Every world-class athlete deserves a victory lap. So when it comes to prowess on the university president track, there's no doubt that our own President Judith Rodin has the stamina, sprint-power and endurance that permits her to speed ahead toward success after success, vaulting over obstacles and competing across athletic classes.
She is the working definition of the intellectual and executive cross-trainer: she power-brokers with the heaviest of the heavy hitters; she charms big checks from the bank accounts of the most notable philanthropists and corporate leaders; she leads the charge for intellectual excellence, within and without the Ivy-covered walls; she does heavy lifting in multiple public policy venues, bringing to bear the intellectual firepower of a most substantial university community; she stokes up the engines of Penn's economic development, dramatically enhancing the surrounding communities, recognizing that Penn, as the largest nongovernmental employer, can and should use its critical mass to build for the future.
She believes, palpably, in potential realized. She inspires greatness by being great. And as she takes her well-deserved victory lap in her final year as Penn's president, the accolades are tumbling down, like flowers from the stands, as an adoring crowd of supporters tosses them toward their fleet-footed hometown hero on the final sprint toward the finish line.
On Thursday night, Rodin's victory lap took her to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, where those stands were filled with more than 1,400 fans from across the region who participated in the Eastern Technology Council's Enterprise Awards.
Selected for this year's Legend Award, Rodin was feted with an extensive video tribute that included former Mayor and now Governor Ed Rendell; uber-lawyer/Comcast exec David Cohen; entrepreneur attorney and Rodin pal Richard Jaffee; ISTAR star Harvey Rubin; successful Rodin prot‚g‚ and now Franklin & Marshall prez John Fry and Tech Council chairman and venture capitalist Rob McCord... Penn veterans all (full disclosure: the author is the managing director for the life science portfolio at the Tech Council).
In the video tribute, Rendell spoke about his long relationship with Rodin that reaches back to the days they shared on Penn's campus as undergrads (no, they never dated, though they were both in student government). The governor laughingly noted that Rodin was a year behind him, but looks soooo much better and younger than he.
On a more thoughtful note, Rendell talked about how, even back then, it was clear that Judy Rodin had something special... a spark, an ability, an interest... in making things happen, in getting things done. He remarked that during his years as mayor, which coincided with much of her presidency, a lot of good work was done together. He spoke of their similarities, like a commitment to surrounding themselves with good people, a key factor in their respective successes.
One of those good people who worked for Rodin for seven years as executive vice president, John Fry spoke about Rodin effectively using "the force of her personality" to drive Penn to new heights of excellence. Because she believed that it could be done, she was able to inspire others to believe, too. Harvey Rubin, her choice to lead the already successful ISTAR initiative, spoke about "Judy's substantial commitment to [thick] public discourse."
"Pal" Jaffee, also a Rendell classmate and Rodin contemporary, spoke about "Judy's ability to execute." Having recently read the book Execution by Larry Bossidy, Jaffee believes that "Judy is the embodiment of [the premise of] that book." Cohen, who was amusingly described as "a rock star" by Rendell to an appreciative crowd, spoke about how Rodin's work "has forever changed West Philadelphia" and about the enduring legacies of her tenure.
As the video tribute concluded to the resounding applause of the more than 1,400 gathered, and the klieg lights searched the darkened hall for their honoree taking to the stage, Rodin, sparkling in dress and praise reflected, took the podium. She spoke of gratitude, to those gathered and those who have worked with her to make Penn great and the region better. She referenced Ben Franklin, Penn's most historic entrepreneur, and the course-changing role of ENIAC, another major milestone in Penn's noble technological past. And as she left the stage, more than a few Penn loyalists wondered aloud, and to each other: it's hard to imagine Penn without Judy at the fore.
That's the effect that great athletes have... by setting the bar higher, they force the inevitable question: can that record, however superb or beyond current measure, be exceeded? Only time will tell.
In the meanwhile, what can be more heartening, or more fun, than watching a hometown hero running a well-deserved victory lap, and gathering the bouquets of her admirers, family and friends, coaches and competitors?
Donna Gentile O'Donnell is a Nursing Ph.D. candidate from Philadelphia.
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