Leading in a Time of Crisis
Recognized for its groundbreaking scholarship, innovative programs and effectiveness in advancing women as leaders, Villanova’s Anne Welsh McNulty Institute partnered with the College of Professional Studies to launch the all-virtual Women’s Leadership Development Series in 2020.
The series kicked off in September with an impressive lineup of panelists who shared the insights, tips and skills that proved crucial to them as leaders in this time of crisis.
ILLUSTRATIONS: VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY/CHRISTINE ALTMAN
Sandra Gomberg ’85 BSN, ’90 MSN, RN
ADJUNCT FACULTY, M. LOUISE FITZPATRICK COLLEGE OF NURSING
“As women leaders, we often don’t even recognize, let alone admit, that our tank got overfull, and we need to take some time. I think the COVID-19 construct and the fact that we collectively in health care have been open about the mental and physical effects on all of us has really helped. As women leaders, we need to help support each other in that recognition.”
Debora Bossemeyer
GLOBAL PROGRAMS VICE PRESIDENT, JHPIEGO, INTERNATIONAL NONPROFIT HEALTH ORGANIZATION
“Communication is the most essential leadership skill you have in a time of crisis. I oversee 40 offices across the globe, and my responsibility is to ensure all our teams are safe while also protecting their livelihoods. As things evolved, we started to see the inequalities of access to communication—working from home, taking care of kids, doing homeschooling—and how we needed to support these different challenges.”
Ericka Plater
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OUR LADY OF MERCY COMMUNITY OUTREACH SERVICES, CHARLESTON, S.C.
“One of the first things I said to my staff when COVID-19 hit was that I don’t have all the answers, that we would make a lot of pivots in the direction we would go in. But trust that the intention was always about doing what was best for the organization, for the staff, and for the community.”
Adela Mendoza
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HISPANIC ALLIANCE OF SOUTH CAROLINA; FOUNDER, STUDENT DREAMERS ALLIANCE
“The conversation that we must have as leaders is, ‘How do we reinvent those systems that didn’t work for people in the first place?’ It’s one of the greatest opportunities but a huge challenge as well. When are we going to start dreaming up the systems that have to be built, so that we are better prepared for the next crisis?”
In keeping with its mission to foster women’s advancement and establish new opportunities for lifelong skills development, the Anne Welsh McNulty Institute will again partner with CPS to launch a new Women’s Leadership Development certificate program in Fall 2021.