Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart hosted a public forum March 13 encouraging girls to explore high-level business executive roles. Opened to school-aged girls throughout the region, this “Imagine Yourself in the C-Suite” program allowed attendees to engage in dialogue with a leading female professional and one another.

The session featured Claire Pomeroy, MD, MBA, president of the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation. As chief executive officer of the foundation, she is responsible for advancing its mission to improve health by accelerating support for medical research through recognition of research excellence, advocacy and education.

An expert in infectious diseases, Pomeroy is a long-time advocate for patients, especially the underserved and those with HIV/AIDS, and for strengthening public health infrastructure nationally and around the globe. She has a special interest in health care policy, focusing on the importance of the social determinants of health. Pomeroy has published more than 100 articles and book chapters and edited three books. She was inducted into the National Academy of Medicine in 2011.

She serves on the board of trustees for the Morehouse School of Medicine and the board of directors for Women in Academic Medicine and Science (CWAMS).

Pomeroy received bachelor’s and medical degrees from the University of Michigan and completed her residency and fellowship training in internal medicine and infectious diseases at the University of Minnesota. She earned her MBA from the University of Kentucky and is a member of the Gatton Business School’s Hall of Fame.

Tyler Johnson, a 2009 graduate of Woodlands Academy, started the program by interviewing Pomeroy. Those in attendance then had an opportunity to ask questions.

Johnson works within the marketing and events space and has successfully managed marketing and events for companies such as Allstate, Zurich Insurance and LinkedIn. She is a member of the Junior Council Board and was previously on the Executive Board of Chicago Children's Charities.

The March 13 forum was part of Woodlands Academy’s ongoing “Imagine Yourself in the C-Suite” series, in which leading female executives share stories and insights from their professional experiences during presentations to students at the all-girls college-preparatory high school in Lake Forest. Girls from area schools are invited to attend one of the programs each year. These presentations by female CEOs and executives who share their success stories – as well as the failures that helped shape their professional development – are meant to inspire achievement, build confidence and encourage girls to forge pathways to excellence.