Eleven years ago, Boston business leader James Rooney had some advice for the newly installed president of Bentley College: “Make opportunities for students and faculty to get to know you and be inspired by what you bring to the table.

“Be accessible,” he told his friend and former colleague. “Be Gloria.”

Not to worry. Gloria Cordes Larson has been every ounce herself in leading Bentley through some of the institution’s most historic milestones. Her unflagging energy, unquenchable enthusiasm and unabashed pride in the school have drawn people into the university’s orbit and inspired connection on every front.

By any measure, March 28, 2008, was an inflection point for Bentley. As Rob Alan ’91 puts it: “That was the start of the ‘Gloria Effect.’”

On inauguration day, the Falcon community welcomed its first female president. A leader whose warm personality and accessibility would go on to shape the school's culture. A president who would give thousands of hugs over a decade of commencement ceremonies. A woman who would lead with trust and care, strategy and sincerity — and, always, on a first-name basis.

“You don't call her president or Ms. Larson,” says Alan, a Bentley trustee. “You call her Gloria and she insists on that.”

“You don't call her president or Ms. Larson. You call her Gloria and she insists on that.”

Martha Perry ’10 was a first-year student when Gloria arrived. “You’d see her walking her dogs around campus, coming right up to students and introducing herself. She opened her door and really took the time to get to know everyone, to understand what mattered to them and how she could help.”

The mission to connect with students is uniquely Gloria, says Karen Kaplan, chairman and CEO of advertising agency Hill Holliday and a commencement speaker in 2016.

“Not many college presidents take the time to know, respect and champion millennials like she does. When it seemed everyone was down on this generation, it was Gloria who challenged that and said millennials will be the ones to solve global business problems, harness the powers of technology, and be change agents in the world. What she has done during her time at Bentley is preparing them to do just that.”

ALL TOGETHER NOW
At most universities, geologist David Szymanski and economist Aaron Jackson might never have crossed paths. Here, the two professors share allegiance to the cause that Gloria embraced from day one: Prepare students for life and work by integrating the study of business with the arts and sciences. This model of academic fusion found a natural advocate in a president with expertise ranging across law, business and public policy.

Szymanski, who directs the Valente Center for Arts and Sciences, describes one of the center’s signature programs. The Valente Undergraduate Fellows Seminar engages faculty and students with varied interests and expertise to consider a complex topic, such as justice or morality, through the lens of enduring themes in classic literary works. The group’s final meeting takes place over lunch at the President’s House.

“Gloria learns about the students’ passions and shares hers,” says Szymanski. “It’s leadership by modeling values.”

Today, Bentley is one of the few schools to offer a major in Liberal Studies that students can pair with a business major. Some 800 students a year pursue the option, which is among many paths here to join “hard” skills in analysis and strategy with “soft” skills in collaboration and communication.

That winning formula is on full display among students who take on the College Fed Challenge. Jackson serves as a guiding hand to Bentley teams preparing for the annual competition, where students present a monetary policy recommendation before Federal Reserve economist judges. Bentley’s Fed Challenge teams routinely reach the final rounds of regional competition in Boston; their trips to Washington, D.C., include a first-in-the-nation finish in 2010.

Whatever the outcome, teams can count on support from a certain No. 1 fan.

“Gloria’s enthusiasm is second to none,” says Jackson, noting she has rearranged commitments to attend the regional contests. “She gets to know team members personally. She has a vested interest in their success during the competition, but more important, as they move beyond Bentley."

MODEL OF ENGAGEMENT
The president’s calendar is reliably packed with everything from athletic games to academic lectures to Student Government breakfasts to community service projects.

“Gloria is extremely supportive of students and their initiatives, and that is what I love most about her,” says Joe Chiarelli ’18. “You can find her at all times of the day around campus.”

Just ask J. Andrew Shepardson, who joins Gloria at the annual Student Activities fair, which introduces new students to Bentley’s 80-plus student organizations.

“Gloria walks around and talks to everyone, thanking them for what they do and how they contribute to Bentley,” says the vice president for student affairs and dean of students, who is often pressed into service to photograph students with their president. To the many who ask for advice, she is quick with words of support and offers of email introductions to business connections. “She encourages new students to think about all the different things to get involved with at Bentley.”

It is not an idle suggestion. Gloria is fully invested in what the academic world calls “place-based education.” That is, the belief that every activity and experience during college years contributes to students’ development and, ultimately, to their success after college. In 2014, Bentley joined a  handful of schools participating in a landmark study by analytics and consulting company Gallup.

“Gloria said, yes, we can all think that being involved in an organization is good for students, but this is a new era: We need proof points,” Shepardson says of the Gallup survey, which measured workplace engagement and well-being among 3,600 Bentley alumni.

