampa Bay Area, Dr. Williams has created a 

pathway for educators, businesses, government and community agencies to work closer together than ever 

before. That movement has strengthened the alignment between schools, created pathways for working adults 

to advance their careers, and improved the economic mobility of our residents and the growth of our region. 


PAGE 30 


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

BE BOLD, TAKE RISKS 


Risk taking is not a blind leap off a cliff but a lengthy process of trial and error that doesn’t 

end with the launch of a product or the start of a movement. Learn how to take smart, 

calculated and still ambitious steps when it comes to experimenting with new ideas and 

plans. The expert advice from this panel comes from a group of accomplished women 

working in innovation, healthcare, finance and law where risk-taking is an inherent part 

of the territory. 

SPONSORED BY: 

Linda Olson 

Founder, President and CEO, Tampa Bay Wave 

MODERATOR 

Linda Olson is the CEO and founder of Tampa Bay Wave, a 501c3 nonprofit that has supported nearly 300 tech startups since 2013 with an 

accelerator program, coworking, and other services. Collectively, these startups have raised over $200 million and created over 1,600 jobs. With 

extensive mentor and investor networks, Wave’s accelerator is the only Florida-based accelerator accepted into GAN, the global accelerator 

network. 

Linda has been a founder or management team member of several tech startups since 1999, including venture capital funded companies. Prior to 

that, Linda managed ERP implementation projects for Fortune 500 companies with Arthur Andersen. 

Linda is an original member of Startup America Partnership and is currently a member of Startup Champions Network. Linda serves as an 

Honorary Commander at MacDill Air Force Base and on the advisory boards at the Straz Center, Centre for Women, and Visit Tampa Bay. In 2019, 

Linda was selected to the U.S. delegation to the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Bahrain. 

Linda has an MBA from Columbia University, plus a Masters in Accounting and BS degrees from Florida State University. She is also a Tampa Bay 

native and a mother to two future female entrepreneurs in Tampa Bay. 

THERESA BECKIE, PHD Associate Dean and Professor, USF College of Nursing; Professor, USF College of Medicine 

Cardiology; Associate Dean, PhD Program, USF College of Nursing 

Dr. Theresa Beckie is a professor and Associate Dean of the PhD Program in the College of Nursing and professor in 

the College of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of South Florida. Dr. Beckie received her 

master and doctoral degree at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 

Dr. Beckie’s program of research has substantially contributed to the breadth and depth of the science for improving 

health behaviors and health outcomes of women with cardiovascular disease. With National Institutes of Health 

funding, she was the first to develop a motivationally tailored cardiac rehabilitation program specifically for women. 

The international reputation of her work to understand the environmental and genetic risks for women, their unique 

physiological and psychosocial risks, and gender-specific barriers to disease self-management, led to contributions to 

numerous American Heart Association scientific statements including guidelines for preventing cardiovascular disease 

in women, acute myocardial infarction in women, and performance measures for delivering cardiac rehabilitation. 

Her current research seeks to improve access to healthcare at a lower cost for improved health outcomes of women with 

heart disease. Dr. Beckie is translating her face-to-face cardiac rehabilitation program for women to a mobile platform 

using wearable sensors and a smartphone. The program, HerBeat, could revolutionize the delivery of behavior change 

interventions personalized to women’s lives. 



PAGE 31 

SUSAN BLACKBURN President and Chief Operating Officer, Freedom Bank 

Susan Blackburn is a Tampa Bay banking executive with over 40 years in the financial services industry. 

Prior to joining Freedom Bank, her positions include Regional Executive for Sabadell United Bank, 

Market President for Synovus Bank; and Senior Vice President, Retail Sales Division Executive for 

Bank of America. Susan Blackburn’s community leadership roles include the Executive Committee 

and Advisory Board for the Salvation Army, Past Chair & current Board Member of the CEO Council 

of Tampa Bay, Board Member of the Pinellas County Economic Development Council and member of 

the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce and USF Women in Leadership and Philanthropy. Ms. 

Blackburn is a past recipient of the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s “Business Woman of the Year” in the 

Financial Services Sector. 

LYDA LINDELL, MD Anti-Aging Medicine Specialist 

Dr. Lyda Tymiak Lindell is interested in improving health and preventing disease through education and 

precision medicine. She is Board certified in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine from the American 

Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M). 

Dr. Lindell received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Boston University in 1972 and M.D. from Albert 

Einstein College of Medicine in 1976. She completed an internship in Internal Medicine and Residency 

in Ophthalmology at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine followed by Board 

Certification in Ophthalmology. She completed a Fellowship in Functional and Metabolic Medicine from 

A4M and USF Medical School in 2017. Dr. Lindell founded Gulfcoast Eye Care in 1980 specializing in 

cataract and implant surgery, and opened Timeless MD Spa in 2003 specializing in non-surgical facial 

rejuvenation. She was certified in Cenegenics Age Management Medicine in 2005, and retired from the 

practice of Ophthalmology in 2010. 

