2008 Conference Recap

This page provides a recap of the 2008 Powerful Women Paving the Way Conference at Penn State's Smeal College of Business

2008 Conference Recap

2008 Keynote Speakers

Michelle Austin, ’89

Austin is founder and owner of Fluidity Fitness. She has been quoted in leading fitness and fashion magazines as well as medical journals including Elle, Fit, Fitness, Marie Claire, Muscle and Fitness, Self, and the Food and Fitness Advisor of the Weil Medical College of Cornell University. She is certified by the American Council on Exercise. Austin has been interviewed by Donny Deutsche on the "Big Idea." A trained dancer, certified fitness instructor and former VH1 VJ, Austin has been in the fitness industry for over 20 years.

Anne Weisberg

Weisberg is the director in the Deloitte U.S. Firm’s Talent Organization and is involved in the design and implementation of the national strategy for the retention and advancement of women. She is a specialist in the field of diversity, gender and work/life integration, and most recently is the co-author, with Cathy Benko, of Mass Career Customization: Aligning the Workplace with Today’s Nontraditional Workforce (HBS Press, 2007). She is on the Board of Directors of the Forte Foundation and an active member of the Committee to Enhance Diversity of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York.

Barbara Korner

Korner is the dean of the College of Arts and Architecture at Penn State and oversees seven academic units plus the Center for the Performing Arts, Palmer Museum of Art, and Pennsylvania Centre Stage. She served as associate dean for academic and student affairs in the College of Fine Arts at the University of Florida. She has additional academic administrative experience as the dean of fine and performing arts at Seattle Pacific University and special assistant to the chancellor at the University of Missouri at Columbia, in addition to positions at Ohio University. She is the co-director of the Leadership Institute of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education and was elected to the Board of Directors for the International Council of Fine Arts Deans.

Joan Amble, ’75

Amble is executive vice president and corporate comptroller for American Express Company, where she is responsible for all controllership finance functions across three major divisions. She has also worked as chief operation officer and financial officer for Capital Markets, a service business within GE Capital Services, Inc. She has worked for General Electric and Ernst & Young.

"Harnessing the Power of the Changing Workforce: Are We Ready," is the title of Amble's presentation.

Sue Paterno, ’62

Paterno is a member of the Penn State Libraries Development Advisory Board and is co-chair of the Libraries for the Future Campaign Committee. Since 1991, she has been a member of the Pennsylvania Special Olympics where she chairs the outreach committee. She was also honorary chair of the United Way and served as co-chair for its “Day of Caring.” In 1996, she was honored as the Renaissance Woman of the Year. She is the lead benefactor for the Frank and Sylvia Pasquerilla Spiritual Center. Along with her husband, she served as co-chair of the Campaign for the Library, raising over $14 million for the renovation of Pattee Library and the construction of the Paterno Library.