Dodson sets example in shaping tomorrow’s leaders
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Maureen Dodson always wanted to be a sports reporter.
"I love sports. I went out for basketball. I was never big enough to play," Dodson said.
She made her mark as an educator, creating and facilitating customized management and leadership-development programs.
Dodson is the longtime facilitator for the Blair County Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Blair County Program, a position she has held for 17 years.
She was asked by Shari Routch, a member of the LBC steering committee at the time, to succeed Chuck Kormanski as facilitator.
"Watching Maureen interact with the LBC class over the years, she was able to create an atmosphere of openness for class members to explore difficult topics and consider different perspectives," Routch said.
Chamber President/CEO Joe Hurd calls Dodson and her predecessor, Kormanski, exceptional people.
"Maureen is a dynamo. She's an incredibly intelligent person who brings great enthusiasm to what she teaches. ... Her ability to bring new aspects to the overall leadership experience keeps the program fresh and moving forward," Hurd said.
LBC graduates speak highly of her.
Jim Kilmartin, pastor at Center City Church in Altoona and a 2009 graduate, said Dodson lit up the room and is worth her weight in gold.
"She is brilliant, humble and extremely engaging. You can tell that (she) truly cared about her job and each person," Kilmartin said.
Superman Berrow, owner of B4 Club Therapy, a 2022 graduate, calls Dodson a "small woman with a huge impact."
She always had clear directions and carried a timer with her to keep the class flowing and on schedule. "With all of the different dominant personalities, she knew how to handle each of us. She never made us feel intimidated. ... I could not think of a better person to facilitate our class," Berrow said.
Dodson would allow conversations to happen but kept participants on track, said Jared Keller of Keller Engineers, who was part of the class of 2021.
Dodson's experience makes every session interesting and provides invaluable insight into each topic of discussion, Keller said.
When class members got off topic, she could easily get them refocused.
Rebecca Culp of Berry Solutions Group and Ashley Gay Vocco of Family Services Inc. were part of the class of 2020 when, because of COVD-19, the class didn't see Dodson in person until graduation.
"That didn't stop her from wholeheartedly dedicating her time and efforts to ensure that we all had a positive experience," Culp said. "Her belief in the ability of each participant to become leaders in our community is part of what helps the program thrive."
Vocco said, "Even though she was on the screen, we all really feel like we got to know Maureen. The fact that she made it so seamless and engaging ... speaks volumes to her ability to lead, facilitate and be approachable."
Getting a start
After graduating from Seton Hill in 1981, Dodson began her career at Mellon Bank after her sister Kathy, who worked at the bank, told her they had a position available. This eventually led her to training jobs.
In 1985, while working at Mellon Bank, she started working on her master's degree at Carnegie Mellon University, where she met Mildred Myers, who encouraged her to seek her doctorate.
"From her first paper and discussion in my course 'Rhetoric in Social Interaction,' I knew she was Ph.D. material. She is probably the best writer I've ever encountered in a 35-year career of teaching writing courses to graduate students," said Myers, now professor of management communication emerita.
Dodson and her husband, Kirk, moved to the Hollidaysburg area in 1996, and she secured a job at Mercy Hospital, where she worked for 10 months.
She met John Park, who was working in continuing education at Penn State Altoona, when both were judges on a total quality committee for the Blair County Chamber of Commerce.
He connected her with Penn State Altoona, where she secured a job teaching freshman English.
Park moved on to University Park and Dodson had a graduate assistantship with him in Penn State's Management Development & Program Services Division. He encouraged her to seek her doctorate, so she stopped teaching to focus on her degree.
"Maureen is very conscientious and a very hard worker, she is an outstanding teacher. I think she is a great role model for young women as both a mother and adult learner."
Dodson served for 11 years as an assistant professor in Penn State's Management Development Programs and Services division, providing customized leadership and management training programs to organizations throughout the United States.
Park retired from Penn State but went to work for Baker Tilly, and Dodson followed him there. She retired in February 2022.
"I do consulting today with companies I have done training before," Dodson said.
Dodson loves her work in leadership training.
"My parents (John and Martha Owens) never went to college and sacrificed. Dad had two full-time jobs. Their hard work allowed me and my siblings to go to college," Dodson said.
Now semi-retired, Dodson finds time for volunteer work at The Healing Patch, a peer support program designed for children and their families who have suffered the death of a significant person, such as a parent, sibling, grandparent or close family member.
"I never knew it existed. You talk about a humbling experience. … I often need this kind of reality check," Dodson said.
Dodson said some day she will fully retire.
"Eventually, I will want to go south for the winter and golf. We still have family here," Dodson said.
Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.
The Dodson file
Name: Maureen Dodson
Age: 64
Position: Facilitator of Leadership Blair County Program
Education: Graduate of Bethel Park High School, bachelor's in English from Seton Hill University, master's in professional writing from Carnegie Mellon university, doctorate in workforce education from Penn State.
Family: Husband, Kirk; son, Kyle married to Marissa Riggs, son, Casey.