EXAMINING THE VALUE OF
lEaDERSHIP
A. Reed Raymond ’74 Invites Moravian Students to the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia By Tommy Kopetskie
A. Reed Raymond ’74, a member of the Moravian College’s Joint Board of Trustees, invited more than a dozen undergraduates to the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia last fall. Raymond led the students in a discussion about the importance of leadership and issues relating to diversity and inclusion. Coincidentally, the students also attended a panel discussion by two Tuskegee Airmen in recognition of Veterans Day. The Reserve Bank hosted the talk, highlighting a group of veterans who displayed tremendous leadership while serving our country. Considering that the Moravian College students shared the same four walls as nearly $7 billion in U.S. currency, the topic of conversation during their November 2013 trip to the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia wasn’t what one might think. At the invitation of A. Reed Raymond ’74, more than a dozen
level differences and explore new possibilities together.” Another said, “Good leaders find a way to motivate people to action. Great leaders inspire people to take action on their own.” The students were then instructed to share a story, anecdote or situation that they thought illustrated their sentence’s meaning.
Moravian undergraduates traveled to Philadelphia — nearly with-
This transitioned into a conversation noting the strengths and
in earshot of the Liberty Bell — to investigate not the economy or
characteristics of several noted leaders, including Martin Luther
banking regulations, but rather the importance of leadership and
King Jr., Steve Jobs and Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, a world-
issues relating to diversity and inclusion.
renowned brain surgeon at Johns Hopkins University.
“These are topics that are very important to us here at the
Kush Solanki ’14 introduced the surgeon, explaining that
Federal Reserve Bank, and I’m sure very important to you at
Quinones-Hinojosa immigrated to the U.S. illegally. “He was
Moravian,” said Raymond, vice president and chief administrative
given nothing and now he’s one of the world’s most well-known
officer of the Reserve’s Department of Supervision Regulation and
brain surgeons,” Solanki said. “He inspires people to make some-
Credit. “So, today, we are not talking about money, but leader-
thing of their lives.”
ship. And this is to be interactive, so we want to hear from you.”
leadership & Diversity are lifelong Efforts Inside one of the Reserve’s meeting rooms — a short elevator
While Raymond served as the quintessential host, Moravian’s Philadelphia trip was the brainchild of Christopher Hunt, repli-
ride from the building’s very secure vault — Raymond, a member
cating leadership workshops he participated in as an undergradu-
of the College’s Joint Board of Trustees, was flanked by nearly
ate at West Chester University.
half a dozen of the bank’s top associates. These experienced
Hunt, now associate dean of students and director of intercul-
professionals were well versed in banking, human resources and
tural advancement and inclusion at Moravian, visited presidents
inclusion.
at Cornell University, Villanova University and SUNY Bingham-
After general introductions, students broke into groups for a discussion of leadership led by Stephen G. Hart, assistant vice
ton as part of West Chester’s “Leadership on the Road” series. “As a student, I had a great opportunity to interview these
president of organizational learning and development. Hart,
presidents, getting to know them on a personal and professional
armed with four flipboards, challenged the student groups to
level, and seeing how they got to where they were in life,” Hunt
complete sentences involving key words addressing diversity,
explained. “It was that concept that I wanted to bring to our
inclusion and leadership.
students at Moravian.”
“I can tell you that leadership and the practice of diversity in-
The trip to the Federal Reserve Bank was one of two such
clusion is a lifelong effort,” Hart said. “You really never get where
experiences the College initiated last fall, and Hunt envisions
you want to be, but you have to start. Your journey to becoming
continuing the visitations with prominent leaders in the Lehigh
a great leader starts now.”
Valley area. (Moravian students also visited with Javier F. Ceval-
After the exercise, one flipboard read, “The true power of diversity and inclusion comes when people can look beyond surface
10
Expanding on a Good Idea
MORAVIAN COLLEGE MAGAZINE
los, the former president of Kutztown University.) Hunt credits Raymond for enthusiastically embracing the SUMMER 2014