More Than 200 Students Attend Annual Lafayette Leadership Institute

More than 200 first-year students and sophomores attended this year’s Lafayette Leadership Institute, “You’ve Got Skills: Creating Your Leadership Profile,” a conference for student leaders held Feb. 3 in Marquis Hall.

The one-day conference educates student leaders through a keynote address, numerous learning sessions, a distinguished alumni panel, and alumni roundtables.

Susan Fox ’88, vice president for government relations at the Walt Disney Company, spoke about the way in which leadership skills vary by person, place, and time in the keynote address “Creating Leadership Your Way.”

A discussion with Fox followed the address. Workshops were then held to help students learn how to use their leadership skills at Lafayette and after graduation.

The first block consisted of three workshops. Lauren M. Ibbotson, assistant director of student life programs, presented “The Color of Your Leadership Profile,” focusing on methods student leaders can use to work with people who have other leadership styles. Carmen Marsit ’00, assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Brown University, discussed ways of dealing with the stress of being in a leadership position during “Survival Skills for Effective Leaders.” “New School, New Skills” provided strategies for students to transition leadership skills obtained in high school into the college setting. This was presented by Barie and Tracy Salmon ’08 (Scotch Plains, N.J.), chemistry majors, and Paul Sommers ’09 (Wenonah, N.J.), a history major.

Four workshops made up the second block. Robert Sell ’84, managing partner for Accenture North America and a Lafayette trustee, presented “Have You Got Global Perspective,” which focused on taking up a leadership role in the global market. “Leaderless Leadership” focused on understanding group dynamics, problem solving, and organizational efficiency and was presented by Eric Bartlett, cellist for Orpheus Chamber Orchestra; Ellis Finger, director of the Williams Center for the Arts; Karen Forbes, director of counseling services; and Ben Doremus ’07 (Hopkinton, Mass.), an electrical and computer engineering major. Rachel Moeller ’88, associate director of career services, and Marsit presented “Approach the [Un]approachable,” which provided ways to build strong interpersonal skills. “You’ve Got Style” looked at how personality styles impact interaction with others and was presented by Amanda Johnson, post doctoral student with the Counseling Center, and Tiffany O’Shaughnessy and Ryan Weatherford, practicum-students with the Counseling Center.

After lunch, a panel of distinguished alumni discussed the transition from Lafayette student leader to successful graduate student or professional. Erin McKan ’05, assistant director of admissions, served as moderator.

Panel members included:

Tom Johnson ’93 has been with ABC News for 13 years and is currently a senior producer for the network’s flagship program World News with Charles Gibson. This spring he will assume the role of senior producer in charge of national news for the program. Prior to becoming a senior producer, Tom was a producer for the late ABC anchor Peter Jennings, reporting from around the country as well as overseeing segments such as “Person of the Week.” His work has been honored with both the Peabody & Edward R. Murrow awards. He graduated with a B.A. in history.

Emmanuel S. Kirunda ’04 graduated with an A.B. engineering degree. After graduation, he worked for Border Waterworks in Santa Fe, N.M., as an engineering coordinator. Currently, he is working as a graduate engineer (engineer in training) for Loomis Austin, Inc. engineering and surveying company.

Marsitgraduated with a B.S. in biochemistry. He received a Ph.D. in biological sciences in public health from Harvard University in 2004, and continued his research on exposure-related cancer with a post-doctoral fellowship at the Harvard School of Public Health. In January, he joined the faculty of Brown Medical School, where he will teach and continue his research.

Sell is managing partner and COO of Accenture’s North American Communications and High Tech practice based out of New York City, and is a member of the Management Committee of the worldwide management and technology consulting firm. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce. Sell has been quoted as an industry expert in the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, BusinessWeek and other business periodicals. He received a B.A. in economics and business.

Cassandra Toroian ’94 is the founder of Blue Rockefeller, LLC and serves as the firm’s chief investment officer. Prior to launching the firm, she was a founder of Cohen Bros. & Co., as well as the managing director of CBT Investment Management Inc, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Toroian began her career as a buy-side analyst at a Pennsylvania-based mutual fund company. She then became a sell-side analyst covering the banking sector for Ryan Beck & Co. She was named one of the top five analysts in the country as a Wall Street Journal “All Star” analyst for her stock picking in the sector in 1999. Toroian graduated with a B.A. in government and law and received an M.B.A. with a concentration in finance from the University of Miami.

The third block of workshops following the panel included a roundtable discussion where students were given an opportunity to meet members of the alumni panel in small groups to ask questions and converse on a more personal level. Other workshops were, “Leaders Creating Change” with Michael Benitez Jr., director of Intercultural Development, and Danielle Bero ’07 (Astoria, N.Y.), a creative mediums and social justice major, and “DIY Promotion: Technology Skills for Student Leaders” with Courtney Bentley, instructional technologist.

The conference concluded with a recognition reception.

The Lafayette Leadership Education committee includes:Ibbotson; Moeller; Pam Brewer, associate dean of students; Susan Bradlau, director of estate and planned giving; Chris Fairchild, assistant director of Recreation Services; Briana Hecht ’08(Chestnut Hill, Mass.), a chemical engineering major; Alberto Luna ’08 (Bronx, N.Y.), an English and psychology double major; Rufaro Mukogo ’07 (Harare, Zimbabwe), a chemical engineering major; Julie A Mule, assistant director of Residence Life; Amanda Niederauer ’08 (Bernardsville, N.J.), an American studies major; Maggie Oberrender ’07 (Bridgewater, N.J.), an English and French double major; Mevan Jayasinghe ’08 (Colombo, Sri Lanka), who is pursuing a B.S. biology and A.B. with a major in economics and business; and Megan Zaroda ’07 (Easton, Pa.), who has an individualized major in political communication.

As vice president for government relations for the Walt Disney Company, Fox represents all of Disney’s operating divisions before the federal government, with particular focus on Disney’s media interests including ABC, ESPN, the ABC Cable Networks, the ABC Owned Television Stations, and ABC Radio.

Prior to her current position, Fox served as senior legal advisor to former Federal Communications Commission Chairman William Kennard and as deputy chief of the Mass Media Bureau at the FCC. She also served as special counsel in the FCC’s General Counsel Office, where she advised the General Council on constitutional issues and litigated cases on behalf of the FCC.

Fox was also an associate with the law firm of Hogan & Hartson and served as a law clerk to H. Robert Mayer, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Fox graduated with an A.B. degree in engineering. She earned a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law where she was editor-in-chief of the Journal of Law and Politics and winner of the Stephen Pierre Traynor Award.

Sponsored by the Office of Student Life Programs, the Lafayette Leadership Institute is made possible by the Class of ’68 Leadership Fund. For more information, contact the Office of Student Life Programs at x5337.