Power Women 2024

Leslie Safran joined the Philadelphia Phillies in December 2014 and was promoted to vice president and general counsel in July 2021. In this role, she oversees legal and human resources. Before joining the Phillies, Leslie worked at Gardner Denver, Inc., Sunoco, Inc. and Ballard Spahr LLP. Leslie earned her bachelor’s degree from Franklin and Marshall College, where she played softball and volleyball, and her J.D. and LL.M. from Temple University Beasley School of Law.

Is there anything you are working on that you wish more people knew about?
I serve on the board of Phillies Charities, Inc., the charitable arm of the Philadelphia Phillies, which is doing great work to support outstanding local charities that provide much needed services to our community. In 2023, Phillies Charities awarded more than $2.5 million in grants to charitable organizations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Clearwater, Florida. Thirty-seven local charitable organizations each received a $35,000 grant and will be honored at a 2024 Phillies game.

What advice do you have for the next generation of women leaders?
Be confident. Lack of self-confidence is one of the biggest obstacles holding women back from reaching their potential. Don’t be afraid to take risks, speak your mind and trust your instincts. Be authentic. Stay true to yourself, be transparent and honest in your relationships, and act with integrity. Stop competing with each other and start supporting each other. There are plenty of seats at the table for strong women leaders.

Gwyneth Sanchez is a dedicated marketing coordinator with a keen focus on promoting clinical research excellence at CenExel. With her bachelor’s degree in advertising from Rowan University, she brings a wealth of strategic insight and creative prowess to her role. Beyond her professional commitments, Gwyneth is a passionate content creator. Through her side projects, she channels her creativity into producing engaging and informative content that resonates with diverse audiences.

Is there anything you are working on that you wish more people knew about?
I’d like to emphasize the importance of clinical trials. This is where new treatments, medications, and medical procedures are tested and evaluated. This helps to advance medical knowledge, potentially leading to breakthroughs in healthcare.

What advice do you have for the next generation of women leaders?
Commit to lifelong learning and personal development. Stay curious, be open to new ideas, and seek opportunities for growth. Also, believe in your abilities and have confidence in your decisions. Trust yourself to navigate challenges and make meaningful contributions.

What can Pennsylvania policymakers do to support the interests of women across the commonwealth?
Policymakers should actively promote gender equality and equity. Addressing topics such as pay equity and supporting women’s economic empowerment. I believe we should live in an inclusive society where women have equal rights, opportunities, and representation across all areas of life.

Naiymah Sanchez is a proud Philadelphian and a nationally awarded transgender woman who has contributed to reducing barriers experienced by communities that focus on increasing the quality of life and centering individual needs. From direct resource support to advocating for policy change, Naiymah uplifts the experience of those disproportionately impacted by inequity while overcoming personal challenges that exhibit standards empowering our community to have agency over the work that creates the necessary change we need.

Is there anything you are working on that you wish more people knew about?
I want my neighbors in Philadelphia and the tri-state area to know that everything from demanding equity and justice to building relationships is at the core of my ambitions as a proud Philadelphian to achieve liberation for our diverse communities.

What advice do you have for the next generation of women leaders?
As a mentor once advised me; “Never feel obligated and to lead with your heart.” We will never be able to fix the problems of the world alone, and we aren’t able to contribute at our full capacity if we are burned out. Take time to heal yourself so that you can experience joy doing “the work” and remember it is okay to say “no”.

What can Pennsylvania policymakers do to support the interests of women across the commonwealth?

1. Build competency, and be more inclusive to properly address all the concerns of women in Pennsylvania including those women policymakers. 
2. Ensure access to reproductive health care including abortions. 
3. Support initiatives like the PA Dignity Act ( HB900 ) and Provide relief to folxs pregnant in women’s correctional facilities in Pennsylvania. 
4. Support efforts like the PA Fairness Act (HB300 / SB150) and expand non-discrimination protection. 
5. TRUST US!

