Garthwait Leadership Summit succeeds again
November 1: Guest speakers at the Garthwait Leadership Summit speak to a large audience about the importance and impact of leadership in their daily lives and careers. Speakers included Paul Seale, Kate Morris, Lauren Wise-Bright and Kirby Scott. (Photo Credit: Gettysburg College Marketing Team)
By Daniella Snyder, Staff Writer
The Garthwait Leadership Center never fails to impress by their lineup of guest speakers on Gettysburg’s campus, and this Parents Weekend was no exception with the Garthwait Leadership Summit. Dozens of students and their families eagerly attended the summit in order to hear successful leadership stories.
This was an event organized and directed by GLC leadership mentors and current Gettysburg students Katherine Fila and Adam Stevens. The moderator, Neil Bryant, Vice-President of Sales Development for Carestream Health, Inc. introduced four incredibly inspirational panel members, who really demonstrated the core leadership skills of the GLC.
First to extend dialogue was Lauren Wise- Bright, Gettysburg College Class of 1990, and Deputy General Counsel for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, an organization that has given out over $30 billion in grant payments since its inception. Her advice to anyone regarding leadership is that “anyone can do it,” and everyone should utilize every opportunity they have in order to learn what their strengths and weaknesses are.
Paul Seale spoke next, detailing his work in the SUNY Upstate Medical University. His personal leadership experience sits as serving as the administrator responsible for the expansion of Upstate including its establishment of the Golisano Children’s Hospital and, most recently, the addition of a $100 million Cancer Center. As a parent of a 2006 Gettysburg alumni, he imparted great advice upon the current students.
Kate Morris, Ph.D. and Gettysburg College Class of 1992 discussed her own experience with leadership next. She actually dealt with great inner conflict regarding her career and taking on more responsibility in her field. As a faculty member in Butler University’s Department of Psychology for sixteen years, she couldn’t decide whether or not to “step up” and serve as Department Chair, but she did, and did for four years. Her advice to the audience was shockingly honest.
And then finally to conclude the panel, Gettysburg 1977 alumni, Kirby Scott, retired FBI special agent concluded the event. His service to the Bureau included the facilitation and management of complex investigations, developing and directing tactical scenarios, and physical security for the United States Attorney General and Director of the FBI. He was acknowledged by the Bureau for exceptional performance and leadership. The Garthwait Leadership Center provided and excellent and wide array of leadership role models for the students here on campus, and it was clear to the parents that the GLC is doing great things at Gettysburg College.
In an interview with GLC director Andrew Hughes, he said this: “It was a very successful event overall and was a fantastic addition to the Family Weekend activities. It was wonderful to observe parents and our students learn together and experience side by side the intellectual pursuits our great college has to offer.”