The findings: Activities outside the classroom had a strong correlation with graduates’ success in work and life. The study underscored the strength of the student life experience at Bentley, as alumni scored higher than the national average on workplace engagement and across all categories of well-being.

TAKING THE NATIONAL STAGE
In 2013, Gloria championed another data-driven initiative that looked well beyond campus to ask, “Is the next generation prepared for the workforce?” The Bentley-commissioned Millennial Preparedness Survey drew responses from 3,150 employers, corporate recruiters, students, parents and other stakeholders.

The research, which uncovered a gap between students’ skills and employers’ needs, prompted wide discussion of how to address the mismatch. Follow-up surveys and analyses have kept the conversation going and fueled the creation of Gloria’s book, PreparedU: How Innovative Colleges Drive Student Success.

“When Gloria and I spoke on the air five years ago, I had no idea that first conversation would be the beginning of something much bigger,” says Carol Massar of Bloomberg Radio. “Gloria and Bentley began a national dialogue about preparing college students for the workforce, a conversation that resonated deeply with the public. Why? Because Gloria gets it. Her background as a lawyer and a businessperson has helped  translate real-world issues into academia in new and exciting ways that have strengthened the higher ed–business connection and raised Bentley’s national profile.”

The school’s reputation has flourished under Gloria. Witness the increased number of applications, stronger international presence in more countries, and prominent recognition by national media and rankings organizations. For example, Bloomberg BusinessWeek named Bentley one of the 10 Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the United States, while the Princeton Review placed the university second in the country for career services.

Massar has interviewed thousands of people in her broadcasting career. “Some are very memorable and instantly make an impact. That was the case with Gloria Larson — who is smart, eloquent and so relatable — we instantly respected each another and became close friends,” she says. “I feel lucky to have been part of her journey as Bentley’s president.”

WORKING THE CAREER-FOCUSED ROOM
For Bentley’s Susan Brennan, the “Gloria Effect” is a mix of strategic vision, influence through communication, and mentorship.

“She has elevated the importance of career preparedness from a campus priority to a national movement,” says the associate vice president for university career services. “It all starts with being passionate about students and putting their success at the center of everything we do.”

As always, the work is up close and personal.

“Gloria spends hours walking to each table and talking to employers about their business strategy and hiring needs,” Brennan says of spring and fall Career Fairs. “Her experience in law, business and civic engagement powers a deep understanding of each organization at the highest level — and her ability to connect the dots is extraordinary. She speaks the language of a CEO while personally connecting with every student and recent graduate about their lives and work.”

THE TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE
Gloria had barely unpacked at Bentley when she signed the Presidents’ Climate Commitment. She and fellow academic leaders pledged to reduce the carbon footprint of their respective schools and otherwise promote sustainability on campus.

“She runs our organization with a people, planet, profit mindset,” says Amanda King, director of sustainability and special adviser to the president. In 2009, King and colleagues set to finalizing the university’s Climate Action Plan, working toward greenhouse gas emission targets, and developing a raft of programs and practices around sustainability. By 2015, Bentley had cut its carbon footprint by half.

In 2018, the university set a new bar for sustainable progress. The Bentley Arena, which opened in February, was designed according to the highest possible green-building standards. For example, its roof has 1,400 solar panels, which will cover 40 percent of the building’s electricity needs.

King credits forward thinking leadership for keeping Bentley ahead of the curve on sustainability. “Gloria has always said that our ability to teach — and model — the triple bottom line prepares graduates for careers in new economy jobs, in a changing workforce and world.”

AGENTS OF CHANGE
This from-the-top commitment to social responsibility spurs work at the Bentley Service Learning and Civic Engagement Center (BSLCE). About 1,000 students per year use their business skills to help nonprofits advance their mission in local communities.

“Gloria encourages our students to use their lives powerfully as social change makers,” says BSLCE Director Jonathan White. “Having her as a strong ally has allowed us the space to innovate; the confidence to move toward new visions; and the ability to take risks in making our programs stronger, more valuable and with a higher impact.”

Just two examples: Gloria’s  connection to the Yawkey Foundations yielded a $500,000 gift to the BSLCE. Over the next five years, more than 100 Bentley students will receive a stipend for internships in the nonprofit sector; the grant will also help build programming. White also notes Gloria’s aid in opening a community center — complete with playground — at Waltham’s Prospect Hill housing development.

“She supported us the whole way,” White says of the facility, where BSLCE students run tutoring, mentoring, girls’ empowerment, career readiness and other programs on a daily basis.

OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL
For seasoned women professionals and new “Gloria graduates” alike, female leadership has plenty of models thanks to what is now the Gloria Cordes Larson Center for Women and Business (CWB).

