Page 23 - BusinessWest February 3, 2021

Forbes DiStefano
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and its focus on education, Business- West talked at length with Forbes DiS- tefano about her new role, her long career in nonprofit management, and how she intends to apply all she has learned to effectively write the next chapter in this agency’s long history.
School of Thought
In many ways, Forbes DiStefano said, her career has come full circle. Well, sort of.
Indeed, she went to Boston Col- lege and then UMass Amherst with the goal of becoming an elementary- school teacher, although she never
really made it into the classroom as an instructor, as we’ll see in a minute.
But she is now leading an agency specializing in early-childhood educa- tion, but not devoted to that exclusive- ly, as it was decades ago.
Flashing back to her college years, or just after she graduated in 1993,
to be more precise, Forbes DiStefano said she encountered a challenging job market and had trouble breaking into the profession locally. She recalled a conversation she had with the superin- tendent in Southwick, who happened to be her high-school principal in West Springfield, about her struggles.
“He told me that it might have been worthwhile for me to do my student teaching here in Western Mass. instead
of in Boston — we hire local.”
After spending some time at home
thinking about what to do with her life and career, she decided to take what she could find, and this was a job at the YWCA of Greater Springfield as a receptionist. She didn’t take it expect- ing to stay more than 23 years, but that’s what happened, because, well, “I found my home ... I found my call- ing,” she explained. “I was just smitten by being surrounded by women and girls whose mission — and passion — was to make life better for women and girls.”
Despite this enthusiasm, boredom quickly settled in. However, she would soon take on a new and rewarding role, somewhat by accident.
“We would get piles of mail every day with grant applications, RFPs, and proposals, and told the executive direc- tor at the time, Mary Reardon Johnson, ‘we should be applying for some of these grants; we’re doing amazing work here,’” Forbes DiStefano recalled. “She sort of flippantly said, ‘I don’t care what you do, just don’t lie too much; prac- tice, do whatever you want to do, stay busy.’”
She did all of that and started responding to grant applications, and in short order, she started to get some approvals. And this eventually led to a role as grants manager, and then as
Forbes DiStefano
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Diversity
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of Salish Kootenai College in Montana; Roslyn Clark Artis, president of Bene- dict College in South Carolina; Karrie Dixon, president of Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina; Alicia Harvey-Smith, president of Pittsburgh Technical College in Pennsylvania; Walter Kimbrough, president of Dil- lard University in Louisiana; Valerie Roberson, president of Roxbury Com- munity College in Massachusetts; Ron Rochon, president of University of Southern Indiana; Ivy Taylor, president of Rust College in Mississippi; Dwaun Warmack, president of Claflin Universi- ty in South Carolina; and David Yarlott Jr., president of Little Big Horn College in Montana.
Four Massachusetts presidents made the cut, two more than any other state.
“AAC&U is proud to recognize and support these exceptional leaders in their efforts to advance equity and quality as hallmarks of a liberal educa- tion across a diverse range of campuses and student populations,” AAC&U President Lynn Pasquerella said.
The AAC&U-Cengage Inclusion Scholarship recognizes higher-educa- tion leaders who support and advance quality, equity, and student success
in undergraduate education. This includes improving degree completion
students).
“We are so excited to be able
to support these amazing higher- ed leaders who are making a real difference by reducing inequities and increasing access to educa- tion,” said Fernando Bleichmar, executive vice president and gen- eral manager for U.S. Higher Edu- cation at Cengage. “At Cengage, we believe learning transforms lives, and the work of these lead- ers is so critical in giving students the opportunity to better their lives and in creating an educated, informed, and just society.”
In recognition of their accom- plishments, the AAC&U-Cengage Inclusion Scholarship recipients will each receive a one-year,
complimentary AAC&U campus membership and a one-year complimentary membership in the AAC&U Presidents’ Trust, a diverse network of CEOs who are committed to advancing the
vision, values, and practices that con- nect liberal education with the needs of an increasingly diverse student body, a global workforce, and thriving com- munities. The trust provides members with access to dedicated resources and events as well as exclusive opportuni- ties to promote their thought leader- ship. u
“
to be able to support these amazing higher- ed leaders who are making a real difference by reducing inequities and increasing access to education. At Cengage, we believe learning transforms lives, and the work of these leaders is so critical in giving students the opportunity to better their lives and in creating an educated, informed, and just society.
We are so excited
Harry Dumay
or transfer for students from under- represented groups; closing equity gaps in student success; improving diversity in hiring practices and creating more equitable hiring policies; and increas- ing the sense of belonging, well-being, and inclusion among students from historically underserved populations (including racial and ethnic minori- ties, religious minorities, and LGBTQIA
”
DIVERSITY
to drive positive change in their communities and the world.
elms.edu/diversity
Elms College’s commitment to a
diverse, equitable, and inclusive
campus community empowers students
Brittany North ‘21
Secondary Ed., Math
Pablo Ortiz ‘20
Psychology
Linda Humphrey Lyimo ’21
CIT and Security
IT TAKES ALL KINDS
Julian Brosi ‘21
History, Ed. Studies
TO CHANGE THE WORLD
EDUCATION
FEBRUARY 3, 2021 23
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