Past teaching appointments include Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at USF Morsani College of 

Medicine, National Education Faculty for Allergan and faculty for Syneron Laser Workshops, and. serves 

on the Board of Trustees of the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay and the Dean’s Advisory Board of 

USF College of Arts and Sciences. She is a member of USF Women in Leadership and Philanthropy and 

Philanthropic Women of St Joseph’s Hospital, and her professional memberships include the American 

Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, The Ukrainian Medical Association, the Society of International 

Business Fellows (SIBF) and the Economic Club of Tampa. 

Dr. Lindell resides in Tampa with her husband Carl Lindell, and has 2 children and 5 grandchildren. Her 

hobbies include biking, tennis, art, golf, travel and photography both under and above water. 


PAGE 32 


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

FEARLESS PHILANTHROPY 

Esplanade 

A popular adage for the cycle of philanthropy holds that “first you learn, then you 

earn, and then you return…” but rarely is it that simple. Join Lea LeVines from 

BNY Mellon Wealth Management to hear from three women with very unique 

stories about how they have leveraged their time, talent and treasure to create 

change in our communities through their “fearless” approach to philanthropy. 

SPONSORED BY: 

Lea Levines 

Senior Director, BNY Mellon Wealth Management 

MODERATOR 

Lea LeVines is a senior wealth director with BNY Mellon Wealth Management. Her primary responsibilities include business 

development and client service. 

Lea joined the firm in January 2008. She has more than 25 years of experience in the wealth management, financial planning and 

investment arenas. Lea received her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in international finance 

and marketing, from the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida. She is a Certified Financial Planner. 

MICHELLE HAMILTON ’04 Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Florida Blue 

Michelle Hamilton joined Florida Blue in 2010. As the Corporate Social Responsibility Manager for 

Florida Blue’s West Region, Michelle is responsible for leading the local philanthropic strategy in a 14 

county region. She also oversees sponsorships and grants supported by Florida Blue and the Florida 

Blue Foundation. Additionally, Michelle leads Florida Blue’s volunteer efforts and annual employee 

giving campaigns in Florida Blue’s West Region offices. 

Michelle holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from the University of South Florida. She 

has also earned a 215 insurance license (Life, Health and Annuities). Michelle recently completed the 

Tampa General Hospital White Coat Internship where she had the unique opportunity to shadow a TGH 

physician and experience a real day in the life of a physician. 

Michelle has a great commitment to the community and has been active in several organizations such as 

The University of South Florida’s Women in Leadership and Philanthropy, Tampa Connection’s Class of 

2019 and The Junior League of Tampa. In January, Michelle joined the board of directors for the Nonprofit 

Leadership Center of Tampa Bay. 

Michelle currently resides in Tampa, Florida with her husband Tracy, four year old son Ari and their 

Australian Shepard, Sydney. 



PAGE 33 

JANE MORGAN Community Leader and Philanthropist 

WLP member Jane E. Morgan has been a devoted USF donor for nearly two decades. She, along with 

her husband, USF alumnus, George Morgan, have supported numerous USF academic and athletic 

programs over the years, including annual and planned donations, utilizing a number of giving methods. 

Before retirement, Ms. Morgan’s career as a lodging industry consultant provided many volunteer 

board and other service opportunities to give mostly of her “time and talent” to several charitable 

organizations. It wasn’t until their early retirement years that the child-free Morgan’s began to actively 

hone the nature and focus of their financial support for their respective alma maters. 

Over the years the scope of their giving has been shaped and expanded by the close relationships they 

have enjoyed with various university Deans and development officers, and has always been guided by 

their team of trusted financial advisors. 

Ms. Morgan is an active member of USF WLP, and also serves her alma mater, the Florida State University, 

in many capacities, including as an impactful donor and mentor in the Dedman School of Hospitality 

and the FSU/Asolo Conservatory, as a founding member of Women for FSU, and through nine years of 

service as a board member with the Florida State University Foundation Board of Trustees. She helped 

create that body’s Donor Stewardship Committee and served as its inaugural Chair. 

MONICA WOODEN Cofounder and Former CEO, MercuryGate International 

Monica B. Wooden is the cofounder and ex-CEO of MercuryGate International, a company providing 

transportation management solutions in supply chain management. Clients have improved productivity 

and operational efficiency through MercuryGate International’s efforts to improve transportation 

processes, increase client satisfaction and reduce costs. 

Prior to cofounding MercuryGate, Wooden served as an executive at IBM, supervising its Florida 

consulting practice and creating new business ventures in transportation and distribution worldwide. It 

was there she realized the need to automate transportation processes, inspiring the start of MercuryGate. 

She and her company are founding members of the Muma College of Business’ Center for Supply 

Chain Management & Sustainability. Since 2015, MercuryGate has donated transportation management 

software licenses for classroom use, supported faculty with industry insight as they began to envision 

the center and was a key player in launching the inaugural statewide Florida Supply Chain Summit. 

