Wellsville native and Alfred University alumna Danielle Johnson-Kutch ’03, co-founder of Alfred University’s DC Purple City alumni group, addresses students
From Alfred University,
WASHINGTON, D.C. – More than 30 Alfred University students and a group of faculty and staff traveled to the nation’s capital March 19-21 for the third annual DC Purple City Student Leadership Forum. The event, themed “Leading With a Purpose,” was funded by Washington, D.C.-area alumni and featured 19 speakers.
Thirty-one students attended, representing four of the University academic units—College of Business, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering, and School of Art & Design—and including international students from five countries: Ukraine, Bolivia, Ghana, South Africa, and Pakistan.
The event was sponsored by the Division of University Advancement and supported by several alumni donors. It was organized by Diana Maguire, associate professor of management in Alfred University’s College of Business, alumna Danielle Johnson-Kutch ’03 (B.A., political science, minor in sociology), Melissa Van Winkle, director of Alumni and Constituent Development, and Robin Mazejka, associate vice president, Philanthropic Relationships.
Johnson-Kutch, co-founder of the DC Purple City alumni group, is director of Global Government Affairs at DocuSign and is an active member of the Alfred University community. In addition to leading the DC Purple City group, she serves as president of the Alfred University Alumni Council and is a member of the Judson Leadership Center Advisory Board.
The three-day event began Wednesday, March 19, with a reception at the Georgetown home of Tanya and Alejandro Mayorkas, parents of second-year Alfred University student Amelia (Mimi) Mayorkas. Alejandro Mayorkas served as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security under President Joe Biden.
On Thursday, March 20, the full-day Student Leadership Forum was held at the offices of KPMG accounting firm, where Alfred University alumna and Board of Trustees member Patty St. George ’89 is a senior partner. Maguire facilitated an ice-breaking discussion connecting speakers and panelists with students.
Alejandro Mayorkas, who now serves as visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, was Thursday’s keynote speaker. He “shared stories with the students about his cases as a federal prosecutor and challenged the students with cases for ethical decision-making,” Maguire related.
Thursday’s Student Leadership Forum included speaker presentations and panel discussions on topics such as “Transparency in Leadership and Decision Making,” “ Leading in a Time of Disruption,” “Separating Fact From Fiction: How to distill information as you’re making small and big decisions,” “Professional Readiness,” and “Leading With a Purpose.”
There were 16 Alfred University alumni participants, including Board of Trustees members St. George, Russ Cesari ’67, principal and financial consultant for Northwest Financial Advisors; and Bryan Hill ’90, Fairfax County (Virginia) executive.
Other alumni participants included David Bachrach ’94, principal human resources consultant, Innovation Group, LLC; Maribeth Bersani ’76, gerontologist and expert in senior living; Enid Borden ’72, CEO of the National Foundation to End World Hunger; Jared Cooper ’13, director of operations, Levine School of Music; Meghann Galloway ’10, former legislative director, Congresswoman Karen Bass; Tim Hulley ’08, assistant director of research for the American Staffing Association; Johnson-Kutch; David Kaplan ’78, retired chief professional officer for the American Counseling Association; Mark O’Meara ’74, entrepreneur; Amber Schlink, ’15 (MBA ’16), senior accountant at Integra Connect; Riley Strayer ’22, management and program analyst at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; Christie Swarts ’96, facility chief, Center Operations Directorate, NASA Langley Research Center; and Eric Vaughn ’73, executive director, National Structured Settlements Trade Association.
Thursday evening, students engaged with Washington-area Alfred University graduates at the DC Purple City Alumni Networking Event, held at Edgar Bar and Kitchen.
On Friday, March 21, Enid Borden led the group on a tour of the Capital Area Food Bank, then enjoyed a catered lunch provided by Borden. “This tour gave students a real-world perspective on serving others and leading with a purpose,” Maguire noted.
The group departed for Alfred early afternoon and arrived back on campus in the evening. Maguire commented on how the event has evolved since its inception.
“When we developed the DC Purple City Student Leadership Forum in 2023, it was a tremendous success. We wondered if we could recreate the success in subsequent years, but it has grown to be even better each year,” Maguire said. “The alumni amaze me with their support and the students impress me with their professionalism, enthusiasm, and gratitude. Bringing the alumni and students together for this event is a truly rewarding experience.”