Congress Member Scanlon was sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2018 and currently represents Pennsylvania’s 5th congressional district. Her legislative priorities include voting rights, access to justice, supporting economic growth, common sense gun safety, and ending hunger. She previously worked as national pro bono counsel at Ballard Spahr and is a graduate of Colgate University and University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Sabriaya is a Philadelphia-based poet, educator, and community ethnographer determined to cultivate performance art and archival spaces centered around the expressive freedom of Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities locally and internationally with Residency 11:11 in London. Sabriaya is a recipient of the Philadelphia Foundation and Forman Art’s Initiative Art Works grant, the Rosine 2.0 Past Visions/Future Archives micro-grant, and the Black Lives Matter Philly Educator grant.

Is there anything you are working on that you wish more people knew about?
I just completed a community ethnographic exhibition called “Eban Youth,” featuring Philadelphia youth I’ve worked with for the past six years. The Eban Youth exhibition was a part of the Allens Lane Art Center’s Rebeccah Milena Maia Blum Curatorial Fellowship in partnership with the Center for Emerging Visual Artists. The exhibition ran from January 12 – February 12, 2024. To view the projects featured in the exhibition and my other ethnography work, check out: https://sshipley.exposure.co/

What advice do you have for the next generation of women leaders?
To trust their voice and their voice! There will be much treasured collective knowledge you come across as you discover what you want your work to be centered around and the community you want to work or build with. Still, you must always reserve space to listen to what aligns with your story, circumstance, and dreams for your future. Reserving that space will help realign you for the moments you lose your balance.

What can Pennsylvania policymakers do to support the interests of women across the commonwealth?
While I think communication is critical for policymakers who listen to the interest of women across the commonwealth, I believe that it is even more important that the listening turns into action that includes the involvement of women in various intersections and definitions of womanhood. This requires much investment financially and physically in the community and initiatives to support the action steps. Investment that does not equate to filtering the voices representing these interests.

When she was first elected, Senator Tartaglione was just the fifth woman ever elected to the Pennsylvania Senate. Now in her eighth term, she is the first woman ever to be the senate democratic whip and the longest-serving woman in Pennsylvania Senate history and will soon become the longest-serving woman in the history of the Pennsylvania Legislature. Senator Tartaglione is a passionate advocate for women, families, and workers.

Is there anything you are working on that you wish more people knew about?
In Philadelphia, 58% of low-wage earners are women. I have advocated for raising our minimum wage since our Commonwealth last passed an increase in July 2009. Our nearly 18 years of inaction have left women and families behind in a cycle of poverty, which is why I introduced Senate Bill 12, Legislation, to raise our minimum wage and tie future increases to the consumer price index so no worker is left behind.

What advice do you have for the next generation of women leaders?
Never give up. When I was first elected, I was just the fifth woman to serve in the Pennsylvania Senate. Our Commonwealth needs driven and passionate leaders, and if you have a dream or a goal, never give up.

What can Pennsylvania policymakers do to support the interests of women across the commonwealth?
Pennsylvania’s policymakers need to listen to women and elect more women. We don’t need people who haven’t faced and will never face the issues women face to judge us and make decisions for us. Women can and must be trusted to make the best decision possible for themselves, irrespective of what some may think.

Jeane M. Vidoni is president and CEO of Penn Community Bank, the largest mutual bank in eastern Pennsylvania with locations from Philadelphia to the Lehigh Valley. An active leader in the region, she donates her time and talents to several industry groups, including as chair of the Federal Reserve of Philadelphia’s Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council (CDIAC), as well as community-based nonprofits. A graduate of Muhlenberg College, Jeane holds an MBA from Saint Joseph’s University.

Is there anything you are working on that you wish more people knew about?
It’s important to recognize talent. As we go about our business, I take note of people’s skills. What leadership qualities do they demonstrate? What abilities are they utilizing? And then, I let them know that I notice. I remember leaders in my past who noticed and encouraged certain skills – even ones I was not aware of – and then integrated me into their plans, offering me new opportunities. All businesses benefit by encouraging development.

What advice do you have for the next generation of women leaders?
Imagine your path. Visualize your success. Align your actions with that picture and build a diverse team around you.

What can Pennsylvania policymakers do to support the interests of women across the commonwealth?
Focus on the needs of women and families and create family-friendly policies throughout all stages of life. Anything that helps children or our elderly populations benefits women who often are primary caregivers for both children and parents.

Dr. Kerry Walk is the first woman and 15th president to lead University of the Arts, founded in 1876. A longtime champion of the arts and arts education, she was drawn to UArts’ powerful mission – to advance human creativity – and to the institution’s celebration of a wide range of creative expression, from art, film, and design, to dance, theater, music, and writing.

