2018-2019 WLP Annual Report

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

Dear Members and Partners,

In its brief history, USF Women in Leadership and Philanthropy has become a remarkable philanthropic,

mentoring, and leadership development success story, having directly supported and nurtured over 800

scholars and 35 faculty members as they strive to achieve their respective goals at USF. This annual report

details the latest chapter of our story of success, highlighting the collective achievements of the Women in

Leadership & Philanthropy program and of our members as we work to advance women throughout the

campuses of the University of South Florida and in our surrounding communities.

2019 is also the year that we celebrated nineteen years of “preeminent achievement” by one of our founding

members, USF’s 6th President, Dr. Judy Genshaft, and welcome our 7th leader, Dr. Steven Currall. We know

that President Emerita Genshaft will continue her impactful engagement with USF, and with WLP, and are

excited to partner with Dr. Currall as he works to propel USF into a new era of excellence.

Almost 3,000 members, students and friends have attended WLP events in 2019. These events range in size

from small group discussions to mentoring workshops to the 1,000+ individuals who attended our 14th Annual

Fall Symposium. Each of these events, large and small, fosters a sense of community and shared purpose and

advances the mission of WLP to engage and educate visionary leaders and philanthropists to make a difference

for women throughout the USF System and the community

WLP has reached a new level of maturity where members encounter WLP scholars, past and present, in

the community and in the workplace where the scholars have assumed responsible, meaningful positions

throughout the Tampa Bay region. We follow and applaud their careers, graduate education, and even in

coming full circle as full WLP members! As we look to the 15th anniversary of the founding of WLP in

2020, we are confident of even greater successes for our scholars and Faculty Excellence Award winners.

1 2018-2019 ANNUAL REPORT

In her book Be Fearless, our 2019 Symposium speaker, Jean

Case, urged us to “make a big bet” on a cause we believe in.

WLP bets big that each of our Scholars and Faculty Excellence

awardees will use our funds to best advantage to reach their

respective educational and career goals. WLP members feel

passionately that through investing in education and research,

we can effectively participate in the world-changing challenge

of Case’s powerful message.

All of the above is possible because of the amazing work of the

WLP staff and the contributions of time and treasure by our

dedicated members and corporate partners. We sincerely

appreciate each of you for your belief in and support of the

mission of WLP.

Thank you for your generosity and for the privilege of service,

LAGRETTA TALLENT LENKER, PH.D., ’92

Chair, USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy

USF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP & PHILANTHROPY 2

2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT

MISSION

The mission of the USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy program is to engage and educate visionary

leaders and philanthropists to make a difference for women throughout USF and in the community.

SOURCES OF WLP FUNDS

The structure and function of the USF WLP program requires a consistent source of spendable income.

Because the majority of individual gifts to WLP are made to restricted endowed funds, our primary sources

of operating income include annual membership contributions, corporate memberships, sponsorships

and ticket sales from the Annual Fall Symposium and other WLP events, and contributions from the USF

Faculty & Staff Campaign. WLP also benefits from the investment of staff salary and budgetary support

provided by the USF Foundation.

MEMBERSHIP

USF WLP’s groundwork was established well over a decade ago by our founding members whose initial

investments created a firm foundation for the fulfillment of WLP’s mission. By establishing individual

endowed scholarship funds, contributing to the WLP endowed scholarship, and building the program

endowment, our Founding, Lifetime, Individual and Corporate members provide WLP the strong basis

for the tremendous growth and impact that distinguishes the program today.


OUR IMPACT

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 25 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. We are in the planning stages for our fourth successful WISE Student

Symposium in March 6, 2020. 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.


SUPPORT IN

EVERY WAY

Behind the scenes of every Women in Leadership

and Philanthropy event is a small army of volunteers

working to make sure the program runs smoothly

and each attendee walks away feeling as if they

were a part of something special.

And chances are, one of the volunteers helping to

lead the way is Cindy Kane ’76, a longtime WLP

member and former chair of the program committee.

