Dara Ware Allen of Leadership Pittsburgh spoke at fall commencement

December 10, 2012

Penn State Greater Allegheny will hosted its fall commencement on Thursday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. in Wunderley Gymnasium. Chancellor Curtiss E. Porter, Ph.D. presided as baccalaureate degree candidates are honored.

Keynote speaker was Dara Ware Allen, the first Chief Operating Officer of Leadership Pittsburgh (LPI). Allen previously served as the Executive Director of YouthWorks and as Director of Penn State?s Educational Opportunity Centers of Southwestern PA. Allen has served on the Pittsburgh Public School Board as the representative of Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl as well as on numerous other local boards and steering committees.

Allen is a graduate of Leadership Development Initiative (Class V) and Leadership Pittsburgh (Class XXVIII). She is also a founding member of the Urban League Young Professionals of Pittsburgh, was named a ?40 Under 40? award winner in 2002, sponsored by Pittsburgh Magazine and Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project, and recently was recognized as one of the New Pittsburgh Couriers? ?Women of Excellence.? A graduate of Pittsburgh Public Schools and Spelman College, Allen also holds a doctoral degree in Workforce Education and Development from Penn State.