Suzi Nam Named New Executive Director of the Lenfest Scholars Foundation

Press Release (ePRNews.com) - PHILADELPHIA - Apr 12, 2017 - The Lenfest Scholars Foundation announced today that the distinguished educator Suzi Nam will become the Foundation’s next Executive Director on July 1, 2017, succeeding Roger Lehecka, whose leadership has shaped the success of the Lenfest College Scholarship Program for more than 15 years.

Nam currently serves as the Director of College Counseling at Germantown Friends School. From 2006 until 2014, she served as Director of Admissions at Swarthmore College. She earned undergraduate degrees from The County College of Morris and The College of New Jersey, and an MA in the Social Sciences from the University of Chicago. Prior to her work at Swarthmore, she served as an admissions officer at The College of New Jersey. An active supporter of the Lenfest College Scholarship Program, she served on the program’s interview committee from 2008 to 2014.

“I am honored to be entrusted with the opportunity to partner with the Board, Pennsylvania high schools, and the community of current and past Lenfest Scholars to continue the program’s excellence and expand its impact,” said Nam. “The Foundation has held a special place in my heart for so long. I am thrilled to now be a part of the ‘family,’ and look forward to building on all of Roger’s wonderful work.”

Nam brings powerful life experiences to the role of Executive Director. She grew up in a family of limited means and was the first in her family to attend college. She has worked on both sides of the process of highly selective college admissions and understands the needs and interests of families.

“Marguerite and I are delighted that Suzi will build upon Roger’s extraordinary leadership. Suzi knows the students, communities, and colleges extremely well and is a talented leader. She is the right person to lead us forward,” said Gerry Lenfest.

Nam’s recruitment was catalyzed in February 2017, when Lehecka informed the Foundation Board of his decision to step down as executive director. Board Chair Daniel Porterfield, President of Franklin & Marshall College, led the search process.

“The Lenfest Scholars Foundation is profoundly grateful for Roger Lehecka’s leadership over the last 15 years shaping our program and supporting the scholars. He has always shown the greatest respect for the students, families, and communities that we serve. With strategic brilliance and an educator’s soul, he has made the Lenfest College Scholarship Program a national model of excellence,” said Porterfield.

The Lenfest College Scholarship Program began because Gerry and Marguerite Lenfest wanted high achieving students from rural areas of Pennsylvania to receive financial support and advice to attend and thrive at the best colleges in the United States. There are now 262 Lenfest Scholars, with a 98% college graduation rate. In 2015, Mr. and Mrs. Lenfest created the Lenfest Scholars Foundation to house the Scholarship Program and support it in perpetuity.