10-15-2023 Women to Watch - Flipbook - Page 24
Daria Willis
President, Howard Community College
When Daria Willis became president of Howard
Community College in January of last year, she made
history as the first African American to lead the college,
which was founded in 1966.
Willis, 39, began her career as an adjunct faculty member
teaching history at Tallahassee Community College in
Florida. She earned a bachelor’s degree in history education and a master’s degree in history from Florida A&M
University, as well as a Ph.D. in history from Florida State
University.
“I got all three of my degrees in history or some form of
history education, and I can’t think of a better degree or
track of study that would prepare someone for this role,”
she said. “You have to understand context and space and
time, and how people have reacted to change and pressures
and different variances in their environment to understand
how they will react to certain situations, which is the life
of a college president.”
Among her goals as president include building a skilled
trades education center and increasing the number of fulltime enrollments.
“The biggest reward that we can have as an institution is
to make sure that we are truly meeting our students where
they dream,” she said. “We’re realizing that [by] making
sure that they’re completing on time, they’re successful
in their courses, we’re retaining them from semester to
semester and we’re providing all of the holistic and wellness support services they need to be successful.”
— Allana Haynes
LLOYD FOX
Stephanie Linnartz
President and CEO, Under Armour
Soon after she became the first woman to run a major sports apparel and footwear
brand in February, Stephanie Linnartz, 55, hit the ground running. Not surprising,
given she is an avid runner and boasts two decades of corporate leadership experience.
At Under Armour, the former Marriott International president unveiled a growth
strategy and helped launch a U.S. consumer loyalty program, revive the Protect this
House marketing campaign, renew a sponsorship deal with Notre Dame and collaborate with NBA superstar Steph Curry on new basketball shoes. She’s eyeing ways
to connect youth and women to the brand in a more meaningful way.
Linnartz, who grew up the oldest of six in a family in the hotel and restaurant
business in Washington, D.C., first worked jobs cleaning rooms and checking in
guests before becoming known for building Marriott’s Bonvoy loyalty program. Her
mother was her earliest mentor.
“She taught me the importance of empathy and humility,” said Linnartz, a McLean,
Virginia, native who has taken “this people-first approach centered on humility from
my mother and family business with me in my leadership roles.
“I always encourage women to ‘bet on yourself.’ It’s important to be your own
agent of change by taking risks and advocating for yourself.”
— Lorraine Mirabella
24 | 2023 | WOMEN TO WATCH
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