“I loved my time in Boston,” says Steven Summer, a 1972 graduate of the D’Amore-McKim School of Business, with a smile. “I mean, a lot of things drew me to Northeastern, notwithstanding the proximity and co-op program. At that point, Northeastern was much more focused on our careers and our work.”
Summer, currently the president and CEO of the Healthcare Institute, a nonprofit organization comprised of 40 of America’s leading hospital and health system CEOs, is no stranger to the hospital administration field. He has had an illustrious career, serving as the president and CEO of the West Virginia Hospital Association, and most recently, having the same title at the Colorado Hospital Association, until he retired at the end of 2019.
Summer’s work in health care has not gone unnoticed by his colleagues—this past April, he was awarded the 2024 American Hospital Association Board of Trustees Award for his lifetime of considerable and striking contributions to the AHA and hospital administration in general.
However, given all of Summer’s success, what was the catalyst that sparked his interest in health care? “I came back to Northeastern in the summer of ‘68…I had spent the prior summer working at a state mental hospital in Rhode Island. The head of psychiatry at the Rhode Island Mental Health Center said…” you should look at a career hospital administration. It’s a new emerging profession [because] Medicare and Medicaid were just passed.”
Once back in Boston, Summer immediately began applying for co-op positions in hospitals and landed a prestigious co-op position at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, New Jersey. This co-op position provided him the career direction and aspirations he had been searching for and led—through a mutual family connection—to a co-op position at the Massachusetts Hospital Association, one in which he participated in for three consecutive years until he graduated in 1972.
Summer credits his Northeastern and co-op experiences for his career success—even citing the latter in his acceptance speech for the aforementioned American Hospital Association Board of Trustees Award. “Use that co-op time wisely,” says Summer when speaking in regard to a successful and fulfilling Northeastern experience. “Use it in a way to explore opportunities, and make important connections, because they may prove valuable in the future.”
Follow Steven on LinkedIn here.
Use [the co-op] to explore opportunities, and make important connections, because they may prove valuable in the future.”
Steven Summer, DMSB’73
Meet Meagan Reda, SSH’08! Meagan is one of the top shareholder activism lawyers in the world—learn how her Northeastern internships guided her to career success, her upcoming panel at Harvard, and advice she has for current Northeastern students.
View the transcript here
Meet Steve Stroum, DMSB’73! After a co-op experience that launched his career in sales, Steve started his own business—Venmark International. After helping clients succeed for over four decades, Steve embarked on his latest journey of providing tips for aspiring entrepreneurs in his new memoir “Success and Self-Discovery: A Business Memoir with Insightful Tips and Personal Development Advice that Will Help Any Entrepreneur.”
Purchase Steve’s book on Amazon
View the transcript here
“I know that Northeastern has a quality of learning and care, from [the university and] your professors,” says Careen Turner, CPS’18 of Savannah, Georgia, by way of Owensboro, Kentucky. “You don’t get that everywhere, and they’re going to make sure that you understand the material. It’s going to make a lot of sense, and I know that it’s going to be beneficial in the longrun.”
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in communications studies, Turner moved to Hilton Head, South Carolina to become a coordinator at World Disney World, specializing in guest relations. Eventually joining the Americorps and dipping her toes in the nonprofit industry, she transitioned to a career in higher education—yet, after the pandemic, Turner longed for the inherent human connection and feeling of giving back to the community she garnered while working at Disney. As a result, she pivoted towards a permanent role in the nonprofit sector, eventually climbing the ranks to being named the director of philanthropy for the largest farmers’ market in southern Georgia, the Forsyth Farmers’ Market.
However, prior to her promotion at the Forsyth Farmers’ Market, Turner compounded her experiences and passion for the nonprofit sector by adding a master of science in nonprofit management from Northeastern’s College of Professional Studies to her resume. “The degree itself helped me [get] an overall understanding of how nonprofits work [and] what to expect when going into the field…I think it provided a well-rounded look at the industry.”
With a degree in hand, Turner was ready to tap into the power of the Northeastern global network and utilize their career services to the fullest potential. “I used the Northeastern career center a lot,” she says with emphasis, explaining the process of building a resume, applying for jobs, and taking advantage of networking connections. “Don’t forget about your university career center. They’re here for you, even years after you graduate.”
The future is bright and full of hope for Turner as she helps the Forsyth Farmers’ Market pivot towards a new philanthropic challenge of providing 12 services that support the local community for food access and security. “Philanthropy is multi-facted,” she says with a smile. “We’re looking to provide affordable food opportunities and access to fresh and local produce. Our market really [does that and] supports local producers and growers.”
Turner’s passion for philanthropy and elevating the community is a cornerstone of Northeastern University, and she is an embodiment of that spirit. If you would like to follow in her footsteps, select your favorite fund to donate to on Northeastern’s Giving Day, this coming Thursday, April 11, 2024, to help other Huskies continue to have a transformational Northeastern experience.
Follow the Forysth Farmers’ Market on Instagram @forsythfarmersmarket
Instagram
@forsythfarmersmarket
I know that Northeastern has a quality of learning and care, from [the university and] your professors. You don’t get that everywhere, and they’re going to make sure that you understand the material.”
Careen Turner, CPS’18
Meet Ammy Lowney, SSH’05! A school teacher by day, Ammy moonlights as one of Boston’s most prolific entrepreneurs—the founder of the growing health cafe, JUICYGREENS. Learn more about her favorite Northeastern professors, her plans for expanding JUICYGREENS, and what it feels like to be a Women Who Empower Innovator award winner.
