leadership empowerment series

The annual EACE Leadership Empowerment Series provides personal and professional development for those who are interested in starting, continuing or pushing the boundaries of their exploration and practice of leadership.

2023 Leadership Empowerment Series Part Two
(In-Person & Virtual)
Wednesday, March 1, 2023 | 10:00 AM - 3:45 PM | Boston University, Boston, MA
In-Person Registration | Virtual Registration | Agenda | Event Location | Speakers | Series Archive

In-Person Registration:

Member Non-Member
$125 $175
 
Register For In-Person Here

IN-PERSON SPACE IS LIMITED AND WILL BE AVAILABLE ON A FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED BASIS.


Virtual Registration:

Includes live attendance via Zoom. Please note, this program is not being recorded.

Member Non-Member
$89 $109
 
Register For Virtual Here

You will need to log-in to receive member pricing. Not a member? Join EACE today and not only will you save on your registration fees, but you gain full access to all member benefits.

Thank you to our event sponsors!

   

Agenda:

Details are still being added, so check back for the latest information. Water stations are available throughout the building. Attendees are encouraged to bring a reusable water bottle with the name of your organization.

10:00 AM

Welcome & Introductions

10:15 AM

jeremi gorman headshotHow Supporting Career Centers Paved the Way to Leadership at One of the World’s Leading Entertainment Services 

A fireside chat featuring Jeremi Gorman, President, Worldwide Advertising - Netflix (Moderated by EACE Past President, Jill Milon)

11:30 AM

Leadership with a DEI Lens:
Why Equity is Important

China L. Wilson, Ph.D, GCDF, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University

12:30 PM

Lunch Sponsored by uConnect

 1:30 PM

Leading from Where You Are

Maureen Crawford Hentz, Vice President and Executive Committee Member at A.W. Chesterton Company; Professional Coach, Bravely; Career Strategy Consultant

2:45 PM

Expert Q&A Panel:
Necessary Leadership Skills for Career Advancement

Featured Panelists:

  • Valerie Szymkowicz, Vice President, Spelman Johnson
  • Colleen Speranza, Chief HR Officer, Liaison International
  • Maureen Crawford Hentz, Vice President and Executive Committee Member at A.W. Chesterton Company; Professional Coach, Bravely; Career Strategy Consultant

Moderators:

  • Narali Taglialavore, EACE 2022 Rising Star Award Winner; PR & Marketing Committee Co-Chair and Associate Director at Boston University, Center for Career Development
  • Montgomery Thomas,  Associate Director of Alumni Career Engagement at Suffolk University, Career Equity, Development & Success | Gallup-Certified Global CliftonStrengths Coach
3:45 PM Wrap-up/Close

Event Location:

Boston University
100 Bay State Rd, 6th Floor, 613 A&B

Parking:

Parking is available at the Agganis Arena Lot at 925 Commonwealth Avenue for $25. Visit the BU website for parking garage locations, fees and other transportation options. It is approximately a mile (25 minute walk) from the parking lot to the George Sherman Union.

Public Transportation:

MBTA T-stop: Kenmore on the B-, C-, or D-line of the Green Line

About the Speakers:

Jeremi Gorman

President, Worldwide Advertising - Netflix

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Jeremi is an experienced Sr. Executive in the media business, where she has spent her career, first, and proudly, at JOBTRAK and Monster.com, and then in business leadership positions at Yahoo!, Amazon, and Snap Inc., where she was the Chief Business Officer from 2018 - 2022. Gorman joined the leadership team at Netflix as the President of Worldwide Advertising in September of 2022. She and her team are responsible for the newly launched ad supported offering.

She is actively engaged in the Media Community, serving on the Board of Directors for the Advertising Council, American Advertising Federation, and MMA. She sits on the Board of Directors at Gamesquare Interactive, a publicly held eSports company. To serve communities closer to her heart, Jeremi sits on the Board of Directors for Women-for-Women International, which invests in women survivors of war and conflict, providing them with social and economic skills to transform their own lives. Jeremi is proud to share with this audience that the first board on which she ever sat, was Rocky Mountain Association of Colleges and Employers (RMACE), which is now part of MPACE (Mountain Pacific Association of Colleges and Employers). In addition to her board work, she is a founding investor in the Los Angeles Women's Soccer Team, Angel City Football Club. She is an avid traveler and adrenaline junkie, so when she's not at her laptop, she can be found hangliding, zip-lining, jet-skiing, or just reading on a beach. Gorman holds a Bachelor’s degree from UCLA, and an MBA from Penn State. She is a Southern California native, and current resident of Hermosa Beach.


Maureen Crawford Hentz

Vice President and Executive Committee Member, A.W. Chesterton Company | Professional Coach, Bravely | Career Strategy Consultant

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Maureen Crawford Hentz is a HR executive with experience in Fortune 100 companies, non-profits, higher education, and family-run businesses. She has served as the Manager of Talent Acquisition, Development and Compliance at Osram Sylvania/Siemens, as the Director of Talent Management for Property & Casualty at AIG and is now the VPHR of a global specialty engineering and manufacturing company north of Boston. In her free time, she is a sight-after corporate speaker and a part time coach at Bravely.

With a particular interest in the intersection of U.S. employment law and HR needs, she is a resource on the implementation of real-world, effective best HR practices. She upends the “parties, promotions and payroll” concept of HR with business-driving strategic partnership.