Most importantly, helping expand the center’s business network to ensure more engagement between 

companies and students for employment after graduation. In April 2019, USF’s Muma College of 

Business announced the receipt of a $5 million gift from Wooden to benefit this program, which was 

named in her honor. 

Wooden, is a member of the Committee of 200, comprised of women representing companies with 

more than $1.2 trillion in combined revenue. She was recognized in Forbes and Southeast Women in 

Business and in 2013, received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for the Southeast 

region. 

Though Wooden earned a bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College in New York and a master’s degree 

from the University of Georgia, both of her children are USF Bulls. 


PAGE 34 

BECOME A PART OF WLP 

The USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy (WLP) program 

is focused on engaging and educating its members in support 

of women and women’s initiatives throughout throughout USF 

and in our communities. 

WLP was formed in 2005 with the leadership of USF 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. 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 exclusive WLP events 

• Preferred opportunity to co-sponsor WLP events 

• Recognition on WLP website with link to corporate website 

• Recognition from podium at WLP events and in WLP 

Publications 

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

Symposium 

• Recognition in the WLP Annual Report 

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. 

CINDY 

KANE, ’76 

Consultant, GW Group LLC 

(Retired) 

JANE 

APPLEGATE, PHD 

Dean, USF College of Education 

(Retired) 

SUSAN 

MACMANUS, PHD 

USF Distinguished University 

Professor Emerita 

I’m eternally grateful to WLP for providing 

me the vehicle to give back to USF. After 

attending a WLP Symposium, I learned of 

the opportunities for students and ways for 

me to be actively involved. Needless to say, 

my interaction with the students has been a 

life changer. I absolutely love meeting the 

freshman students the first time they attend 

a WLP function and then watch them grow 

each year. 

My parents were able to financially support 

my college education and the WLP 

scholarships assist students who are not 

as fortunate as I was while attending USF. 

As a lifelong learner, an education is one of 

the most important gifts you can give to a 

person and an education can never be taken 

away. My parents instilled the importance 

of philanthropy and helping others and I’m 

fortunate to be able to continue their legacy. 

My husband, Mark and I are so happy to 

be able to endow a deferred gift to WLP, 

providing future unrestricted operating 

funds to ensure the program’s continuation. 

Our gift is an investment for future 

generations. For women who want to BE 

the kind of woman that makes other women 

want to up their game. 

Why have I established an award for 

promising scholars? 

As a former professor and dean of the 

College of Education I have had the 

privilege of meeting and mentoring many 

excellent doctoral students who aspired to 

careers in academic life. My students would 

ask me about my career path and how I 

was able to handle all of the challenges 

and responsibilities that come from being 

both an academic and a woman. It always 

seems harder for women. Three of my best 

students were a woman who began her 

studies after twenty five years of raising a 

family and teaching in a middle school; a 

second student’s husband left her in the 

middle of her program; a third completed 

her studies with a mountain of debt, three 

children and a husband providing for the 

family on a schoolteacher’s salary. Over 

the course of my career I witnessed many 

promising students get to the stage of 

independent research and drop out, unable 

to support themselves through this final 

process. 

My legacy gift, the Dr. Jane Applegate 

Promising Scholar Award is intended to 

ease the burden for just such students, and 

empower them to complete their studies 

through dissertation. 

“Since you get more joy out of giving joy 

to others, you should put a good deal of 

thought into the happiness that you are able 

to give.” Eleanor Roosevelt. 

“Giving frees us from the familiar territory of 

our own needs by opening our mind to the 

unexplained worlds occupied by the needs 

of others.” Barbara Bush 

The words of these beloved first ladies 

express my philosophy of giving. Many of 

you know of my love for politics and the joys 

of teaching USF students Florida Politics for 

30 years, each thanks to help along the way. 

I learned the joys of giving first-hand from 

my grandmother Grace who taught me to 

share with the less fortunate, my mother 

Elizabeth who did without new clothes so I 

and two siblings could go college after our 

orange grove froze, my high school teacher 

Elizabeth Bradley who made government 

come to life, Dr. Daisy Parker Flory who 

inspired my love of Florida politics, and the 

unknown women whose gifts to a University 

of Michigan scholarship allowed me to finish 

the last semester of my master’s program 

when, again, our orange crop froze. 

My wish is that others who have been so 

blessed in life will give to the many young 

women who need a helping hand to reach 

their dreams. 


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KEYNOTE LUNCHEON SEATING CHART 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 

1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 

2 9 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 4 0 4 1 4 2 

4 3 4 4 4 5 4 6 4 7 4 8 4 9 5 0 5 1 5 2 5 3 5 4 5 5 5 6 

5 7 5 8 5 9 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 

71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 8 0 8 1 8 2 8 3 8 4 

8 5 

8 6 

8 7 

8 8 8 9 90 91 92 93 94 95 

96 

97 

98 

99 

1 0 0 

B r e a k f a s t B r e a k f a s t 

B r e a k f a s t 

B r e a k f a s t

14th Annual WLP Fall Symposium Program

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