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Philadelphia CEO and philanthropist Mary Stengel Austen ’86 has received The Spirit of LifeAward from City of Hope Cancer Center.
“City of Hope Cancer Center is one of the world’s leading research and treatment centers for cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and other life-threatening diseases,” she explains. “They are pioneers in the fields of bone marrow transplantation and genetics. What I admire most is that City of Hope’s scientific knowledge is shared with medical centers locally and globally. They are neutral and disseminate all their work to anyone who can benefit from it.”
The Spirit of Life Award is City of Hope’s top philanthropic honor, presented to individuals who have made a significant commitment to their industry and the community. Following a yearlong fund-raising campaign for City of Hope, the honoree’s family, friends, and fellow industry members celebrate his or her efforts at the annual gala dinner.
The event at which Austen was honored raised $80,000 for City of Hope.
“The most meaningful aspect was not the recognition,” Austen says, “but rather the opportunity to give back to a community I know and am close to – all in the name of a disease that has had an impact on several of my family members. To be able to leverage my position to raise funds for something that I care about was a privilege.”
As CEO of Tierney Communications, Austen has made a considerable contribution to her industry. Her promotion from president to CEO of the communications agency has increased her day-to-day responsibilities as well as her ties to the company’s parent company, Interpublic, in New York. The company’s clients include several national brands and a number of global firms, as well as various prominent businesses in the region.
In the midst of her increased responsibility at Tierney, Austen has continued to make time to give back to the community.
“Currently I am helping the Please Touch Museum with an intensive capital campaign aimed at opening a new site,” says Austen, an English and government & law graduate who has hosted Lafayette students for externships.
She is also chairman of Pennsylvania Economy League, a think tank on regional community issues in which businesses can have an impact. In addition, she is nearing the end of a two-year commitment to help Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation raise funds for a brain injury unit.
Lafayette Leadership Council also has benefited from Austen’s expertise. The council serves as a sounding board to the Board of Trustees, particularly to provide greater depth when the board wants to reach out to a wider audience on issues. It also is intended to bring council members up to speed on issues facing the College.
“The council gives alumni a voice in a less structured way,” says Austen. “It helps keep people connected, and frankly it was a way for me to reconnect with the school.”