For Kane, WLP has helped her reconnect to the

university. After many years of simply paying her

Alumni Association dues or making small annual

gifts to USF, Kane attended a couple of early Fall

Symposiums.

The first Symposium Kane went to was a lunch

with 200 attendees — “and I thought that was a

pretty big deal.”

She liked what she saw, soon becoming a member

and now helping to organize the Fall Symposium,

WISE Symposium and other WLP events each year.

“If I’m going to be involved with an organization, I’m

going to be all in,” she said. “Because that’s the way

I get the most — and so does the organization.”

With the support of Kane and many other WLP

members and volunteers, the Fall Symposium has

grown to a half-day event with 1,000+ attendees.

“The founding members, they knew this was going

to be a big deal, but I think it’s gone way beyond

their expectations,” she said.

Kane has worked with nonprofits for many years

through her consulting company, GW Group. Before

taking on a new client, she had to agree with their

mission statement and their management style —

and she had to have fun. She has found all three

with WLP.

“I’ve made great friendships with WLP members.

We are all so supportive of each other. There’s no

competition. Everybody’s focused on the mission:

supporting students and their education,” she said.

To Kane, it’s all about the students.

“One of the best parts is when you see a freshman

walk in the door at a student reception for the first

time and then you see them grow each year. That’s

the most fun,” she said.


Though she has invested countless hours of her

time into WLP, Kane and her husband, Mark,

recently decided to make a generous financial

investment in the future of the organization. The

Kanes have included a $500,000 gift in their

estate plan, with half of the gift designated for

Women in Leadership and Philanthropy Operating

Support. The other half is earmarked for the

USF Women’s Golf Operating Fund (Kane is

a competitive amateur golfer).

The WLP gift is one of the most generous

unrestricted gifts in the organization’s history.

Having worked with nonprofits for nearly two

decades, Kane saw how many gifts to nonprofits

are restricted to a specific purpose. Unrestricted

funds allow management to invest in the areas

of greatest need.

“You can’t do that with a restricted gift,” she said.

“So that’s why our gift is unrestricted. It’s going to

allow WLP to use money, as needed. You have to

run the organization.”

Philanthropy has always been a part of Kane’s

family.

“It really started with my parents in that helping

people was always important,” she said, explaining

they often sponsored or organized events.

Education was also always important. Although

her parents never went to college, Kane said it

was never an option for her not to go to school.

“They always made it really easy for me to go to

school. I didn’t have to work,” she said. “We’ve

been blessed to have an education and have

parents that helped us along the way, and our

professional careers and investments have done

well. So now it’s time to give back.”

Through her involvement with WLP, Kane was

surprised to learn how many first-generation

students there still are today.

“Not every student is as fortunate as my husband

and I have been,” she said.

Kane credits the success of WLP to the supportive

spirit amongst members, describing how they will

step in to help each other in times of need. When

Kane is working on an event, she prefers to work

with newer or less experienced members so she

can model how it’s done.

“That’s how our gift is going to work, as young

people get more involved,” she said. “That’s the

basis of this organization, the growth of and

continuation of this organization is not based

on me and my age group.”


A BOOST FOR PROMISING

FEMALE SCHOLARS

Not long ago, Jane Applegate was reading a book about

the history of the women’s movement by New York Times

columnist Gail Collins, When Everything Changed.

“And as I read that book, I thought, ‘Hmm, this is me.

This is my life,’” she said, explaining there was only one

female faculty member in her department at Ohio State

University’s College of Education when she began her

doctoral program in 1975.

Despite the relatively limited career options that were

available to women in her era, Applegate said she was

fortunate to have a lot of family support and made her

way as a student and into a career in higher education

with relatively few financial burdens.

Recognizing her good fortune, Applegate, who served as

dean of the USF College of Education from 1997–2001,

knew she wanted to do something to advance women at

USF. But it wasn’t until a couple of friends pointed her

toward Women in Leadership and

Philanthropy (WLP) that she found the right fit for

her gift.

