Loyola Society Executive Council for Parents Growing Fast, Making a Difference

Parents descended upon Hawk Hill on November 9, but they weren’t on campus for a basketball game or to pick up their children for Thanksgiving break. They were there to be in service of Saint Joseph’s University. They were there to make a difference in the educational experience of their children and their classmates. They were on campus for the fall meeting of the Loyola Society Executive Council.

Now in its eighth year, the Loyola Society Executive Council at Saint Joseph’s University continues to grow in stature and influence. The council’s membership doubled in the past year to 86 couples whose children are enrolled at or are recent graduates of Saint Joseph’s.

Members are dispersed geographically from Florida to Massachusetts, and include University Trustees Joseph J. McLaughlin, Jr. ’81 and his wife Ellen, and John Swanick ’82, M.B.A. ’86 and his wife Mary.

“The Council is important to the continued progress of Saint Joseph’s,” said Betsy Courtney, executive director of parents programs at Saint Joseph’s, and a council member along with her husband Edward. “Its growth and engagement of parent leaders are key to the success of the University.”

Members are generally leaders in their own organizations, active in their children’s secondary schools and committed to the institutions with which their families are affiliated. Joining the Council affords members the opportunity to learn more about the University and engage directly with University leadership.

Membership is an ideal way to stay involved in an offspring’s academic life. Parents impact the student educational experience and help prepare them for success after graduation by providing sound direction and support to the University administration at an advisory level.

Co-chaired by Roberta and Steve Saxon, whose daughter Gabby is a proud member of the Class of 2015, the Loyola Society Executive Council brings together parents with a variety of backgrounds and expertise. Members are employed at such notable companies as Merrill Lynch, Google, Johnson & Johnson and Credit Suisse and work in fields such as real estate, banking, law, insurance, and information technology.

While the council meets three times during the academic year, members need not be in close geographic proximity to Hawk Hill. The Saxons, who joined when their daughter enrolled in 2010, hosted one of nine accepted student receptions this past summer at their home in Bethesda, Md. All told, more than 600 members of the Class of 2016 and their parents were welcomed into the Saint Joseph’s University community at receptions that took place across the northeast and as far west as Chicago.

Once Council parents have become familiar with the University, they are able to pay it forward by helping other parents and students who may be working through some of the same issues they did in the previous years. Following graduation, these same parents have been influential in creating opportunities for students within their businesses.

Serving on the Loyola Society Executive Council puts members in touch with other parent leaders. For someone interested in higher level board involvement, this group offers a great starting point. Current members serve on a number of academic boards at Saint Joseph’s, including the Board of Visitors of the Erivan K. Haub School of Business, Family Business & Entrepreneurship, Academy of Risk Management, Accounting Advisory, Entertainment Marketing, Pharmaceutical Marketing and Managing Human Capital.

If you are interested in joining the Loyola Society Executive Council, contact Parents Programs Director Caroline Sayres at 610-660-3466.