AARP Foundation President to visit Delaware

Join AARP for the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce Leadership Series featuring Lisa Marsh Ryerson.

Lisa Marsh Ryerson, President of AARP Foundation and a member of the Executive Leadership Team at AARP, will be keynote speaker at the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce Leadership Series breakfast on April 23, 2015. Ms. Ryerson will speak about her journey as a leader, give an overview of the AARP Foundation mission and goals and have opportunities to connect with leaders in the First State.

Ms. Ryerson sets the strategic direction of AARP Foundation. As AARP’s charitable affiliate, AARP Foundation helps millions of struggling older adults win back opportunity by focusing on the critical interrelated areas of hunger, income, housing and isolation. A proven leader, fundraiser and driver of economic development, Ms. Ryerson has continued to grow the Foundation's work and maximize its impact across the nation. AARP Delaware has made great strides in the areas of hunger, better transportation to combat senior isolation, hunger, and affordable housing options for those on fixed and limited incomes to ensure a high quality of life after age 50.

Prior to joining AARP Foundation in late 2013, Ms. Ryerson served eighteen years as president and CEO of Wells College in Aurora, New York. She elevated the college’s standing as a leader in providing an excellent liberal arts education, increased enrollment by 45 percent, fueled the economic revitalization of the community, and completed the largest and most successful fundraising effort in the college’s history.

She led initiatives that resulted in substantial improvements to the Wells campus; the revitalization of commercial properties in the village of Aurora; a successful transition to coeducation after more than a century as a women’s college; the launch of an endowed Center for Business and Entrepreneurship; and expanded programs and opportunities for students. Under her leadership, the college increased enrollment and enjoyed consistently high national rankings.

Ms. Ryerson’s philanthropic and volunteer roles span national, regional and local organizations. Her affiliations include serving as board member for L.A. Kitchen and the Congressional Hunger Center. She has also served on the Council of Independent Colleges; the Middle States Commission on Higher Education; and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, for whom she chaired the accountability committee. In addition, she served on the NCAA Division III President’s Council, as chair of the North Eastern Athletic Conference President’s Council, and as board chair for the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities of New York State.

Her achievements have earned her numerous awards, including recognition by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, Girls Inc. of Central New York, the Public Relations Society of America, and the New York State Senate. In 2013, Ms. Marsh Ryerson was named president emerita by the Wells College Board of Trustees.

Ms. Ryerson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wells College and a Master of Science degree from the State University of New York College at Cortland. She received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the State University of New York for having “met and exceeded each of John Quincy Adams’ standards for leadership.”

Join us!

Date:                    Thursday, April 23, 2015

Time:                   7:30 – 9:15 am

Location:           University & Whist Club 
                               805 North Broom Street 
                               Wilmington, DE 19806

Register:          Delaware State Chamber of Commerce 

                             Members pay $25, future members pay $35. Breakfast is included.