Applegate strategically designed a blended gift to WLP,

which includes annual gifts from her IRA’s required minimum

distribution and a deferred gift that

names WLP as well as the Osher Lifelong Learning

Institute as beneficiaries of her retirement account.

Her deferred gift will enhance the WLP/Dr. Jane

Applegate Promising Scholar Award, created in Fall

2019 through a gift from her IRA, which provides

financial support to doctoral students at dissertation

through the WLP Scholarship program.

When asked why she wanted to support doctoral

students, and in particular female doctoral students,

Applegate pointed to her own experiences.

“Well … at one time, I was one,” said Applegate. “As

time has passed, and as I have met more and more

women who want to make contributions in higher

education and to research and academic life, I have

seen firsthand some of the financial challenges they

have had to face.”

Applegate has witnessed her doctoral students struggle

to finish their program in the face of divorce and new

babies.


“Those are two of, I’m sure, hundreds of examples

of women who had difficulties as they earned their

doctorates,” said Applegate.

Life struggles aside, Applegate said just the act of

researching and writing a dissertation can bring

unexpected costs, from travel to materials to lab time.

“So, you know, a little extra money can always be

useful,” she said.

Over the course of her career, Applegate said she “has

had every job there is to do in a College of Education.”

“Everything I’ve done, I’ve benefitted from in so many

ways,” she said.

Applegate earned her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral

degrees at Ohio State University, and then was tapped

by the Ohio Department of Education to analyze every

education program in every university in the state in an

effort to “transform teacher education in the state of

Ohio.”

“I had a very specific and narrow view, and this

broadened my view, and I think helped me in so many

ways when I went into administration,” she said.

From there, Applegate went into university life,

serving as a professor at Kent State University and

dean at West Virginia University before coming to

USF as dean of the College of Education. She the

first female dean of the college and one of only eight

female College of Education deans in the country at

the time.

During her tenure as dean, Applegate oversaw the

opening of the new College of Education building

and the launch of the Master of Arts in Teaching

as well as forged new international partnerships.

After she stepped down as dean and until her

retirement in 2013, Applegate served the university

as a professor of teacher education/English education.

“After I left the dean’s office, being a former dean and

full professor was the icing on the cake,” she said,

explaining how her junior colleagues would come to

her for advice and guidance in a way they couldn’t

when she was dean.

Applegate looks forward to getting more involved in

WLP initiatives in the coming years. Thanks to her

blended gift, Applegate can see the impact her

support is making today and know her legacy will help

advance her WLP scholarship recipients well into the

future.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to actually give

that first gift and actually be there and meet these

young women. That’s going to be very satisfying,” said

Applegate.


WLP’S 3RD ANNUAL WISE

SYMPOSIUM INSPIRES AND

EMPOWERS USF STUDENTS

As a tenet of its ongoing mission, USF Women in

Leadership & Philanthropy (WLP) is dedicated to

mentoring young women pursuing their career dreams.

That commitment is an essential component of WISE

– short for Women Who Ignite Student Engagement –

and was fully on display Friday, March 29, 2019 at

the third annual WISE Student Symposium.

The half-day networking event, designed to impart

insights and wisdom and unite college women from

across the university, drew 175 participants to the

Marshall Student Center ballroom and raised $8,000

with the sponsorship of Valley National Bank and other

partners to fund student scholarships through WLP.

The symposium began with a networking breakfast

and interactive program led by WLP member Gina

Folk, President and CEO of The Folk Group. At 28

Folk became the youngest female director in a

Fortune 500 telecommunications company, learning

to optimize her performance the hard way – by trial

and error. Through a series of pointed personal

questions to the group, students were directed to

identify their very own “super powers.” After

uncovering her own superhero exterior,

Folk instructed the students to be intentional about

the choices they make when planning for their futures.

