Montgomery County Community College’s Board of Trustees are sharing their knowledge and experience in their respective fields with students through a newly created Board of Trustees Scholarly Series. 

On February 28, Trustee Varsovia Fernandez was the keynote speaker at the Student Leadership Symposium, which is held to help to students learn more about and develop their leadership skills and style. She addressed approximately 50 attendees, including students, faculty, and staff.

As an executive with nearly 20 years of executive management experience, Fernandez shared her own experiences to inspire those in attendance.  She offered advice to those seeking leadership opportunities and conveyed how such roles have shaped her professional path to success.  

Fernandez has held the positions of senior vice president and Philadelphia market leader for Customers Bank based in Wyomissing, Pa., and as president and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. She is actively involved in the community and has served as chair of the Community College of Philadelphia Board of Trustees, commissioner to the Philadelphia Zoning Code Commission and treasurer to the Pennsylvania Intergovern-mental Cooperative Authority, and is a member of several other advisory boards and commissions.

As a public speaker, she has introduced Secretary of State John Kerry during his presidential campaign in 2008. She also has spoken at the GE Hispanic Forum, 2016 Comcast Diversity Summit, U.S. Hispanic and the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, U.S. SBA, and U.S. Department of Agriculture, among many other organizations and events.

Among Fernandez’s numerous honors, she received awards for the Pennsylvania Hispanic Bar Association Outstanding Community Service, Leadership Philadelphia Connector, Liberty Bell from the City of Philadelphia, United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Executive of the Year and Pennsylvania Latino Influential Mover and Shaker. She is a graduate of Rosemont College.