Women in Sports Leadership Panel
Thursday, April 20, 2023
7-8:30 p.m.
Join us as we continue celebrating the outstanding accomplishments of OKS athletics then and now! This year's fifth annual Women in Sports Leadership Panel will include a variety of Oak Knoll alumnae through the decades who have used their athletic experiences to pave the way for careers and life after sport.
This event is for students and parents and is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required.
Moderator
First Panel: Title IX - Our Experiences at OKS and Beyond!
Athletics at OKS:
- Basketball
- Field Hockey
- Softball
Extracurriculars at OKS:
- Member of madrigal (Acapella) and glee clubs
- Student government, serving as student council president her senior year
Athletics in College:
- Intramural field hockey
Athletics after College:
- Serves on the golf advisory committee in Bernards Township, supporting the local golf course, Coakley-Russo
- An avid skier
- Pickle ball player
Bio:
Ana Duarte McCarthy is a seasoned diversity and inclusion practitioner with more than twenty-five years’ experience. She has designed and launched diversity policies, programs, and strategies in the corporate, higher education, and non-profit sectors. She previously served as chief diversity officer of Citi, leading the company’s global diversity and inclusion strategy for hiring and developing diverse talent, fostering an inclusive work environment, and ensuring management accountability. During her tenure at Citi, Ana established a framework of policy and practices that advanced the organization’s recognition as a top company for diversity and inclusion. Most recently she served as Director, Corporate Partners, Forte Foundation, working with more than 60 companies on diversity strategies to increase and advance women into business leadership.
Ana has also held leadership positions in higher education supporting underrepresented communities at Passaic County College, and the New School for Social Research. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from Lafayette College, and a master of education degree in Counseling Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. Education is a passion, leading her to serve as an adjunct faculty member at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, lecturing on Women in the Global Economy, and is currently a featured “Ask the Expert” speaker within three online certificate programs offered through Cornell University.
Ana is a change agent and continues to work with organizations in her community. She serves on the board of directors of the Greater Somerset County YMCA where she chaired the annual campaign and the diversity, equity, and inclusion task force. She was appointed to and also serves as chair of the New Jersey Advisory Commission on the Status of Women. Ana serves on the Bernards Township Golf Advisory Committee, and was member of the former Diversity & Inclusion Committee. She was an active volunteer within the Bernards Township schools, including, among others, serving as class parent, chair of Oak Street School Field Day, as a parent advisor to the former William Annin Middle School Ski Club, and co-chair of Ridge HS’s Balloons in June junior fundraiser, and the Teacher Appreciation luncheons. She also enjoyed being an assistant coach for seven years within the town’s recreation basketball program.
Ana, among other recognition, has been named to Hispanic Business Magazine’s 25 Elite Women, a YWCA of NYC’s Women of Influence, received the Corporate Leader Award from Girls Inc. of NYC, and Out & Equal Workplace Advocates’ Champion Award for her support and advocacy of workplace equality for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. She was a recent recipient of the Greater Somerset County YMCA Board Leadership Award.
Ana is an empty-nester, residing in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, with her husband Michael, and two Labradors, George and Sam.
Athletics at OKS:
- Cross country
- Indoor Track (member of inaugural team!)
- Outdoor track
Extracurriculars at OKS:
- A member of Culture Vultures, a club that took trips into NYC to see shows and visit museums.
- French Club
Bio:
Elizabeth Persichetty Molins '85 has been a stay-at-home mom for the last 22 years, raising three daughters. Before that, she worked at the University of Chicago, Harvard, and Fidelity Investments in finance and budgets. She has a BA from Georgetown University and a MA from the University of Virginia.
"I was a strong student in math and science, and Oak Knoll prepared me well academically. We had a computer center with Radio Shack personal computers and learned basic coding. I enjoyed English classes with Mrs. Marcus and remember going as a class to hear Elie Wiesel speak after reading Night."
Athletics at OKS:
- Soccer
- Basketball
- Lacrosse
- OKS Athlete of the Year 1998-1999
- Independent Press Athlete of the Year 1999
- Brigid Gibbons Award
Extracurriculars at OKS:
- Dr. Yvonne Imbleau Award
- Cum Laude (second induction)
- Vice-President of Student Council / Academic Council President
- Women's Lacrosse Manager (4 years)
- Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority Writers' Roundtable
- National Pan-Hellenic Council - PR Head (1998-1999)
- Citco Fund Services 2003 - 2008 (San Francisco)
- Fund Accountant / Supervisor / Manager
- H Partners Management, LLC 2008 - Present (NYC)
- Controller & Investor Relations
Bio: I met my husband Johan in San Francisco, we were married in 2011 and have 3 children — Connor (9), Grace & Emily (6). We lived in NYC while we had Connor and then had to move when we found out we were expecting twins to Jersey City. We then moved to Summit in 2020.
Athletics at OKS:
- Lacrosse
- Basketball
- Field Hockey
- 101 career goals in lacrosse
- 59 assists in lacrosse
- Two-time First Team NJSIAA
- 1,000 career points in basketball
- Two-time MVP in basketball
- Third-team All-County in basketball
- Team MVP in field hockey
- Outstanding Offensive Player in field hockey
- Oak Knoll's 2023 Gerald P. Butler Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee.
