Meet the Board
Working Together for Inclusivity
The WPAB is a diverse group of volunteers, staff, and students who represent the vast donor population of Penn State. Each member brings a unique perspective to the table, which helps craft a well-rounded strategy for increasing engagement. The Board meets periodically throughout the year to provide best practices, discuss initiatives, consult on events and communications, and keep the message of inclusivity and elevation of women at the forefront of fundraising operations.
Lee Beard, Board Chair
Retired Principal, The Henlee Group LLC
Lee Beard may be a graduate of the University of South Carolina, but she is a Penn Stater at heart. Lee’s involvement with Penn State began in 1993 when she moved to the Hazleton area to serve as President and CEO of First Federal Bank. Both she and her husband, Bill, became avid supporters of Penn State Hazleton, as she volunteered with development efforts, and he volunteered with the campus soft-ball team. Lee was vice-chair of For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students and chair of the campus committees. She also served as chair of the Hazleton campus campaign committee during A Grand Destiny. Currently, Lee serves as a mem-ber of the Campaign Executive Committee for A Greater Penn State and as Chair for the Women’s Philanthropic Advisory Board.
Brenda Walker
Staff | Director, Office of Volunteer Programs
As Penn State’s inaugural director of volunteer programs, Brenda Walker leads an office charged with creating meaningful relationships between fundraising volunteers and the University. This includes the development and oversight of volunteer recruitment, engagement, education, evaluation, retainment, and recognition practices within the Office of University Development. Under Walker’s leadership, the Office of Volunteer Programs received the 2021 CASE V Gold award for Building A Greater Penn State Through Volunteer Engagement. Walker began her tenure at Penn State in 1997 and has served in various roles at the University including associate director of volunteer relations, assistant to the senior vice president of development and alumni relations, and assistant director for constituent relations. Walker received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Lock Haven University.
Rachel Tressler
Staff | Assistant Director, Office of Volunteer Programs
Rachel graduated from Penn State in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management. She began her career with Penn State in 2018 when she joined Penn State’s Division of Development and Alumni Relations as an Alumni Relations and Stewardship Officer. During her time in that role, Rachel led stewardship-related training sessions, played a key role in integrating new systems, and supported the unit-based stewardship coordinator network. Additionally, she spent three years volunteering on the DDAR United Way Committee as the committee co-chair. In her current role as Assistant Director of Volunteer Programs, she assists in the University’s efforts to engage, support, and inspire Penn State’s fundraising volunteers and honor their dedication and contributions to the University.
Sirisha Bendapudi
Of Counsel, DLA Piper
Sirisha joined the PSU family in 2022 when her mother began her tenure as the nineteenth president of Penn State. She lives in State College with her husband and her two year old son, Arjun. She works remotely as a corporate attorney with DLA Piper and focuses her practice on advising private equity funds and public and private companies on complex business transactions, including strategic and leveraged acquisitions and divestitures, mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt financings, recapitalizations and restructurings, and executive compensation and incentive equity matters.
Sirisha holds a J.D. from the University of Virginia (’13) and a B.A. from The Ohio State University (’10). While at Ohio State, Sirisha worked with the Office of the President to pilot the Presidential Host program, which allowed undergraduate students the opportunity to network with donors, alumni and community leaders.
Danielle Conway
Dean & Donald J. Farage Professor of Law, Penn State Dickinson Law
Danielle M. Conway is Dean and Donald J. Farage Professor of Law at Penn State Dickinson Law. A leading expert in procurement law, entrepreneurship, and intellectual property law, Conway joined Dickinson Law after serving for four years as dean of the University of Maine School of Law. Her scholarly agenda and speeches have focused on, among other areas, advocating for public education and for actualizing the rights of marginalized groups, including Indigenous Peoples, minorities, and members of rural communities. Conway is one of five Black women law deans who curated the AALS Law Deans Anti-Racist Clearinghouse Project. She also serves as one of three co-chairs of the newly formed Select Penn State Presidential Commission on Racism, Bias and Community Safety, and as a member of the AccessLex Institute Board of Directors. Conway is a retired lieutenant colonel of the U.S. Army, having served for 27 years.
Britt Daehnke
Associate Director of Development & Alumni Relations at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
Britt Daehnke currently serves as Associate Director of Development & Alumni Relations at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College where she is primarily responsible for raising funds for Behrend students and initiatives. Britt is one of the founders of Behrend’s Women’s Engagement Council that was formally established in 2020 with the purpose of engaging women and advancing programs related to women, Penn State Behrend, and the greater Erie community. Originally from the greater Pittsburgh area, Britt’s entire career has been in higher education after having graduated from Gannon University with both her undergraduate and graduate degrees. She has three children, her eldest is a Penn State student at the University Park campus.
Adidi Etim-Hunting
Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Division of Development & Alumni Relations
Adidi Etim-Hunting serves as the director of diversity, equity and inclusion for Penn State’s Division of Development and Alumni Relations (DDAR). In this role, she works to build a culture of inclusivity that affirms the dignity and contributions of all its members and the alumni, donors and friends that it serves.
Prior to starting with DDAR, Adidi served as assistant program director for second-year scholars with the Millennium Scholars Program. In addition to her professional work, she is a doctoral student in Penn State’s Workforce Education and Development program, with a concentration in diversity, inclusion, access and equity.
