ADI Education Program Coordinator Serena Hermitt chosen for Leadership Cumberland program

CARLISLE, Pa.—Serena Hermitt, the education program coordinator for the Antiracist Development Institute at Penn State Dickinson Law, has been selected to participate in Leadership Cumberland (LC), a program that helps community members develop leadership skills.

Hermitt and her cohort of more than 30 other Fellows—emerging leaders of all ages who work in nonprofits, education, and other industries—will participate in a nine-month sequence that includes over 100 hours of positive leadership curriculum and a nonprofit board internship.

Hermitt first became aware of Leadership Cumberland when the nonprofit honored Penn State Dickinson Law Dean and Donald J. Farage Professor of Law Danielle M. Conway during its Leaders at Lunch series, recognizing her efforts in launching the ADI.

“I am grateful and excited to be chosen for this opportunity,” said Hermitt. “Leadership is, at its core, trust, accountability, and collaboration. I have been so fortunate to work under superlative leaders like Dean Conway and ADI Program Manager TaWanda Hunter Stallworth, who embody those attributes of leadership and inspired my desire to hone my own skills in this prestigious program.”

“I am incredibly proud of Serena and her acceptance as a Fellow in the Leadership Cumberland program,” said Hunter Stallworth, a Leadership Harrisburg graduate who serves on its board. “It has been an honor to watch her grow as a leader over the years.”

More than 550 Fellows have graduated from Leadership Cumberland since 1989. To be considered for the program, Hermitt submitted an application in which she answered questions about her definition of leadership, career accomplishments to date, and commitment to diversity. The program begins in September and holds a graduation ceremony in May.

Prior to joining the ADI in fall 2023, Hermitt was a site director for a slate of after-school programs in Philadelphia. The Drexel University graduate previously served an internship in the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Office of Health Equity and worked with Hunter Stallworth at Camp Curtin YMCA.

Hermitt’s ADI role includes helping to coordinate an annual Convening and Mini-Convening and assisting with the production of the 10-volume University of California Press book series Building an Antiracist Law School, Legal Academy, and Legal Profession. She looks forward to bringing her experience working in antiracism to the LC program.

“We already have a lot of connections within Carlisle. As I enter a program encompassing all of Cumberland County, I am hopeful we can further broaden our local outreach,” said Hermitt.

Hunter Stallworth is eager to see how Hermitt will deploy her new knowledge.

“I consider Serena to be an MVP of the ADI team. She embodies the antiracist ethos and love ethic employed by the ADI with consistency and grace,” said Hunter Stallworth. “We are fortunate for her presence with us and excited for this next adventure.”