“I want you all to leave today knowing you all have

superpowers. Let yourselves shine, and use your

powers to change the world.”

Students then attended all-women panel sessions with

well-known business executives, community leaders,

entrepreneurs, and educators. Panelists shared their

insights on being resilient, letting go of perfectionism

and embracing their authentic selves.

Dr. Sandra Braham, President and CEO of Gulf Coast

Jewish Family and Community Services, delivered the

luncheon keynote. Sharing her story of adversity and

hardship beginning on the streets of Detroit, Braham’s

message was simple - serve with passion and affect

positive change in the community around you. With

so many twists and turns, Braham admits her story

is not typical, but it is her own.

WISE Advisory Council member Natasha Ram

elaborated on the impact of the WISE Symposium

during her closing remarks for the luncheon keynote

address. A junior, Ram is currently studying cell and

molecular biology with a minor in public health.


“This symposium not only has shown us the power

of perseverance, dedication and hard work but

also equipped us with the tools needed to better

overcome obstacles, and break down barriers,”

Ram explained to a room full of USF students.

As a member of the WISE Council. I have had the

opportunity to work with a wonderful group of

women who constantly support and empower

each other, and I have found mentors who constantly

serve to encourage and support me in my endeavors.

Events like this one empower us to find our authentic

selves to foster our own abilities to one day better

impact our communities.” All in attendance cheered

in agreement and left the event determined to be

their own hero!



MEMBERSHIP TYPES

Annual members ($1,000 per year, $500 per year for those 35 and younger) and Corporate

members ($5,000 per year) support WLP programmatic offerings and outreach initiatives and

help expand the impact of the WLP Endowed, WLP First Generation, 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.

CORPORATE MEMBER PROGRAM

Our Corporate Member program has grown from one member (Florida Blue) in July 2013 to the 25

members listed below.


THE DR. KATHLEEN MOORE FACULTY EXCELLENCE AWARD PROGRAM IN WLP

2019 RECIPIENTS

Established in 2007, the WLP Dr. Kathleen Moore Faculty Excellence Award Program provides annual

grants to USF faculty whose research and creative efforts focus on women and issues affecting women.

This award is presented in the spring of each year through a competitive selection process, with the recipient

receiving a one-time $5,000 award to support their research. To date, WLP has awarded 35 grants totaling

$175,000 to deserving faculty members whose research helps to support and advance women throughout

the world.

DR. DIANA M. HECHAVARRIA, PHD

USF Tampa Faculty Award

“WLP’s investment will fund the collection of more than 1,000,000 data points of text

from sources citing our key word bank derived from the findings from our entrepreneurial

ecosystems project. In our preliminary work, female entrepreneurs felt the most powerless,

at the hand of financers, and often overlooked; they were unable to secure the necessary

resources they needed to start their business. This investment has a tangible impact in

improving the odds of local women maneuvering the challenging obstacles often faced

when creating a business.”

JILL MCCRACKEN, PHD

USF St. Petersburg Faculty Award

“The WLP funds will be used to directly support my current project, Adolescent Sexual

Health Education and Research (ASHER). Funded by a USF Internal Research Grant

and in collaboration with the Guardian Ad Litem program, this project will provide an

evidence based sexual risk reduction intervention to 50 girls (ages 13-19) in high-risk

situations, specifically, young women who live in group homes or foster care.”



SUNITA LODWIG, PHD

USF Sarasota-Manatee Faculty Award

“In 2018, Global Outreach piloted a small program for middle school students,

named WAHI (We Are the Hope of Iringa – and be on time in Swahili). Children were

given computer access and were exposed to art and music, science, career opportunities,

and a variety of life skills. My hope is to make WAHI a reality. We must collect meaningful

data periodically to pave the way toward quantitative assessment in order to motivate long

term funding. While open to both boys and girls, particular emphasis must be put on

evaluating attitudinal and motivational impact on young women.”

