Illinois State University welcomed to campus three accomplished alumni on March 25 and 26, 2024, for the inaugural Women as Transformational Leaders event, sponsored by the Office of the Provost.
The distinguished speakers included College of Business alumna Denise Moore ‘89, who focuses on educating aspiring leaders from central Illinois’ minoritized communities how to navigate the majority culture. Dr. joyce gillie gossom ‘78, College of Education, brings 40 years of professional experience as a special education teacher, elected official, organizational consultant, leadership coach, and higher education administrator. Lastly, Kathleen Savio ‘87, ‘89, College of Arts and Sciences, is a highly accomplished leader with extensive industry experience, previously serving at Zurich Insurance Group for over three decades, including as chief transformation officer, and currently serving on Brown & Brown’s insurance brokerage’s board of directors.
Earlier this academic year, Acting Provost Ani Yazedjian shared her vision for this event with Special Assistant to the Provost, Dr. Sue Hildebrandt, and a cross-divisional event planning team was assembled to orchestrate the event’s execution. The planning team included Hildebrandt; Provost Fellow and faculty member, Dr. Jason Whitesel; Pamela Cooper, Director of Career Services; and Liz Adams, Senior Managing Director in University Advancement.
Adams consulted with colleagues in University Advancement to develop a list of accomplished women leaders from various colleges within the campus community. Once a list of alums was formed, the planning team reviewed the representation of colleges and degrees earned, geography, and identities to ensure a representative selection of alumni that exemplifies the power of transformational leadership.
Dr. Sue Hildebrandt stressed the importance of talking about women as transformational leaders: “Many women lead differently than what some think of as stereotypical leadership behaviors. Effective women leaders empower others to lead, fostering community capacity instead of exerting control over others. They demonstrate empathy, value the strengths of those around them, and foster an environment that encourages vulnerability and care. They recognize the impact of their own privileges on others and strive to ensure voices we don’t often hear from are heard. A true measure of leadership is the opportunities we create for others to shine.”
Over 150 faculty, staff, and students attended sessions over the two-day event, fostering a dynamic platform for learning, networking, and self-discovery.
The first event, a panel discussion titled “Women as Transformational Leaders,” was moderated by former U.S. Ambassador Geeta Pasi, the Inaugural Donald F. McHenry Visiting Professor in Diplomacy and International Affairs. The panel’s goal was to provide an opportunity for attendees to discover how the featured alumni’s passion, visions, and courage have ignited change and inspired progress in their respective fields. Panelists highlighted techniques to guide people through change, including the emotional adjustments experienced while going through change. They also reminded audience members of the importance of knowing people from their own perspective and not assuming that you know someone’s origin story or where they want to go. And they cautioned that one is not respected just because they are selected for a leadership role; rather, trust and respect must be earned.
The schedule also included a networking breakfast for student leaders on campus who were invited to engage in casual conversation with the three featured alums and university leadership, including Acting Provost Yazedjian. Leaders offered guidance, advice, and coaching while creating personal connections with students.
A leadership lunch titled “Inspiring Change Through Learning” followed, with each alumna sharing their leadership experience. They communicated examples of how they have successfully navigated change or transition in their organization and how ISU prepared them to be the leaders that they have become.
Change was a key factor of Denise Moore’s story, who told attendees that her journey after Illinois State did not lead her in one direction. Rather, she found fulfillment in exploring new opportunities and connections, from being a State Farm employee, collaborating with others in community theatre, owning and operating retail stores in Normal and Peoria, founding non-profit organizations, to being elected to the Peoria City Council from 2013-2021. Moore shared that she is always open and willing to embrace change: “That’s all you’ve done in your life—change.”
Kathleen Savio who has held top CEO and CAO positions previously held exclusively by men, shared the importance of “betting on yourself” and “encouraging yourself to grow when faced with change.” She also highlighted that success is more likely when there is a team that believes in the same vision by your side: “If you want to go far, go together.”
joyce gillie gossom recounted her early lessons in generosity, having to allocate her 5-cent allowance between giving, saving, and spending. She has nurtured the habit of giving throughout her career, encouraging students in attendance to “give of your time, your talent, and your treasure.”
“Leadership is not a position, it is an action.”
-joyce gillie gossom
“Centering women’s voices is necessary to help expand everyone’s idea of what a leader is and how they should act, as well as to meet this moment of change,” Hildebrandt explains. “We hope that ISU students will see these accomplished leaders and understand that not all leaders need to be extraverted or aggressive or dominant or over-confident or any of the other stereotypical leadership traits that people sometimes think of.” She went on to say, “Examining leadership style as a response to prevailing power structures in our culture is crucial for fostering a ‘common thread’ among diverse communities, including those based on race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, ability, nationality, and more. So, we envision future iterations of this event, in which we dive deeper into how various interlocking identities informed differing approaches to leadership.” Stay tuned for announcements about next year’s events!
A survey is available for attendees to provide feedback on the panel. Responses are requested before Friday, April 12.
