‘Women as Leaders: Luther Alumnae Perspectives on Talent, Power and Ethics’

Four Luther grads to speak on professional experiences Oct. 26

Four Luther College alumnae will speak on their professional careers and personal experiences as females in the workforce during a panel at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, in the Center for Faith and Life Recital Hall.

A reception will follow the panel in the Center for Faith and Life Qualley Lounge. Both events are open to the public with no charge for admission.

The panel, titled “Women as Leaders: Luther Alumnae Perspectives on Talent, Power and Ethics,” is hosted by Luther’s economics, accounting and management department and is sponsored by the Dahl Endowment and the Kemper Ethics Grant. Panelists are Wendy Davidson, class of 1992; Shannon Duval, class of 1995; Kari Lyle, class of 1994; and Anjela Shutts, class of 1993. They will speak on their experiences in leadership, advancing on the career ladder, ethics in business and finding a work/life balance.

Davidson is the president of U.S. Specialty Channels for Kellogg, a Fortune 500 company. In addition to fostering growth within the company, she spearheaded the launch of the direct-to-consumer e-commerce business model of bearnakedcustom.com, along with IBM Chef Watson®. Prior to joining Kellogg in 2013, she served as the vice president, Consumer Food Manufacturing, U.S. and Latin America for McCormick & Company, Inc., and vice president, Custom Flavor Solutions, Industrial Foods America, for McCormick & Company, Inc. She spent 16 years on the executive team at Tyson Foods, Inc.

Duval is the president and chief development officer for Catholic Health Initiatives Foundation, one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the U.S. Duval spent six years as the president of the Mercy Medical Center Foundation in Des Moines, Iowa. She also was the president of the St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation, part of Unity Point Health System in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. While a student at Luther, she was the Jenson Medal recipient. She garnered the Distinguished Service Award in 2015.

Lyle is the managing director in the chief technology office at Deloitte Tax in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a position she’s held since July 2010. Prior to that, she worked in client service for Deloitte Tax. While at Deloitte Tax, she started a program in Hyderabad, India, that focused on the advancement of women in the company. She has held multiple service positions at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, currently serving as a member of the task force committee.

Since graduating from Drake University Law School in 1996, Shutts has practiced law with Whitfield & Eddy law firm in Des Moines, Iowa. In 2003, she became a partner in the firm. Among her many accomplishments is being honored by Best Lawyers in America and Great Plains Super Lawyers for her work in family law matters. She focuses on domestic relations. She’s certified to mediate family law by the Iowa Supreme Court and is trained to practice collaborative law and divorce. She was awarded the Polk County Bar Association Award in 2017 and was a Jenson Medalist at Luther in 1993.

A national liberal arts college with an enrollment of 2,050, Luther offers an academic curriculum that leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree in more than 60 majors and pre-professional programs. For more information about Luther visit the college’s website: http://www.luther.edu.