Marissa Graby Hoover
Executive Director of Development for Penn State Health and The Penn State College of Medicine
Marissa Hoover is the Executive Director of Development for Penn State Health and The Penn State College of Medicine where she oversees the fundraising efforts for the academic and community hospitals in addition to alumni relations.
Hoover has been a member of the college’s Diversity and Educational Equity Committee, the Development and Alumni Relations Diversity Committee, the Commission for Women, and the Penn State Harrisburg Athletic Integration Committee. She has received the college’s Lion Leader Award for Diversity; and most recently she has received the Penn State Harrisburg Staff Diversity Award.
Marissa holds a doctoral of education degree from Penn State Harrisburg, a Master of Education degree in sport and recreation administration from Temple University; and a bachelor of science degree in elementary education.
Kelly McCready
Assistant Director, Children's Miracle Network Hospitals at Children's National Hospital Foundation
Kelly McCready is a recent graduate from Penn State. She studied Human Development and Family Studies and spent her time devoted to philanthropy at the university. She served as the Executive Director of THON 2019 and the Director of Alumni Engagement for THON 2018. Now, Kelly lives in Washington, D.C. and has worked at Children’s National Hospital since August 2019. She works within the Children’s Miracle Networks Hospitals team and serves as an Assistant Director who partners with community and corporate partners who raise funds for the hospital.
Sean Miller
Senior Director of Development & Alumni Relations, Schreyer Honors College
Sean Miller obtained his BA in Political Science from Penn State in 2005. His current position is with the Division of Development & Alumni Relations for the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State as the Senior Director of Development and Alumni Relations where he is responsible for raising major gifts and supervising a team of four individuals.
Previously, he was the Associate Director of Development for the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and the Development Assistant in the Office of Gift Planning at Penn State.
Sean is currently heavily involved in the community in State College and Penn State. He serves as a board member and undergraduate advisor for the Parmi Nous Society. He is also a member of the board for the State College Jewish Federation, Congregation Brit Shalom and the Pennsylvania Pink Zone. Sean is also involved with the Young Survival Coalition.
Nikki Potoczny
Director of Major Gifts, Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics
Nikki has been with the Nittany Lion Club since in 2002 and has held various positions during her tenure.
In 2016, Nikki was promoted to Director of Major Gifts as a frontline fundraiser to support Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics.
Her previous appointments include Assistant Athletic Director (2015-2016), Director (2013-2015), Associate Director (2011-2013), Assistant Director (2007-11), Development Assistant (2005-07) and Staff Support (2002-05).
Nikki is a State College native and has a BS in Sports Management with minors in Business and Athletic Coaching from Ithaca College. Nikki currently resides in State College with her sons, Grant and Cole.
Haley Rappoldt
Staff | Assistant Director, Annual Giving
A two-time Penn State graduate, Haley Rappoldt ’18, ‘21g started her career upon graduation in 2018 as the Assistant Director of Volunteer Programs within Penn State’s Division of Development and Alumni Relations. In that role, Haley helped lead the development of the Women’s Philanthropic Advisory Board (WPAB), among other volunteer recruitment, engagement, education, and recognition practices. Now, Haley serves as the Assistant Director of Annual Giving, leading University digital fundraising efforts, including GivingTuesday, One Big Week, crowdfunding, and more.
Katie Schumacher-Cawley
Head Women's Volleyball Coach, Penn State University
In February 2018, Katie Schumacher-Cawley, former Head Coach of University of Pennsylvania’s women’s volleyball team, returned to her alma mater to serve as an assistant women’s volleyball coach for the Nittany Lions. A two-time All-American and a member of Penn State’s 1999 National Championship team, Katie returns to State College after serving as a head coach for the last nine seasons at Penn and Illinois-Chicago (UIC). A 2002 graduate of Penn State, Katie helped lead the Nittany Lions to the 1999 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship, the program’s first national title, and three Big Ten Conference crowns during her career. She was a two-time American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American, three-time All-Big Ten selection, and three-time AVCA All-Region selection. Katie ended her career with 1,310 kills, 772 digs, and 299 blocks. She also played basketball for the Lady Lion Basketball team in 2001-02.
Susan Sokolov
Community Volunteer, Philanthropist, and Benefactor
Susan Sokolov graduated with a B.S. from Penn State in 1971 and earned her MEd in 1972. What started as a career in teaching, grew to be a life-long commitment to education. In her community of Youngstown, Ohio, Susan served as President of the area’s only Jewish private school, Akiva Academy, and the region’s Jewish Community Center. She was also on the Board of Directors for Youngstown Hearing and Speech and the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation. Susan has been an active supporter of Penn State through the Alumni Association and Mount Nittany Society. She met her husband, Richard Sokolov, while a student at Penn State, and together they founded the Sokolov-Miller Family Financial and Life Skills Center to provide students with the education and tools they need to succeed post-graduation.
Jennifer Panasiti
Staff | Office Manager, Office of Volunteer Programs
Jennifer is the Office Manager for Volunteer Programs. She serves as Co-chair for the DDAR United Way Committee, is an active member of the DDAR Staff Support Committee, and serves as the Administrative Assistant for Stronger Together: Women and Allies ERG.
Prior to joining PSU, Jenn was the Treatment Coordinator for a local orthodontic practice, where she is still employed in an Administrative Assistant role. She brings over 20 years of professional experience, strong interpersonal skills, and a passion for diversity-focused programs.
Office of Volunteer Programs Staff
These staff members (listed above) work closely with the WPAB to integrate the group into the development operation.