2019 PSU NYC Annual Celebration / Networking Event

Guest Speaker: Wanda Bryant Hope, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer of Johnson & Johnson

annual-celebration-2019

All local Penn Staters (and friends of the University) are invited to join us on Wednesday, June 5, 2019 6pm at the Cornell Club - Manhattan for an evening of networking and merriment at the Penn State NYC Annual Celebration / Networking Event. Admission to the event includes food and drink. The NYC Chapter Board of Directors is thrilled to announce Wanda Bryant Hope as our guest speaker this year! Ms. Hope is the Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer of Johnson & Johnson and fellow PSU alum.

This event is an annual opportunity for local Penn Staters to celebrate the great year we have had as a Chapter and learn about our plans and goals for the upcoming year. We'll be raffling a number of great prizes to benefit the Chapter's Scholarship Fund. The results of the 2019-20 Executive Board election will be announced.

We're excited to announce we'll be joined by several additional special guests including:

  • Paul J. Clifford, Life Member and CEO of the Penn State Alumni Association
  • Susan Robinson, Penn State alum, PSAA Alumni Council member, Business Leader, Consultant, Entrepreneur & TED Resident
  • Meesha Rosa, Senior Director of Corporate Board Services of Catalyst
  • Ryan Spear ('02), Founder of Spear Travel Group & Penn State Hotel & Restaurant Society President

 

We hope you’ll join us for this very special evening and share in the festivities.


Date:     Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Time:     6pm-9pm (cocktail hour/networking followed by short program)

Where:  Cornell Club, 6 E 44th St (b/w 5th & Madison)

Pricing:  Registration pricing includes hors d’oeuvres, a pasta station, and unlimited wine, beer & soft drinks from 6-9pm. 
                 $60/members, $75/non-members
                 Not a member?   Click here to join the Chapter now!

Click here to Register!

(Online Registration Closes at 1pm 06/05)

Questions?  Please email president@psunyc.org

wanda-bryant-hope_squareAbout Wanda Bryant Hope

Wanda Bryant Hope is an accomplished business executive with significant experience in general management, marketing, sales, commercial operations, and human resources. She is currently the Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for Johnson & Johnson worldwide. In this role, Wanda is responsible for globally advancing J&J's diversity and inclusion (D&I) outcomes, strengthening D&I capabilities, improving reputation, and driving innovation and growth for future success.

Prior to her current role, Wanda has held a variety of leadership positions across J&J including Vice President, Sales & Marketing; Vice President, Commercial Analytics, Development & Operations; and Vice President, Global Performance & Development. She has been recognized for her ability to exceed business results, deliver innovative solutions to complex challenges, lead global change, develop people for optimal results and drive diversity & inclusion global outcomes. 


Her passion and performance has been recognized with several awards, including the Penn State Smeal Diversity Award, American Needs You Honoree, Healthcare Businesswomen's Association Rising Star Award, Auburn Lives of Committment Award, YWCA Tribute to Women in Industry Award, and the National Sales Network Community Service Award.
 

Committed to giving back to her community, Wanda serves on the Penn State Smeal College of Business Board of Visitors, The State Theater New Jersey Board of Trustees, and the Board of the National Sales Network. Wanda received her Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from The Pennsylvania State University. She and her husband Bobby are the proud parents of Tyler, their 13 year-old son.
 


paulc_500wPaul J. Clifford

Paul J Clifford is the chief executive officer of the Penn State Alumni Association and associate vice president for alumni relations for Penn State. He is the organization's 11th chief executive in its 149-year history and began his tenure in January 2016. With 173,349 members, the Penn State Alumni Association is the largest dues-paying alumni association of its kind worldwide. The Alumni Association's mission is to connect alumni to the University and to each other; provide valued services to members; and support the University's mission of teaching, research, and serice. Clifford guides Penn State's alumni relations strategy; oversees engagement initiatives with the Alumni Association's 173,000+ members and 303 affiliate groups; leads a 70-member staff; manages the Alumni Association's broad range of programs, benefits, services, and resources, including a $13.5 million annual operating budget. A Pennsylvania native, Clifford joined Penn State after serving as the University of Oregon's associate vice president of advancement and executive director of the University of Oregon Alumni Association. Clifford has spent his entire career in the alumni relations field and has broad national experience. A 12-time CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) Award winner, Clifford has served on or chaired myriad CASE committees and is a five-time faculty member for the organization's Summer Institute for Alumni Relations. 


scr--linkedinSusan Robinson

Susan Robinson is a leader making an impact on the world in a truly unique way and masterfully blends 25+ years of multi-sector leadership with her experiences being legally blind to shift thinking, elevate potential and inspire action. She has worked with global firms and Fortune 500 companies, top not-for-profit organizations, leading universities and the United Nations. Susan's adept ability to cnovey difficult and complex issues with approachability allows her to resonate with diverse audiences. Exemplified by her TED Talk wth 1.4M+ views, "How I fail at being disabled," Susan humorously weaves disparate concepts into a meaningful narrative to uncover, challenge and redefine preconceived obstacles. In her role as advisor and consultant, Susan works with other business leaders on efforts that impact revenue, relevance, and reputation. Her previous projects have included leadership workshops for top talent; enterprise-wide assessments to optimize competitive differentiators and growth potential; and business strategy, horizon and transformation planning with incredible results. Susan is an Executive Board Member of the Penn State Alumni Association's Alumni Council and a Board Member of both the New York State Preferred Source for the Blind and InTandem Cycling. She received her Master of Public Administration, specializing in Health Policy and Management, from New York University, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service; and her Bachelor of Science, Health Policy and Administration, with minors in Business and Economics, from The Pennsylvania State University.


  • meeshaMeesha Rosa

    Meesha Rosa manages Catalyst's Corporate Board Services, which works to advance women into the corporate boardroom through candidate assessment and preparation. In this role, she coordinates communications with companies, corporate board governance organizations, and associations that are committed to corporate board diversity. Meesha speaks at numerous events about women on boards, and she also conducts presentations on women of color in corporate management. Prior to joining Catalyst, she conducted research at the Columbia University School of Public Health's National Center for Children in Poverty, and worked as a consultant at the Department of Sociomedical Sciences, where she conducted child development research. Meesha received her BA in African and Puerto Rican/Latino Studies from City University of New York, Hunter College, and completed a MS in Urban Policy Analysis and Management at The New School for Public Engagement, Milano School of International Affairs, Management and Urban Policy.

ryan-spear

Ryan Spear

Ryan Spear founded Spear Travel Group in 2017 in order to bring his exemplary hospitality experiences to best serve his clients. For over 15 years, Spear has provided luxury service to the world's most discerning guests. He graduated from The Pennsylvania State University's School of Hospitality Management in 2002. Spear currently serves as President of the school's alumni group - The Penn State Hotel and Restaurant Society. Since graduation, he has worked in New York City at several hotels including two Ritz-Carlton Hotels, where he learned how to provide the industry's best service and was awarded the company's highest sales award two years in a row during his tenure. A Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) and accredited Travel Agent, Spear understands his client's needs along with the inside information of how the travel industry works. Currently, Spear lives in South Orange, New Jersey along with his wife Nicki and three daughters, Kaelyn, and identitical wins Mya and Paige.