When she’s not keynoting about, writing about or reading about career & HR issues, she can be found critiquing job descriptions on LinkedIn for fun, reading other companies’ employee handbooks and reading First Circuit opinions.

An award-winning program presenter, Crawford Hentz is known for lively and informative workshops.


Colleen Speranza

Chief Human Resources Officer - Liaison International

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Colleen is the Chief Human Resource Officer at Liaison International, where she leads global human resource initiatives to deliver an inclusive, growth-focused, and customer-driven culture. Liaison is an EdTech company with an ecosystem of software and services used by institutions to manage the student journey from marketing, prospecting, admissions, enrollment, retention, to alumni and more. Colleen joined Liaison in 2022 with more than 20 years of experience in developing human resources strategies and programs. Previously, Colleen served as the vice president of human resources at Endurance International (now NewFold Digital) where she led global human resources business partners, talent development, and talent acquisition, and was instrumental in integrating and aligning company acquisitions. Prior to Endurance, Colleen was director and later vice president of human resources at Constant Contact, acquired by Endurance. This followed her tenure at Monster Worldwide, Inc., where she oversaw the human resources strategy for various functions. Colleen also served as head of human resources for Sentient Jet and held various other roles earlier in her career. Colleen holds a B.S. and Master’s degree from Rivier University.


Valerie B. Szymkowicz

Vice President Emeritus - Spelman & Johnson

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Valerie Szymkowicz is a vice president and senior consultant with Spelman Johnson, a premier executive search firm exclusively committed to serving higher education. Working out of a satellite office in Vermont, Valerie partners with colleges and universities nationwide to conduct searches for senior leaders across a broad range of functional areas, including academic affairs, student affairs, career services, enrollment management, and public safety. A skilled facilitator and talent development practitioner, she also leads the firm’s internal training and development efforts.

Valerie joined Spelman Johnson in November 2002 after providing contract research and consulting services for boutique executive search firms focused primarily on the higher education and consumer products markets. Before entering the search profession in 1999, she worked on campuses for more than 20 years in roles spanning academic advising, experiential education, and career planning. Her higher education experience includes positions at both public and private institutions, including New England College, University of Delaware, University of Vermont, and Middlebury College, where she served for eight years as director of career services.

Regarded by her colleagues as a consummate professional, Valerie has managed well over 200 searches for Spelman Johnson and attends carefully to the craft of each search. She invests considerable time and energy in developing a deep understanding of the client institution, writing compelling documents, sourcing and engaging talented leaders, and building robust candidate pools. As a trusted adviser, she works collaboratively with her clients to plan and execute successful searches, providing deft counsel and expertise throughout all phases of the search process.

Valerie is an active member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the American College Personnel Association, and the Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers. With a strong belief in cultivating leadership potential among talented rising stars, Valerie has been an invited presenter at NASPA—Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education’s Region I Mid-Managers Institute, facilitating discussions on professional development priorities. She regularly addresses national and regional audiences on such topics as career preparation, search management, and onboarding. She earned a BA in natural science/environmental studies from New England College and an MEd in student personnel from the University of Vermont.


China L. Wilson, Ph.D, GCDF

Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University

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Dr. China L. Wilson is the inaugural Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Wilson brings more than 15 years of education experience working in diversity, equity, and inclusion, anti-racism, civil rights, social justice, Title IX compliance, change management, career counseling, and public policy to this pioneering position at the country’s first conservatory. As Assistant Dean for DEI, she is responsible for providing strategic leadership to guide and execute critical DEAI initiatives as a central pillar of the strategic Breakthrough Plan that guides Peabody’s evolution and growth. She will also steward the Conservatory’s goals as part of Johns Hopkins University’s Roadmap on Diversity and Inclusion, a key strategic framework that ensures JHU and its affiliates remain open to and inclusive of diverse people and ideas to allow for a freedom of inquiry and expression.

Previously, Dr. Wilson served as the inaugural Equity and Civil Rights Compliance Specialist at the Maryland State Department of Education, providing oversight, technical assistance, and guidance on the development and implementation of a consolidated federal monitoring program that evaluates and ensures equity, access, and program quality for Maryland higher education and K-12 programs. Additionally, she co-created and facilitated a professional learning series to help college leaders set the stage for building equitable learning environments, analyzing institutional data, identifying growth opportunities for DEI, conducting root cause analysis, selecting actionable strategies, and creating plans of action.

Dr. Wilson also led a department serving students from various underrepresented groups at Trinity Washington University in Washington D.C. as the Director of the Office of Career Services and Experiential Learning and Title IX Coordinator. In this role she developed effective programs, policies, and services to address barriers students faced because of race, gender, ethnicity, low income, or immigration status.

She earned her PhD in educational management from Hampton University and is a former performing artist with professional vocal, dance, and theatre training and experience.

Leadership Empowerment Series Archive

2021-2022 Series:

  • Part One - Leadership Styles and Leadership Lessons (Held virtually January 26, 2022)
  • Part Two - Half-Day Program Sponsored by Stony Brook University (Held virtually March 11, 2022)

2022-2023 Series:

  • Part One - Learning to Lead (and making mistakes) (Held virtually December 2, 2022)
  • Part Two - In-person event March 1, 2023

Recordings of virtual presentations and handouts (if applicable) are available to members in the Webinar Archive resource section of the website.