Her longtime involvement with the Smeal Alumni Society Board has had a significant impact on her life, influencing who she is today. “If it wasn’t for Smeal and the Alumni Society Board, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Eggers said. “Through the networking opportunities and the friendships I’ve established, the board has really given back to me well more than I could have ever imagined. It has also really kept me connected, especially since I live nearly 1,000 miles away from campus. I still keep in touch with the members who were on the board when I was a student. I feel a very strong attachment to the board, and I very much see the board as my home.”
Eggers is the president and founder of LeaderShift Authentic Insights, Inc., a niche consulting firm specializing in leadership and organization development. A specialist in building and developing high performing teams, Eggers’ career focus has been on executive leadership and organization development.
Eggers has served as an at-large director on the Smeal Alumni Society Board since the spring of 1997, and volunteered with the Smeal Alumni Society Board since she was a student ex-officio member in 1991.
“I have had so many phenomenal experiences with the board, even when I was a student,” Eggers said. “One of the board members helped me to land my first internship and another board member helped me to land my first consulting job. Over the years, members of the board have really served as my ‘personal board of directors’ when I’ve faced critical decision points.”
After graduating from Penn State, Eggers took a few years off from the board, and then returned as a volunteer, actively engaged in expanding the board’s mentoring efforts beyond that of only serving MBA students. “I worked very hard to move the board’s mentoring efforts to include serving undergraduate students, and I am particularly proud that we are now able to help even more students,” said Eggers. Also, she was integral in facilitating the establishment of the vision for the board. “It was a big deal for the board. We moved from a less ‘academic-type’ board, to a more programmatic and hands-on board.”
Now, as the president of the board, Eggers is looking forward to building upon the organization’s mission of enhancing Penn State and Smeal’s value and reputation by cultivating a community of active, engaged alumni; building and maintaining forums for student and alumni interaction; and providing a meaningful connection between the college and alumni. “The board is a significant resource for the college that can be leveraged to provide guest speakers to Smeal faculty, offer insights into corporate America, mentor current students, recruit Smeal talent, and more,” Eggers said.
During her presidency, Eggers is planning to focus her efforts on five primary areas. “In the next two years, we will work together to clarify the board’s purpose and the value we add to the college and the alumni relations program; transition to supporting a new dean; support the rejuvenation of the Hammond Society (a means of keeping tenured board members involved beyond their maximum board terms); increase the effectiveness and productivity of our meetings; and clarify the role and involvement of ex-officio members,” she said.
In addition to her commitment to the future of the board, Eggers recognizes that the board represents the greater Smeal Alumni Society and the need to garner new volunteers to support all of the college’s goals and priorities. She encourages all Smeal alumni to consider getting involved with the college, in a program or initiative that is of interest.
“For every alum not involved in the life of the college, we are losing great ideas and talent and input,” Eggers said. “I encourage all of our alumni to consider getting involved, as we will all get better by the number of people who reconnect with the college and give of their time. Alumni volunteers will find that they will be touched by their involvement in the college, in ways that they cannot even anticipate!”
For more information about how to get involved, please visit the Alumni Relations Web site.
