Keynote Speaker

Beth Benatti Kennedy ’88

Beth Benatti Kennedy brings more than twenty years of experience to her role as a leadership and executive coach, resiliency-training expert, and speaker. Her Benatti Resiliency Model® has helped thousands of people develop the resilience to adapt to changing career circumstances, take responsibility for their career and personal growth, and remain productive, engaged, and committed to their organization’s success. Ms. Kennedy has a diverse client list including dozens of individuals, small businesses, and corporations such as Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA, The Gillette Company, Nautilus Biotechnology, and Amtrak.

An expert in resilience training and leadership coaching, Ms. Kennedy guides leaders to develop resilience habits to support peak performance and maximize their professional and personal impact, positively influence the people they work with, and build their brand.

Her training programs focus on giving employees the tools to stay resilient, make sense of organization changes, and manage transition while continuing to be productive and engaged. Current and past clients credit her dynamic training design and facilitation for their documented results and successes.

As a motivator and speaker at conferences, seminars, and symposiums, Ms. Kennedy has presented the Benatti Resiliency Model® across the globe, including at TEDxNortheasternU. Her interactive style coupled with her infectious enthusiasm have engaged audiences and galvanized them to take steps to recharge their careers. In addition, because of her expertise in resilience and burnout, she has been quoted in articles, interviewed on podcasts, and contributed to various publications.

She is the author of “Career ReCharge: Five Strategies to Boost Resilience and Beat Burnout,” which continues her mission of recharging individuals in their careers and lives so they have the energy needed for today’s world. She is also co-author, with Karthik Venkatakrishnan, PhD, FCP, and Songmao (Ben) Zheng, PhD, of the best-selling “ReThink Resilience: 99 Ways to ReCharge Your Career and Life.”

Ms. Kennedy is designated as a qualified board candidate by Corporate Directors International. She serves as a board member of PathWise, a multi-faceted career management company. She is a certified Executive and Leadership Development Coach and holds certifications as a 360Reach Analyst and in the Leadership Circle Profile. Her expertise includes being qualified to administer the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® instrument, TypeCoach resources, and the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument.

She holds a BS from Bethany College, West Virginia, an MS in Human Resource Counseling from Northeastern University,
Boston and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Marriage & Family Therapy from the University of Massachusetts at Boston.

Panelists

Kaitlyn Kelly Black ’12

Kaitlyn Black is an experienced digital marketing leader with over 13 years of expertise in e-commerce strategy, brand management, and performance marketing. She currently serves as Senior Manager of Digital Marketing at TrueCar Marketing Solutions, where she leads innovative marketing strategies that drive growth and enhance visibility for clients in the automotive industry.

Previously, Kaitlyn played pivotal roles at Nogin, Hawke Media, Guitar Center, Tailored Brands, Vans, and rue21. At Nogin, she developed multi-year marketing strategies for enterprise clients, leading to impressive results like a 65% revenue increase with 24% less media spend. At Guitar Center, she spearheaded initiatives that doubled membership for the company’s loyalty program, while at Vans, she successfully managed multi-channel customer acquisition strategies. 

With a passion for leveraging data and creative solutions, Kaitlyn has developed a reputation for delivering measurable results through email marketing, paid media, SEO, and more. She continues to thrive in helping organizations achieve sustained growth through cutting-edge marketing strategies.

Laurie Conway ’09

Laurie is a 2009 graduate of Bethany College where she majored in communications and was a member of Alpha Xi Delta. Laurie currently works as the Marketing Manager for Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, a national law firm with offices in 18 cities in seven states, where she oversees the firm’s marketing efforts including media outreach and advertising placements in all markets.

Her career started at WTRF-TV in Wheeling as a morning news producer in 2010 and she moved up the newsroom ladder and served as the evening anchor for four years before her 2018 departure. Laurie has since worked in communications roles for a global B2B company, a small non-profit, and served as the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce before moving into her current role at Steptoe & Johnson.

Laurie is actively involved in her community, serving as the Vice President of the Board of Directors at the Ohio County Family Resource Network, and on the board of the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley. She has also served on the boards of Wheeling Health Right and Harmony House and has volunteered her time with The American Heart Association, the Augusta Levy Learning Center, and the Marshall County Animal Shelter. Last year, Laurie was named to the West Virginia State Journal’s 40 Under 40 list, which honors young professionals across the state.

Laurie and her fiancé Josh live in Glen Dale with their dogs Wrigley and Rudy.

Janice Masters ’04

Janice Masters is a Bethany College Class of 2004 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in sports management. After graduation, she pursued her master’s degree at West Virginia University as she remained at Bethany College as a graduate assistant in softball and volleyball.

In addition to her studies, Janice was a four-year softball standout at Bethany, earning herself numerous Conference Awards and a trip to the Division III National Championship with her team. She was welcomed into the Bethany College Class of 2020 Hall of Fame and inducted as a part of the 2002 softball team induction in 2019. Janice also played professional softball as a part of the inaugural Professional Fastpitch Xtreme league, started by USA Olympic Gold Medalist, Dot Richardson, in 2006.

After leaving Bethany, Janice moved to Pittsburgh and began playing women’s tackle football, and is a three-time winning national championship member of the Pittsburgh Passion women’s football team where she was a member for 11 years.

Professionally, Janice spent the last 20 years in marketing, working primarily on client services and business development. In 2018, she became a Partner & Director of Client Services at C-leveled, a full-service strategic marketing group in Pittsburgh, eventually selling and exiting the company in 2024 to focus all of her time on the Women’s National Football Conference, where she has held the Office of Commissioner since 2020 & most recently became General Manager of the league in 2025. The WNFC is the most advanced professional women’s football league and strives to accelerate equity for women and girls in sports through the power of football.