DINORAH MARTINEZ TYSON, PHD

Valerie D. Riddle, M.D. Award in Health

“The WLP award provides an outstanding opportunity to continue to advance my

research in cancer survivorship, as well as expand the scope to include pain management

and opioid use among breast cancer survivors. The project stems from a strong partnership

between myself and the Tampa Bay Cancer Community Network; Faces of Courage, a

non-profit whose programs serve women and children affected by cancer; and LUNA, Inc.

These organizations have voiced concerns about use and misuse of opioids among

cancer survivors and the lack of awareness to address the issues.”



WENDY ROTE, PHD

USF Junior Faculty Award

“The funding from WLP allows me to continue developing my line of research focused on

assessing mothers’ and teens’ divergent perceptions of guilt inductive statements during

conflict discussions, and examining how maternal and teen adjustment predicts those

divergences. Moving forward, I will examine how non-adjustment factors, as well as mothers’

reported parenting stress, impact teens’ and mothers’ attitudes towards guilt induction. I

plan to disseminate findings not only to the research community, but to the community at

large through continued engagement and presentations at community-driven parenting

workshops.”

LEIA CAIN, PHD

USF Instructor Award

“WLP’s award allows me to conducting interviews with women in academia who have

experienced academic bullying. I hope to use the information gathered to write a book about

their experiences, tell their stories, and discuss strategies for perseverance. I have had an

overwhelming number of women reach out and inform me of their interest in the project, even

before officially beginning the recruiting process. The goal is that this project will be utilized in

university teaching courses, Preparing Future Faculty programs, and in other spaces where

graduate students are able to learn about the academic experience of women.”



PAST WLP FACULTY AWARD RECIPIENTS:

