Women In Technology

Become a Transformational Leader
Speakers:	Dr. Betty Siegel President Emeritus and Endowed Chair of the Siegel Institute Kennesaw State University
Date:	Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Time:	7:30am - 9:00am
Location:	Maggiano's Buckhead 3368 Peachtree Rd, Atlanta, GA Map
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Betty Siegel has left an indelible mark on Georgia through her inspired leadership of Kennesaw State University. During her twenty five year tenure, she grew a small college with 4,000 students to the third largest public university in the state attracting over 18,000 students from across the nation and the world. She will share her techniques for inspiring groups to perform well beyond what they may have thought possible in her presentation: Leading Others to Greatness

Description

Named five times by Georgia Trends Magazine as “one of the most influential Georgians" Siegel’s mark on Kennesaw State was recognized by the establishment of the Siegel Institute for Leadership Ethics and Character. She is the longest serving woman president of a public university in the nation, a highly acclaimed leader, speaker, educator, and woman of character. She has been the recipient of numerous local and national awards and honors who will inspire all of us with her insights and wisdom. Come and learn from one of the true masters of inspirational leadership.

Dr. Betty L Siegel
President Emeritus and Endowed Chair of the Siegel Institute

ACHIEVEMENTS AT KENNESAW STATE
Dr. Betty Lentz Siegel, the first woman to head an institution in the 35-unit University System of Georgia, and the longest serving woman president of a public university in the nation, was president of Kennesaw State from 1981 until July of 2006. Under her administration, the university evolved from a four-year college with an enrollment of 4,000 students and 15 baccalaureate-degree programs to its current university status, with enrollment exceeding 18,000 students and 55 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

In 1985 researchers at George Mason University named Kennesaw a “college on the move” and it was spotlighted in the book, Searching for Academic Excellence: Twenty Colleges and Universities on the Move and their Leaders (Spring, 1986). Dr. Siegel was cited for the perspective she has brought to institutional planning, her emphasis on teamwork through the creation of strong administrative teams and group interaction, and the institutional initiatives and high profile activities that brought the college excellent visibility in the local and state communities.

In 1987 the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) selected Kennesaw as one of the top three colleges and universities in its nationwide competition focusing on “The President and the Public.” In 1989 and 1990 Kennesaw State was recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of twelve regional institutions in the South labeled as one of the country’s “up and comers,” and one of two regional institutions in the South designated as a “rising star,” respectively. In 1991 U.S. News and World Report once again cited Kennesaw as a “rising star,” this time naming it number one in the South. Additionally, Kennesaw has been cited for exemplary programs in minority recruitment and retention; leadership programs for faculty, staff, administrators and students; international initiatives; and an array of support programs for inviting success. In the fall of 2003 KSU was named by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities as one of twelve founding institutions included in its program entitled Foundations of Excellence in the First College Year. Additionally in 2003, the university received a million dollar donation to underwrite the work of the RTM Institute for Leadership, Ethics and Character and endow the Betty L. Siegel Endowed Chair of Leadership, Ethics and Character. Most recently KSU was ranked number 1 out of 25 institutions noted for their learning community programs by U.S. News and World Report, and received mention for its first year freshman experience programs.

Dr. Siegel currently holds the Betty L. Siegel Endowed Chair of Leadership, Ethics, and Character at Kennesaw State.

ACADEMIC BACKGROUND
Dr. Siegel’s academic areas of expertise include child psychology and administration. She received her Ph.D. from Florida State University, a M.Ed. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a B.A. in English and History from Wake Forest University, and an Associate of Arts from Cumberland College. She completed two years of post-doctoral study in Clinical Child Psychology at Indiana University. She holds honorary doctorates from Cumberland College in Kentucky, Miami University in Ohio, Eastern Kentucky University, Lynchburg College, Morehead State University, and Southern Connecticut State University.

PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Before coming to Kennesaw State, Dr. Siegel was the first woman academic dean at Western Carolina University in the School of Education and Psychology from 1976 to 1981. From 1971 to 1976 she was the first woman Dean of Academic Affairs for Continuing Education at the University of Florida, where she had been a member of the faculty since 1967. She previously taught at Indiana University and Lenoir-Rhyne College.

Along with colleague Dr. William Purkey, President Siegel is co-founder and co-director of the International Alliance for Invitational Education, a non-profit organization chartered in North Carolina in 1982. Members consist of over 1200 professionals representing twelve countries who seek to apply the concepts of invitational education to their personal and professional lives. In 1999 Dr. Siegel with Dr. Purkey created the Center for Invitational Leadership. This center advances the model of invitational education by offering opportunities for professionals to participate in leadership development programs. Drs. Siegel and Purkey released a new book in 2002 entitled, Becoming an Invitational Leader.

As an internationally- and nationally-known lecturer and motivational speaker on leadership, educational issues, and the concerns of women, she has delivered keynote addresses at hundreds of national, regional and state conferences throughout 50 states, Puerto Rico, and ten foreign countries. Dr. Siegel has also served as a consultant to educational, business, not-for-profit organizations, health services, government and civic groups. In addition, she has lectured at more than 120 colleges and universities around the world.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
As a long time member and former chair of the Board of Directors of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), Dr. Siegel currently serves on the Committee on International Education and the Committee on Professional Development.
She is a member and former director of the American Council on Education (ACE). Having served on the Leadership Commission and the Commission on Government and Public Affairs in prior years, she currently serves on the Commission on Women in Higher Education. In 1989 Dr. Siegel was invited to join the Business-Higher Education Forum, a Washington-based association of business and education leaders, and in 1996 was named to the Executive Committee. Additionally, she is a member of the Board of Directors of American Humanics, Inc., and Golden Key International Honour Society.