- Student Body President at Oak Knoll (2004-2005)
- Member of Georgetown University Varsity Women's Lacrosse - 2005-2007
-
Georgetown University Women's Lacrosse 2006 Sheehan Stanwick Rookie of the Year Recipient
- Dual Certified as Family and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner - Currently work as Neurosurgical Nurse Practitioner
- Mother to Luke and Ben, wife to Adam, proud driver of a minivan
Athletics
- Member of the Varsity Field Hockey team for four years
- Four-time County champions
- Three-time State champions
- 2017 New Jersey Tournament of Champions
- 2017-18 NHSCA Field Hockey Athlete of the Year
- 2017 NJ.com Player of the Year
- Three-time National All-American 2015-17
- 2017 first team
- 2015-16 second team
- Three-time All State 2015-17
- 2017 first team
- 2015-16 second team
- Member of the Oak knoll Varsity Golf team Freshman year
- Member of the Oak Knoll USA. U-17 National Team
- Princeton Field Hockey Team
- Member of Final Four team 2018
- Member of 2019 National Champions Finalist team
- Ivy League Champions 2019 and 2022
- NFHA Division 1 National Academic Team 2021-22
- 1st Team All-Ivy League 2021
- 2nd Team All-Ivy League 2022
- 2nd Team All-Mid-Atlantic Region 2022
Education
- Princeton University
- Major: Sociology
- Graduating May 2023
- Villanova Summer Business Institute – Summer 2020
- Business Certificate
- Oak Knoll
- Graduated 2018
Work Experience
- American Express, Global Servicing Group Analyst
- Worked within the Strategy and Operations team in the Travel and Lifestyle Group to help improve overall customer experience
- Razorfish, Junior Associate Strategy and Consulting
- Researched and synthesized data for relevancy on various projects
- Women’s Sports Foundation, Advocacy/Research Analyst -
- Researched policies, assisted with the execution of National Girls & Women in Sports Day and monitored relevant topics for upper management
- Oak Knoll Field Hockey, Volunteer Assistant Coach – 2020
Second Panel: Our OKS and College Athletic Experiences
Athletics at OKS:
- Soccer (athlete & captain)
- Basketball (athlete & captain)
- Track and Field (athlete & captain)
- 2018 Kelly Durkin Award winner
- Creator of the LEAD program
- Athletic Council representative
Extracurriculars at OKS:
- Peer Leader Coordinator
- 9th Grade Peer Leader
Athletics and Extracurriculars at Lehigh/College:
- Track & Field - specialized in the pentathlon and heptathlon
- Member of the Lehigh Student Athlete Leadership Series
- Accounting major with minors in Business Information Systems and Religion
- Received highest honors all eight semesters
- Treasurer of Beta Alpha Psi (international honor society for accounting, finance and information systems students)
- Tutored several Lehigh/college aged students as well as high school students
- Internship with Ernst & Young (EY) the summer of 2021
Post Grad
- FSO Assurance Staff at EY where I primarily audit wealth and asset management clients
- Passed all four sections of the CPA exam
- Moved into NYC in the fall and live with college friends who were on the Lehigh soccer
Athletics at OKS:
- Lacrosse
- Soccer
- Basketball
- Lacrosse team captain
- Two time all-state recipient in lacrosse
- Scored over 100 career goals in lacrosse
Extracurriculars at OKS:
- Served as Academic Council Head
- Served as Vice President of the Student Council
Academics and Athletics at Georgetown:
- History Major
- Lacrosse Player
After Georgetown, Kristen spent the next decade working for Credit Suisse, a global investment bank, in Institutional Equity Sales.
After the birth of her third child, she joined Empirical Research partners, a quantitative equity research boutique, where she currently works as a senior salesperson advising institutional equity investors on portfolio construction and investment strategy.
In addition to working in finance, Kristen launched her own business during COVID; KEE Concept and Design, where she designs and hand-makes custom handbags out of luxury interior design fabric. Her first-year of sales surpassed 6 figures and she is now focused on building out her product line.
Athletics at OKS:
- Field Hockey
- Lacrosse
Extracurriculars at OKS:
- Operation Smile
- Tutoring programs
Academics and Athletics at Yale:
- Political Science Major
- Lacrosse
- Field Hockey
Athletics at Villanova Business School:
- Master's in Finance
- Field Hockey
Bio: Following school, Kiwi started her professional career at CIT Bank working in Capital Markets for leveraged lending before moving to Varagon in 2021 where she worked on Underwriting and Portfolio Management in private credit. In a couple of weeks, Kiwi will be starting a new position on the private credit team at Firmament Group.
Athletics at OKS:
- Soccer (captain)
- Winter Track (captain)
- Lacrosse (Captain)
Extracurriculars at OKS:
- Operation Smile Student Volunteer
- Medical Mission, Honduras – 2008
Athletics at Boston College:
- Lacrosse
- Soccer
- Cross Country
- Winter Track
- Lacrosse
Post Grad
- Work Experience
- NBCUniversal, Ad Sales (2012-2013)
- CNN, Ad Sales (2013-2021)
- FOX Corporation, Ad Sales (2021-Present)
- Extracurricular/Other
- Institute for Integrative Nutrition (2020 – Certified Holistic Health Coach)
- Boston College Lacrosse Alumni Board
- Tunnel to Towers Young Professionals Network
- T2T is a non-profit organization that honors the sacrifice of firefighter Stephen Siller who laid down his life to save others on September 11, 2001. The Foundation carries forward a legacy of courage and heroism, supporting our nation’s fallen and catastrophically injured first responders, military heroes, and their families.
- NYC Marathon participant 2022, 2023 (upcoming).
- Hoboken Community Center & Shelter – Volunteer
- FOX ABLE – Board Member
- ERG (Employee Resource Group) at FOX Corp that's committed to breaking the stigma around seen and unseen disabilities, supporting colleagues and those affected by them through education, advocacy, and allyship.