President D’Emilio Featured in Authority Magazine on Authentic Woman Leadership

President Deanne H. D’Emilio, JD was featured in an article in Authority Magazine on the power of authentic woman leadership and how it’s shaped her time as president at GMercyU. Over the course of its 76-year history, GMercyU has only been led by women, with President D’Emilio serving as the sixth president.

For President D’Emilio, joining GMercyU was more than just another job, it was a full-circle moment. Early in her career, President D’Emilio worked at two other Mercy Universities, so joining the GMercyU community felt like a calling.

Since becoming GMercyU’s president in 2017, President D’Emilio has been instrumental in leading the University through several periods of change and beautiful transformations. Most recently, she helped secure a $10 million transformational gift from the Maguire Foundation to construct the new Frances M. Maguire Healthcare Innovation Campus, which officially began construction in summer 2024.

President D’Emilio shared with Authority Magazine that confidence, bold decision-making, and risk-taking are three factors that have led to her success thus far. She also expressed that possessing a collaborative spirit and optimism are essential to achieving great things.

“All of the past female leaders at GMercyU have had this in common and I continually prioritize what is best for the university, its staff, and students, even if those necessary decisions are difficult to achieve or convince others of,” President D’Emilio shared with Authority Magazine.

Key qualities in a leader are resiliency and vulnerability, but finding the balance between the two can be difficult. President D’Emilio shared that, “The Sisters of Mercy and the established values of GMercyU have inspired me and countless others to embrace vulnerability as a catalyst for change. It takes resilience to develop meaningful connections, to inspire students, and to be a strong pillar of our community.”

Authority Magazine concluded the article by including five ways authentic woman leadership affects President D’Emilio’s leadership abilities, including embracing empathy, fostering inclusivity, being resilient and confident in oneself, building strong relations with other women leaders, and advocating for others.

Read the full article in Authority Magazine.