Q&A: Lee Spelman Doty, W'76

Penn Alumni President

Some would call it luck: an admissions catalog catches the eye of an aspiring college-bound student, and what might have been four ordinary years turns into a life-defining — and life-fulfilling — experience.

Marriage, family, friends; career, leadership, service; enrichment, celebration, community. For Lee Spelman Doty, all lead back to Penn — and aware of her own good fortune, she’s leaving nothing to chance as she leads Penn Alumni into a new era. Building career resources. Creating new affinity groups. Adding global programs. Tapping into electronic networks. Her goal is clear: to forge new and stronger connections between Penn and its alumni during this singular time of Making History. She’ll be drawing on her experience as an Alumni trustee, Graduate School of Education overseer, School of Medicine Board member, vice chair of the Trustees’ Council of Penn Women, and class gift chair, along with her 30-year career in financial management. Here, Doty talks about her plans.

This is an historic time at Penn, and no doubt an exciting time to be leading Penn Alumni. What thrills you most?
The people, without question. The alumni community is enormous, and I’m seeing the exciting things that Penn people are doing every single day in their communities, in their careers, in the world. Penn alumni are movers and shakers, and I love having the opportunity to meet and interact with so many of them.

Is there anything you might describe as “daunting?”
The opposite side of the coin: there are hundreds of thousands of us, and we span an enormous range of ages, geographies, perspectives, interests. Our strength as a community depends so much on tapping into our great diversity. We must do more, and as exciting as I know it will be, it’s a little daunting as well.

So where do you begin?
We’ve had great success over the years connecting alumni through their class affiliation. Recently we’ve used the same approach when it comes to other affiliations, most notably the Diversity Alliance, which grew tremendously under Trustee and previous Penn Alumni President Paul Williams. We’re going to take that concept and apply it to other natural groupings: sport teams, arts groups, fraternities and sororities, and more.

What led to your own involvement as an alumna?
Penn was just an amazing experience for me, and I felt — and still feel — a tremendous gratitude. And this is a way I can give back. In addition to the great personal satisfaction I feel, I’ve seen how alumni add to Penn’s strength in the huge variety of ways that they’re involved.

Did your experience as a Penn parent (Christopher, C’06) give you a different view of the University?
Well, it’s definitely an eye opener to see Penn through the eyes of your child! Some things stay the same — like their messy rooms — and some things change. The academic and career pressure seems more intense today. And when I attended Penn, diversity meant you didn’t hail from the tri-state region; Chris’ two best friends came from India and Pakistan.

Have you picked up any tips from your son on connecting with young alumni?
Just as kids today are light years ahead of where we were as students, they’re also way ahead as alumni. While we waited for “Class Notes” to come in the Gazette, they operate in real time on sites like Facebook. We have Quakernet, our own alumni online community, and it grows daily. But I know through Chris that we also need to find ways to tap into the informal online communities.

You mentioned Penn’s increasing internationalism. How will Alumni Relations keep up?
By going even more global. If we want Penn to be a lifelong intellectual home for alumni, we need to keep finding new ways to bring Penn to them. It might be online, like the live readings from Kelly Writers House, or by bringing interesting programs on the road, like Engaging Minds.

There’s a lot of energy surrounding the campaign. Does that make your job easier?
Campaigns energize a community, and that’s certainly been true with Making History. The response by not only alumni, but also students, parents, faculty, staff, and a wide range of friends has been phenomenal. So the energy is fabulous and, yes, that will help fuel everything we’re doing. We’re doing a lot, and we’re creating metrics to measure how much we’re succeeding with these new ways to connect and reconnect with people.

There was an example of a program that answered a special need this September.
When the credit crisis hit we got out there in New York with career support workshops and one-on-one counseling for our alumni in financial services. Then October’s Red and Blue Online also had career networking resources. It was responsive, it was timely, and it used the power of the Penn community.

What about the financial side of the Campaign?
My husband (George E. Doty, Jr., W’76) and I have headed our class’s Gift Committee for the last three or four reunions, so when I say that every gift counts, I mean it. EVERY. GIFT. COUNTS. Participation really does matter. Alumni need to know that each contribution makes a huge difference. We’re all tremendously proud to be associated with Penn right now, and it’s our turn to build for those who follow.

What is your favorite thing about being such a Penn person?
Well, I do have a fondness for red and blue. My husband would probably tell you I overdo those colors in my wardrobe, but it’s just good taste. After all, I could have gone to a school that had, say, orange and black.... But seriously, one of my favorite things is being back on campus. The
activity at Penn makes me feel like I’m a student again. I just love the energy.

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