Is there anything you are working on that you wish more people knew about?
Opening up UArts – this is the focus of my presidency. It means connecting our students to the region’s multi-billion-dollar creative economy as well as inviting the community to experience UArts as a dynamic cultural hub. For example, we’re establishing new partnerships with organizations across the city to give our students more professional opportunities, and we’re rolling out two artistic seasons each year featuring performances, exhibitions, screenings, and other events that will be open to the public.

What advice do you have for the next generation of women leaders?
If you aren’t already, become financially fluent. Especially nonprofit leaders, who may not come to the table with a high degree of financial acumen, need to be able to understand and interpret financial data, know how to leverage assets, and make smart business decisions to fulfill the organization’s mission. It’s imperative to engage in financial conversations with confidence, and not be shut out, as has historically been the case for many women in leadership.

What can Pennsylvania policymakers do to support the interests of women across the commonwealth?
Support the arts in K-12! At UArts, we believe creativity is the true catalyst for social and economic change, yet arts education at every educational level is considered a “nice-to-have,” not a “must-have.” Is it a coincidence that study of the arts is female-dominated? I don’t think so. By supporting arts education from the very beginning, policymakers have the chance to dramatically expand the pipeline to a more creative, collaborative, and solution-oriented workforce.

A fundraising executive with a passion for the arts Kimberly “Kim” Watson has held senior leadership roles at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, High Museum of Art in Atlanta, and the Museum of Modern Art. Kim earned a master’s in public administration from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in history from the State University of New York at Binghamton. When not working, Kim is an avid traveler.

Is there anything you are working on that you wish more people knew about?
The best part about my job is that people get to see what I am working on! Currently, my team is focused on building financial support for the exhibition “The Time is Always Now” which will have its U.S. premiere in Philadelphia in November. Now on view at the National Portrait Gallery in London, the exhibition features the work of contemporary Black artists from the U.S. and U.K. influenced by Africa and the African diaspora.

What advice do you have for the next generation of women leaders?
Follow your passion and make that passion your career. You may be surprised at all the ways there are to connect what you love to what you do. Often when people find out that I work in a museum they ask if I am an artist or a curator, but museums offer many career paths that aren’t obvious including: exhibition design, security, press relations, data management, visitor services, research. There is a place for everyone!

What can Pennsylvania policymakers do to support the interests of women across the commonwealth?
I feel very fortunate to be a woman leader in Pennsylvania at this moment. In Philadelphia, we have just welcomed our first woman mayor, the director and CEO of the Philadelphia Museum of Art is a woman, and our executive leadership team at the museum is majority women. I would encourage policymakers to support the arts because through the arts all people, not only women but all genders, can be empowered to find and express their unique voice.

Growing up in the Northeast, Representative Martina White learned early the values that run through the people of our community: hard work, helping others and never giving up. Elected by her neighbors to serve as state representative, she is forging a new path of leadership in Harrisburg – one that focuses on the issues her constituents care about instead of partisan rancor. The result is a bipartisan record of accomplishment for the people of Northeast Philadelphia.

Is there anything you are working on that you wish more people knew about?
I believe strongly in improving education for future generations by giving parents and children more opportunity to choose the ideal educational avenue for their child’s needs. That is why I have been working so hard for educational scholarship programs that make this happen – while still supporting and working to improve traditional public education. When we provide greater access to the right education for each child, we open new pathways to success for them.

What advice do you have for the next generation of women leaders?
Be present, make your voice heard, and don’t give up. Getting positive results and leading requires hard work. Once your idea, your issue, your cause is taken up and results begin to be seen, a foundation has been laid that will result in a continuing cycle of achievement. Like anything that is worth doing, the harder you work the better results you will get – man or woman.

What can Pennsylvania policymakers do to support the interests of women across the commonwealth?
Pennsylvania needs to be a place that embraces opportunity for all – in education, in the workforce, in entrepreneurship. Once that opportunity is there, women will seize it as they always have – and they will lead. Our education system, especially, must be geared toward that opportunity so girls and younger women feel welcome in whatever area of study they are interested in and can see early on that their future is limitless.