Today, she continues to reside in Pittsburgh with her family and spends significant time promoting and participating in community events and hosting both coach and player clinics for adults and young female athletes, to create more opportunities for women in sports.

Bethany Stickradt ’11

Bethany is a partner with Reese Pyle Meyer PLL, a general practice law firm in Newark, Ohio. Her practice areas include elder law, estate planning, and domestic relations. She prides herself as a problem solver for individuals experiencing difficult family or personal situations.

Bethany is a proud graduate of Bethany College, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science in 2011. She also graduated from Cleveland State University College of Law in 2014 with a juris doctor.

As she has progressed in her career, she credits many of her professional successes to networking and relationship building. She holds positions on numerous boards and committees throughout her community, including the Licking County Humane Society, Licking County Aging Partners, and The Works: Ohio Center for History, Art and Technology.

She currently resides in Newark, Ohio, with her husband Tyler (Class of 2015), and their son, Henry.

Panelist Moderator

Evelyn del Cerro ’85

Evelyn del Cerro has worked for ABC Television/Disney since 1988, currently serving as the Director of Program Operations for WABC-TV in New York City, where she oversees several aspects of production for locally-produced programs and the nationally syndicated “LIVE! with Kelly & Ryan”. Previously she was the Production Supervisor and Production Manager for “World News Tonight with Peter Jennings” from 1993-2003 and served as a Production Assistant and Production Coordinator for Fairchild Publications/Capital Cities, ABC, Inc. from 1988-1993.

Graduating from Bethany College in 1985 with a B.A. in Communications/ Broadcast Journalism, del Cerro received a Graduate Certificate in Media Management and a M.A. in Media Studies from The New School University in 2003.

Among several honors, del Cerro has received the DuPont-Columbia University Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism and the George Foster Peabody Award, both for her role as Production Manager of ABC News Coverage of 9/11 and the “Answering Children’s Questions” special with Peter Jennings. Del Cerro has also won three New York Emmy Awards with WABC for the Protect Our Children franchise and two New York Emmy award for the Breast Cancer franchise, both with WABC-TV. She is also an inaugural member of the Bethany College Communications Department’s Wall of Fame.

Evelyn del Cerro was the Keynote Speaker for the Bethany College John Keresty Lectures in Journalism series in 2012, as well as the Keynote Speaker for the Fresh Air Fund’s Friendly Town Conference in 2022. She has also been a guest speaker and panelist for several Communications classes at Bethany College.

Evelyn del Cerro was born and raised in New York City and currently resides in Westchester County, New York. She is an avid golfer and a member of the LPGA Amateur Golf League’s Westchester Chapter. She has also been a member of the New York City Board of Education Mentoring Program in partnership with the Walt Disney Company since 2016 and Zeta Tau Alpha International Fraternity since 1982.

FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2025

4:30 p.m. Shuttle departs from Oglebay to Bethany (optional for alumnae)

5 – 6 p.m. Registration, check in & networking
Commencement Hall

6 p.m. Programming Begins

-Welcome & Networking Icebreaker
-Welcome remarks from event organizers & President Jamie Caridi
-Dinner & Keynote Speaker
-Q&A session

8 p.m. Networking & Dessert Reception
Phillips Hall Lounge

9:05 p.m. Shuttle departs for Oglebay 

SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2025

9:30 a.m. Registration & Welcome Breakfast
Commencement Hall

10:15 a.m. Program Begins

10:30 a.m. Breakout Sessions

Noon: Expert Panel on Networking & Lunch

1:30 p.m. Announcement of the Scarlett Foster Leadership Award Winner

1:45 p.m. Closing Remarks

2:30 – 4:30 p.m.: Alumnae Paint ‘n’ Sip with Professor and Alumni Council member Kevin Clancy ’09
Nutting Cafeteria (back of cafeteria) 

*Bookstore open until 3 p.m.

The $1,000 Scarlett Foster Women & Leadership Award is designed to celebrate and invest in senior female students who’ve demonstrated exceptional leadership during their time at Bethany.

How can you use the award?

-Purchase professional business attire.
-Attend professional development workshops.
-Support an internship opportunity.
-And more!

The recipient will be celebrated at this year’s Women & Leadership Symposium, April 4-5.

Click here to download your application!

Applications are due to omasciantoni@bethanywv.edu by March 7.

Don’t miss this chance to showcase your leadership journey and set yourself up for success. We’re rooting for you!

Bethany College’s Women & Leadership Symposium stands as a powerful catalyst, uniting generations of women to blaze new trails, shatter ceilings, and create a brighter future where leadership knows no bounds. The importance of supporting such an event cannot be overstated. It is a chance to champion the next generation of female leaders, offering them mentorship opportunities that can help them thrive in their personal and professional journeys. By sponsoring the Women & Leadership Symposium, you are ensuring that women have a strong platform from which to rise. Your support not only contributes to personal and professional growth but also fuels the larger mission of achieving gender equality. Join us in making a real, tangible difference in the lives of countless women as they rise to positions of influence and impact.

Make your experience seamless by reserving your stay at Oglebay, where we’ve secured a special room block for our guests for $179/night for both Friday and Saturday. 

To redeem this discount at Oglebay, please call 877.436.1797 and use Booking ID: 52141. The deadline to reserve your space is Wednesday, March 5.  

We also have seven rooms available at Bethany’s Erickson Alumni Center for $45/night, available on a first-come, first-serve basis. For reservations at the Erickson Alumni Center, please reach out to Olivia Masciantoni.  

Book your room now to ensure you have a convenient place to stay during this inspiring weekend of leadership, networking, and professional growth.