“Gloria envisioned a world where women are represented at every level of the corporate ladder,” says Deborah Pine, who directs the seven-year-old center. “As a female president, she was determined to move quickly in tackling gender inequality in the workplace.”

Gloria found an immediate ally in Christine Manfredi ’73, P ’10.

“For professionals like Gloria and me,” she says, “with our past experiences, we saw the opportunity to help companies develop road maps to create more diverse environments at the most senior levels.”

The president’s long standing ties in the corporate community have been essential across the university and for the CWB in particular. Companies that have helped fund the center’s work include founding partner PwC and Liberty Mutual Insurance, whose $1 million grant established the Women’s Leadership Program in 2017. Corporate partners also bring real-world perspective to the CWB’s student programs, providing insight on diversity issues and best practices.

“Robust programs for current students take us to a new level,” Pine says of the center’s role in preparing a new generation of corporate leaders. A student’s journey from classroom to boardroom can include everything from lessons in unconscious bias and building confidence to mentorship and engaging men as allies. “Gloria is committed to diversity and inclusion, and she models those values for students, and all of us, in leading Bentley.”

The observation rings true for Katie Lampley ’96, the university’s director of diversity and inclusion. She notes Gloria’s signature on the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion, a public pledge by more than 350 business leaders to cultivate workplaces where all ideas are welcomed and employees feel comfortable discussing differences. The president lends her voice at annual gatherings such as the Rainbow Breakfast, sponsored by the LGBTQ community, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Luncheon. Her support extends to new initiatives like Bentley Brave, which fosters learning and dialogue in the campus community.

“When Bentley Brave was still just an idea, Gloria was talking about it at orientation, encouraging first-year students to have open conversations about race, gender, sexual orientation, religion,” says Lampley. “Diversity and inclusion are a core part of her values, informed by her own life experiences.”

“Gloria has made me feel confident that as a woman I can and will succeed in the business world.”

This model of inclusive, values-driven leadership is gaining ground. A recent report by The Commonwealth Institute places Bentley among the top 10 women-led businesses in Massachusetts. That comes as no surprise to Creative Industries major Rachel Salina ’19. “Gloria has made me feel confident that as a woman I can and will succeed in the business world.”

A PASSION RESONATES 
Cynthia Deysher, MSF ’87 was among the first alumni to meet Gloria, in 2006, as a prospect for Bentley’s top job.

“As soon as we went to lunch, I knew she was the one,” says Deysher, a trustee who co-chaired the Presidential Search Committee. “She was a nontraditional candidate, but a leader in Boston with a passion for Bentley’s mission — and she was as excited about coming to Bentley as we were about having her join us.”

The excitement has only spread. The Bentley Alumni Association has ramped up its own role in engaging graduates, including through a reinvigorated Global Alumni Board. Members are diverse in gender, age, ethnicity and geography.

“Gloria has ensured that the board is fully supported by the university,” says Vicki Semanie ’86. “That lets us meet our alumni where they are, and create the best connections and programming for them.

Trustee chair Steve Manfredi ’73, P ’10 has “a renewed optimism about alumni and philanthropic commitment.” He points to gifts like those of Liberty Mutual and the Yawkey Foundations, as well as to increased membership across Bentley’s giving societies such as the President’s Club. Finally, there is the new designation of Great Benefactors: individuals and families who have given $1 million or more to the university in their lifetime.

The support traces a direct line to “Gloria’s personality, her commitment to the institution, her leadership, her enthusiasm and her determination to put Bentley in a more prominent position,” says Manfredi. “These resonate with alumni. They feel like part of a movement and they want to participate.”

Thousands did participate in marking the school’s centennial during 2016-2017. Alumni, parents and friends gathered at events around the country and abroad — many meeting the president at smaller gatherings — and a record 2,000-plus visited campus.

As chair of the centennial celebration, George Fantini ’64 says he got a good look under the Bentley hood, so to speak.

“I’ve always had enormous pride, but I really began to appreciate the extraordinary institution Bentley had become and the love students feel for the school. I give Gloria a great deal of credit for that.”

ONWARD 
The rhythms and rituals of college life always unfurl at breakneck speed between the start of classes in January and commencement in May. This spring, every occasion is bittersweet in being the last for Gloria. Among her many commitments: the Undergraduate Fellows Seminar.

“The seminar topic is Exploring Human Morality,” says Valente Center Director Szymanski. “We’re reading one of Gloria’s favorite books, To Kill a Mockingbird, and she’s scheduled to participate in at least three classes.”

In other words, business as usual.

Read a Presidential Exchange: Gloria sits down with Student Government Association President Mary Ponziani '18.