2018

DR. SYLVIA THOMAS

Electrical Engineering

College of Engineering

DR. LINDSEY RODRIGUEZ

Psychology

College of Arts and Sciences

DR. VALERIE LIPSCOMB

English, College of Liberal Arts

and Social Sciences

Sarasota-Manatee

DR. GITI JAVIDI

Information Technology and

Cybersecurity

Sarasota-Manatee

LIZ KICAK

Department of English

College of Arts & Sciences

Tampa

DR. CHERYL VAMOS

Chiles Center for Women, Children

and Families

USF Health, Tampa

2017

JEANNE TRAVERS

School of Theatre and Dance,

Tampa

DR. KATHRYN ARTHUR

Anthropology


St. Petersburg

DR. FAWN T. NGO

Criminology

Sarasota-Manatee

DR. STEPHANIE MARHEFKA

Community and Family Health,

USF Health

Tampa

DR. ELIZABETH MILLER

Anthropology


Tampa

DR. DOREEN MACAULAY

Department of Information Systems

Decision Sciences, Muma

College of Business

Tampa

2016

DR. KYOUNG CHO

School of Music

College of The Arts

Tampa

DR. MELISSA SLOAN

Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Sarasota-Manatee

DR. JESSIE D. TURNER

Department of Women’s and

Gender Studies,

College of Arts and Sciences,

Tampa

DR. JILL MCCRACKEN

Rhetoric and Writing Studies,


St. Petersburg

DR. ALICIA GILL ROSSITER

Veteran to Bachelor of Science in

Nursing Program, USF Health,

College of Nursing, Tampa

2015

DR. ELIZABETH HORDGE-FREEMAN

Department of Sociology, College

of Arts and Sciences

Tampa

DR. HEIDI CASTENEDA

Department of Anthropology,


Tampa

DR. TIFFANY CHENNEVILLE

Department of Psychology

Department of Pediatrics

St. Petersburg

DR. KATHY BLACK

Social Work and Gerontology,

College of Arts & Sciences

Sarasota-Manatee

2014

DR. SUSAN MACMANUS

Department of Government &

International Affairs, College of

Arts and Sciences

Tampa

2013

DR. GRISELLE CENTENO

Industrial and Management Systems,

College of Engineering

Tampa

2012

DR. JAMIE GOLDENBERG

Psychology, College of Arts &

Sciences

Tampa

2011

DR. JODY LYNN MCBRIEN

College of Education

Sarasota-Manatee

2010

DR. ELLEN DALEY

Psychology, College of Arts &

Sciences

Tampa

2009

DR. PATRICA A. KRUK

Department of Pathology & Cell

Biology, USF Health Morsani

College of Medicine

Tampa

2008

DR. LINDA M. WHITEFORD

Anthropology, College of Arts &

Sciences, Tampa

2007

DR. NAOMI YAVNEH

Humanities, College of Arts &

Sciences

Tampa


BE FEARLESS

SPIRIT ALIVE AT WLP FALL SYMPOSIUM

Standing before a crowd of more than 1,000 at

the 14th annual Women in Leadership and

Philanthropy Fall Symposium, Karlene Williams

described her younger self as introverted, shy

and full of self-doubt.

“Because of fear, I almost lost my ambition and my

purpose altogether,” said Williams, a senior English

education major and second-year WLP scholar.

But none of these traits were on display during her

speech at the October 4, 2019 event, as she held

the audience in thrall with the details of her journey

to become fearless.

“Education was quite obviously Doretha’s life

purpose, and it afforded Linda the pathway to

opportunity and success,” said Williams, referring

to WLP Lifetime Achievement Award recipient

Doretha Edgecomb ’73 and Community Leadership

Award recipient Linda Simmons ’75.

And education is significant in Williams’ life as well,

empowering her to reach heights she never thought

possible.

After finishing high school, her fear and self-doubt

almost kept her from pursuing a higher education.

But thanks to her grandmother, who had been an

educator, she enrolled in community college, where

an English professor helped her find her voice through

writing.

“I realized I had an ability to communicate and

present information in a way that was fearless, bold

and different from my normal personality,” she said.

Williams would eventually enroll at USF and become

a WLP scholar pursuing a degree in English education.

Attending WLP events and interacting with other

students from a wide variety of backgrounds and

majors helped her to realize she was not alone in

her fears.

“No matter how brilliant and accomplished we all

are, we all face some sort of challenge. Adversity is

no stranger to any of us,” she said.

Following Karlene was no easy feat. “While I’m very

happy to come and talk about Be Fearless and the five

principles outlined in the book, it’s very clear they’re

alive and well here at USF,” said keynote speaker

Jean Case, CEO of the Case Foundation, chairman of


the National Geographic Society and author of

Be Fearless: 5 Principles for a Life of Breakthrough

and Purpose.

While the book came out in January, Case said the

story of the principles began long before. Thanks to

her career, Case has had the opportunity to travel

all over the world.

And everywhere she goes, Case said people have

great ideas about how to make things better. But

whenever she asks, “How are you going to make

this a reality?” she finds the same reaction.

“The truth is, people everywhere have that little

voice in their head that says it can’t be me,” she

said.

And that was the look she’d get when she’d ask

people why they haven’t done anything to make

their idea a reality. People would say they felt they

needed to have a special genius, or to go to the

right school or to be well connected.

She began to ask herself: Are there special

characteristics or a “secret sauce” to those

who break through with success?

“What was illuminated is that it is ordinary people

who do extraordinary things. It’s just that they get

there by means of applying these five simple, but

powerful principles in their journey towards

success,” said Case, referring to the five principles

she outlines in her book.

During the rest of her talk, she shared these five

principles — Make a big bet. Be bold, take risks.

Make failure matter. Reach beyond your bubble.

Let urgency conquer fear — along with stories of

real people who illustrate the principles at work.

Case called herself a “living example” of the

principals. The youngest of four kids raised by a

single mom, she said no one looking at her early

life would have foreseen the opportunities she’s had.

“Anyone out there, if they have a burning idea

about their neighborhood, their community, the

world, it’s never too early and it’s never too late,”

she said. “You don’t have to wait to have just the

right stuff. It’s these principles that will get it done.”