Other areas of professional service include the American Institute for Managing Diversity; the National Center for the Study of the Freshman Year Experience; the Southern Institute for Business and Professional Ethics (Governing Board), and membership in the Society of International Business Fellows to promote the internationalization of the curriculum in higher education and the development of business and educational exchange programs.

COMMUNITY SERVICE
Because of her strong leadership among state educators and commitment to community service, Dr. Siegel was appointed to represent Governor Zell Miller at the 1997 Presidents’ Summit on America’s Future held in Philadelphia. Governor Miller also nominated her to represent the State of Georgia on the Southern Growth Policies Board’s 1998 Commission on the Future of the South. Governor Sonny Perdue recently appointed her to serve as member of his Commission for a New Georgia.

President Siegel was the driving force behind the establishment of the Cobb Education Consortium that was developed to form a collaborative organization among the public education institutions in the county, including K-12 and technical schools. She served as a member of the Georgia P-16 Initiative and chaired the sub-committee on post-secondary options. She also initiated the Northwest Crescent Alliance between three private colleges (Shorter College, Berry College and Reinhardt College) and three public institutions (Kennesaw State University, Dalton State College and Floyd College), formed to develop programs of collaboration in economic development, enhancement of the arts, the preservation of Southern/Appalachian culture and history, and the development and promotion of community leadership.
During the 1996 Olympic year, Dr. Siegel chaired the Board of Directors of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce. She was the first woman and the first educator to hold this top leadership position in one of the country’s largest chambers of commerce.

Dr. Siegel has served on five corporate boards, including NSI, Inc., Atlanta Gas Light, Inc., Equifax, Inc., Accordia of the South, and Georgia International Life Insurance. She is currently serving as a founding member of the board of One Georgia Bank, a new banking initiative out of Atlanta. She serves on the following community service boards: Arby ’s Foundation, Inc.; Atlanta Ballet; Boy Scouts of Atlanta; CDC Foundation Advisory Board; Cobb Community Symphony; Georgia Substance Abuse Council; Junior Achievement of Georgia; Georgia Commission on the Holocaust, Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art; Metro-Atlanta Chapter of The American Red Cross, Northside Hospital Foundation; SafeAmerica, Inc. (founding chair); The National Museum of Patriotism, The National Science Center, Possible Woman Foundation, Inc.; US Association of Disabled Athletes; and WellStar Health Foundation. She is also a member of the Atlanta Kiwanis Club (former director), American Cancer Society (Cobb Chapter), Cobb Executive Women (founder), Georgia Executive Women’ s Network, International Women’s Forum, and State Bar of Georgia Foundation of Freedom Commission.

HONORS AND AWARDS
Dr. Siegel is the recipient of numerous honors and awards. Highlights include being named Distinguished Teacher of the Year at the University of Florida in 1969 (her favorite), Cobb County Citizen of the Year (1996), and “1997 Georgia Woman of the Year” (Georgia Commission on Women). In 1998 she received the OAK Award (Outstanding Alumni for Kentucky) from the Kentucky Advocates for Higher Education for achieving “national stature and reputation” in her chosen career. In 1999 she was selected by the Atlanta Business Chronicle for induction into the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame, and later she was selected as one of Atlanta Magazine’s “20 Women Making a Mark on Atlanta.” She has been named repeatedly among the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Cobb County Who’ s Who and Most Influential Atlantans. Georgia Trend magazine has named her nine consecutive times among its listing of the “100 Most Influential Georgians.” In recognition of her contributions to gerontology/geriatrics education, she was chosen as the 2001 Administrative Leadership Award Recipient by the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education. Most recently she was presented with the Women in Business Lifetime Achievement Award, and Business to Business Magazine selected her as one of their “Divas for Life.” In the fall of 2003 she received The Peabody Award from the School of Education at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, the Alumni Association’s highest award that is given to “an outstanding individual who has made an extraordinary impact on the field of education.” She was also named a Distinguished Alumni by Cumberland College and Florida State University. The Leitalift Foundation recognized her support of education for disadvantaged women with the Leita Thompson Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2004 she was presented the Blacks United for Youth of Cobb County, Inc.’s Justice Robert Benham award “for outstanding leadership, service and total commitment for the equality of all citizens.” At the 2005 annual meeting of the NW Georgia YWCA, she was presented the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award. She has also been recognized as one of the 100 most distinguished alumni from Cumberland College in Kentucky, listed among the 50 Most Influential Women in Georgia, and listed by Georgia Trend magazine among its 20th anniversary edition’s “20 Years, 20 Leaders.” In November of 2005 President Siegel received the coveted Howard Washington Thurman Ecumenical award, one of the most prestigious awards of Morehouse College’s Martin Luther King, Jr. International Chapel for her “contributions to humanity in interfaith, interdenominational and interracial spiritual and ethical development.

PERSONAL
Dr. Siegel is married to Dr. Joel H. Siegel, an Associate Magistrate Court Judge for the City of Kennesaw and Professor of English at Piedmont College. They have two sons, both carrying on the collegiate tradition -- David received his doctorate in Higher Education Administration from the University of Michigan, and Michael received his doctorate in Higher Education and Public Policy from Indiana University. Dr. Siegel is the proud grandmother of two boys.