View the transcript here
Instagram
@Juicygreens
Meet David Wyatt, E’88! The president of Wyatt Engineering, David has made a name for himself in his industry through his incredible accomplishments—his most recent being designing the flow meter that helped The Odysseus Lander touch ground on the moon. Learn more about his co-op experience, starting Wyatt Engineering, and being asked to be a part of this mission to the moon.
View the transcript here
Website
https://wyattflow.com/
“[Northeastern] gave us the perspective on why we do what we do,” says Jamie Riesenberg, S’22 as she sits next to her best friend, roommate, and fellow Husky Caroline Zagoren, S’22 in an apartment in Philadelphia and recalls her time at Northeastern. “It’s all worth it because now I’ll be able to do the one thing that I’ve always dreamed of doing.”
Riesenberg, from South Florida, and Zagoren, from the greater Boston area, are no strangers to each other—they have known each other since moving into neighboring dorm rooms in Stetson West during their first year at Northeastern. After spending their first year communicating with each other through knocks on the wall, Riesenberg and Zagoren formed an inseparable bond that would last throughout their undergraduate experience.
Graduating in 2022, they both went their separate ways to further their career aspirations—Zagoren moving to Philadelphia to attend the University of Pennsylvania’s acclaimed veterinarian school, and Riesenberg staying in Boston to work as a dental assistant at Boston Dental.
However, their paths soon crossed again in 2023, with Riesenberg’s acceptance into the University of Pennsylvania’s dental school. “It was never on my radar, and I never thought that I’d get in, but Penn is the only school that has a vet school and dental school on campus,” says Riesenberg. “We definitely didn’t anticipate being here together,” chimes Zagoren. “It was very unexpected, that’s for sure.”
Both Riesenberg and Zagoren credit their respective Northeastern experiences with being the catalyst for not only their aforementioned career aspirations, but for preparing them to take on the challenges of graduate schools. “The co-op program really helped prepare me. Being able to get experience in the real world definitely has its advantages,” says Zagoren as Riesenberg shakes her head in agreement. “The hands-on experience [that the co-op program provided] prepared me so much.”
It’s no secret that Riesenberg and Zagoren both cherished their Northeastern experiences—and they want to be sure that the current generation of Huskies is able to do the same. “Even if you know what you want to do, I think it’s important to experience both sides of the field that you’re interested in,” says Zagoren. “Northeastern does a really great job of providing those opportunities and helping us keep an open mind.”
The co-op program really helped prepare me. Being able to get experience in the real world definitely has its advantages,”
Caroline Zagoren, S’22
Meet Professor Dave Hagen, CJ’80! An associate teaching professor for the College of Professional Studies, Dave wanted to return to give back to the Northeastern community by teaching at his alma mater. His research revolves around what exactly critical thinking is and its different applications in both the world and the classroom. Learn more about his undergraduate experience, what it means to think critically, and the next phase of his research!
“To my students, I always like to talk about how impactful the Northeastern community was for me,” says Marie Ganim, Ph.D.’05. “I hope you’re able to appreciate the program that you’re in and I hope you’re able to appreciate Northeastern professors, because to me, it was very significant and impactful in my life…a lot of [my career] had to do with my Ph.D. [in public affairs] from Northeastern.”
Dr. Ganim, a native of Lincoln, Rhode Island, is no stranger to serving the public sector—her leadership qualities and dedication to public service have landed her positions as Commissioner of the Rhode Island Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner, deputy chief of staff for the Rhode Island Senate President, her current service on an ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and as a college instructor.
While at Northeastern, Dr. Ganim embraced the academic community, specifically through her connections with her professors, one of which being former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis. “These professors were second to none…and some are still friends and individuals that I can call. We share emails when we find things [in our field] that are of interest to each other.”
However, Dr. Ganim’s Northeastern experience didn’t end with her doctorate—she made a transition to the other side of the classroom, teaching one class each year in urban affairs and public policy. “The way I was connected to [teach the class] was from my Ph.D. professors,” says Dr. Ganim. “When they knew that I was retiring from the state government…they reached out and said ‘we have this one class we would like you teach’…and it was perfect.”
Dr. Ganim’s teaching style is reflective of her community-based thinking and emphasis on individualization, as shown through her effort to have one-on-one Zoom calls with her remote-learning students and to get to know them on a personal basis. This philosophy runs parallel with her worldview and the leadership style expressed in her professional career, as proven through her recent appointment to the Board of Directors for PACE-RI, a not-for-profit health plan that offers health services to Rhode Islanders above the age of 55.
A program operating in Rhode Island for just less than two decades, the concept was created in the 1970s in California through the tradition in Asian-American culture of tending to your elders in your home opposed to in an institutional situation. With that in mind, Dr. Ganim is optimistic about her new board membership and the future of PACE-RI. Beaming, she says that …“it feels like a culmination and good use of my years of experience and advocacy [for public health].”
To my students, I always like to talk about how impactful the Northeastern community was for me.”
Marie ganim, Ph.d.’05
Meet Jack Lovett, SSH’19, MPA’20! An office engineer for the City of Newton, Jack loves representing and helping constituents, as well as Northeastern’s young alumni and global community. Learn more from Jack about what your local government can do you for you, what it’s like to be a Young Alumni Advisory Board member, and why it’s important to be involved in your community.
Connect with Jack on LinkedIn
View the transcript here