As she wrapped up, Case told attendees they are

already making a difference by supporting WLP

and challenged them to find ways to take it just

one step further.

“Thank you for all you do,” said Case. “I will

leave here very inspired and telling the story of

the fearless spirit I see alive and all the great

things that are going on here at USF and in WLP.”


BY THE NUMBERS

161

The number of WLP

Scholarships awarded

in FY19.

$3,100,000+

WLP’s endowment has surpassed

$3 million for the first time

since inception.


+20%

The number of corporate members

increased by 20%, with the addition

of 5 new partners in FY19.

WLP has awarded more than

$1,500,000 in grants, scholarships,

and programmatic funding since 2005.

$1,500,000+

HISTORY OF OUR FUNDS

ENDOWED & OPERATING

FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19

10 11 14 19 26 35 37 56

ENDOWED ENDOWED ENDOWED ENDOWED ENDOWED ENDOWED ENDOWED ENDOWED

4 5 7 8 7 8 14 9

OPERATING OPERATING OPERATING OPERATING OPERATING OPERATING OPERATING OPERATING

14 16 21 27 33 43 51 65

TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL


THE IMPACT OF YOUR INVESTMENT

SCHOLARSHIPS & AWARDS

Since our founding in 2005, WLP has awarded more than $1,000,000 in scholarships to 800+

students. These scholarship awards, paired with the unique mentoring and engagement opportunities

that WLP affords our recipients, allow worthy students to continue their education and fulfill their

dream of completing their degree at a leading public research university. Endowed scholarship funds

exist in perpetuity. To achieve the balance between making awards and sustaining principal growth,

WLP adheres to the USF Foundation spending policy established annually by the Investment

Committee of the Foundation Board of Directors, where a percentage of the earnings of each fund

are awarded in the spring to students enrolled in the following fall semester. Many WLP members

(individuals, corporations, and private foundations) have chosen to contribute at the endowment

level and have established a named scholarship to honor a special person or to serve a defined group

of USF students, or reinforce their values through their philanthropy.

We are grateful to our generous donors who have helped establish such a robust WLP Scholarship

portfolio. The following list represents the scholarships awarded or established in the 2018-2019 year.

