180 Alumni Attend Posse Leadership Conference

In August, 180 Posse alumni attended the fifth annual National Posse Alumni Leadership Conference in New York City. Sponsored by Deloitte, Goodwin Proctor and The New York Times, the day-long conference included a presentation by Posse President and Founder Deborah Bial, a keynote address by Demos Distinguished Fellow and author Bob Herbert, as well as presentations by more than 30 guest speakers.

The morning session introduced alumni from across the country to leaders in industries including the arts, consulting, education, finance, law, marketing and public health. Participants drew insights from the career paths of professionals such as J. Seldric Blocker, a vice president and campus talent diversity manager for Bank of America, and Monique L. Nelson, a Posse alumna and chairman and CEO of UniWorld Group.

President Bial’s presentation focused on the importance of the Posse model as a tool for ensuring college success and developing a powerful network of leaders in the workforce.

Afternoon panels, workshops and discussions were carefully designed to align with alumni interests.

Sessions included coaching for alumni applying to graduate programs at Posse partner institutions; a roundtable discussion about the consulting field led by Josh Rosenbaum, a principal at Deloitte and a member of the Posse D.C. Leadership Council; and a session on careers that blend education, nonprofit management and entrepreneurship led by Monique Burns Thompson, the president of Teach Plus.

Bob Herbert’s stirring keynote address referenced his forthcoming book, Wounded Colossus, which examines some of the deepest challenges facing the country. He called upon the young leaders in the room to wield their power and influence to find solutions and demand change. 

One such leader, Posse alumna Nadia Marie Sasso, was presented with the 2013 Ainslie Alumni Achievement Award in recognition of her work as co-founder of Yehri Wi Cry, an organization that distributes birthing kits to expectant mothers in Sierra Leone.

Posse is grateful to the executives, facilitators, advisory board and leadership council members, Career Program partners and alumni who made the conference a success.