Drs Anila & Mona Jain and Kailash Jain Endowed Fund for WLP*

WLP/Ann McKeel Ross Scholarship in Visual Arts

WLP/Anne Marie Campbell Scholarship

WLP/Bank of America East Tampa Scholarship

WLP/Berkman Family First Generation Scholarship & Endowment

WLP/Berkman Family Scholarship

WLP/Betty Castor Scholarship for Global Initiatives

WLP/Bob & Liana Fernandez Fox Endowed Scholarship

WLP/Carolyn A. O’Steen Memorial Scholarship

WLP/Carolyn House Stewart Endowed Scholarship

WLP/Chris Maria Reyes Endowed Scholarship*

WLP/Citi WLC Women in Technology Endowed Scholarship

WLP/CREW Tampa Bay Scholarship

WLP/Deborah Eaves Endowed Scholarship

WLP/Donald & Ruth Anderson Memorial Scholarship

WLP/Dorothy Beach Endowed Scholarship

WLP/Dorothy L. Morgan Endowed Scholarship in Marine Science

WLP/Dorothy Warren Burke Endowed Scholarship

WLP/Dr. Susan MacManus Undergraduate Research Scholarship

WLP/Elicia Renee Byrd Endowed Service Scholarship

WLP/Elsie A. Moore Memorial Scholarship


WLP/Esther Schneid Memorial Scholarship

WLP/Faculty Research Award Operating Fund*

WLP/Florida Blue Leadership in Healthcare Scholarship

WLP/Florida Medical Clinic Foundation of Caring Scholarship

WLP/Geraldine Twine Endowed Scholarship

WLP/Jeff & Penny Vinik Endowed Scholarship

WLP/Jessica Stands with Girls Endowed Scholarship

WLP/Judith Bryan Darsey Scholarship

WLP/Judy Genshaft Scholarship

WLP/Linda Blume Award

WLP/Linda D ’Aquila Endowed Scholarship*

WLP/Martha Hodge Memorial Scholarship

WLP/Nancy Schneid Scholarship

WLP/National Mah Jongg League Foundation, Inc. Scholarship

WLP/New American Scholarship for Women of Excellence

WLP/Ouyang Yu Memorial Scholarship

WLP/Pam Iorio Leadership Scholarship

WLP/Philip & Ellen Asherman Scholarship

WLP/Ruth Earle & Yuko Yongue First Generation Scholarship

WLP/Sharon Greenbaum Endowed Scholarship

WLP/Susan & Richard Leisner Endowed Scholarship

WLP/Tampa Palms Women’s Club Scholarship

WLP/Triad Foundation & Academy Prep Center of Tampa Scholarship

WLP/USF Sarasota-Manatee Scholarship

WLP/USF St. Petersburg Endowed Scholarship

WLP/Valerie D. Riddle M.D. Endowed Scholarship

WLP/Valley Bank Endowed Scholarship

WLP/Vincent Zecchino M.D./Dream Givers USA Scholarship

WLP/Virginia Gregory Endowment in Entrepreneurship

WLP/Waller-Witte Endowed Scholarship

WLP/Wilma Fowler Endowed Scholarship

WLP/Wilma Fowler Scholarship for USFSP

WLP/WISE Students Helping Students Scholarship

WLP First Generation Scholarship

WLP Endowed Scholarship

*Deferred Gifts

22



2019 WLP COMMUNITY

LEADERSHIP AWARD

LINDA SIMMONS ’75

Linda Simmons ’75 is a successful business woman

and philanthropist — with a hand in building the

University of South Florida Tampa campus enjoyed

by so many today.

Simmons serves as president and CEO of

R.R. Simmons Construction Corp., which

specializes in design, engineering and construction

management services for corporate clients. 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

USF’s Tampa campus.

Simmons began her career in finance, 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 her leadership, the company has received

a number of accolades for its projects.

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 Women in Leadership and

Philanthropy, serve as a member and chair of the

USF Foundation Board of Directors and join the Gus A.

Stavros Center Board. 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, with the

bulk of their efforts focused on scholarships, including

the Carolyn A. O’Steen Memorial Scholarship in WLP

in memory of her mother, as well as the Linda and

Randy Simmons Endowed Athletic Scholarship.

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, and Friends of

Boca Grande Community Center, to name a few.


2019 WLP LIFETIME

ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

DORETHA EDGECOMB M.A. ’73

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.

Doretha Edgecomb M.A. ’73 has enjoyed a

remarkable 52-year career in education — as a

teacher and administrator in Hillsborough County

Schools, a trainer with Educational Testing Service,

and a longtime member of the Hillsborough County

school board.

A Tampa native, Edgecomb earned her bachelor’s

degree at Talladega College in Alabama, and a

Master of Arts in reading education from the

University of South Florida.

Edgecomb’s career as an educator in Hillsborough

County Public Schools encompassed numerous

positions, including reading teacher, learning

specialist, Title I parent involvement coordinator,

reading supervisor and elementary school principal.

In 1996, she joined Educational Testing Service,

serving as a trainer, program developer and technical

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.

Today, Edgecomb remains extremely active in the

community. Honoring the memory of her husband,

George Edgecomb, who passed away from leukemia

in 1976 at the age of 33, Doretha 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.

Over the years, Edgecomb has humbly accepted

several awards for her service to the community.

Most recently, Edgecomb received USF’s highest

non-academic award, the Distinguished Citizen

Award, in May 2019.


4202 East Fowler Avenue, ALC100

Tampa, Florida 33620-5455

813-974-4070

WLP@usf.edu

2018-2019 WLP Annual Report

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