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Laura Wilkinson is no stranger to leadership at Cornell. She is a member of the Cornell University Council, Cornell Law School Advisory Council and Cornell Black Alumni Association. In addition, Wilkinson is a former Chair of the President’s Council of Cornell Women (PCCW), the first African-American to hold this position. Her strong commitment to Cornell organizations has prepared Wilkinson for a seamless transition as one of Cornell’s newest members of the Board of Trustees, a role for which she will serve a four-year term starting in July 2013.
Wilkinson, who originally hails from Brooklyn, was the first in her family to go to college, graduating with a BA. from the University of Pennsylvania where she majored in economics. Her brother, Frank Wilkinson AAP ’84, was a major influence in her decision to attend Cornell for a dual-degree program in the Law School and Johnson Graduate School of Management. She says, “I could not decide what career path to pursue. I wanted a legal education but I wasn't sure that I wanted to practice law, so I got the MBA to fall back on.” While she recalls the JD/MBA program being an intense and academically challenging experience, Wilkinson says, “The difficulty strengthens you, and I found value being immersed in both disciplines.” While at Cornell, she served as the graduate advisor for the undergraduate chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA), which connected her to the Cornell undergraduate experience. Her niece, Blisse Wilkinson CALS ’11, has continued the Cornell tradition and AKA legacy.
One of Wilkinson’s most significant involvements as an alumna was her appointment as Chair of PCCW from 2007-2009. During her tenure, PCCW streamlined committee operations, increased communication with members, and focused on sponsoring more local activities to engage members and other Cornell alumnae. Additionally, the organization developed a long-term plan to extend membership to more outstanding alumnae as well as keep members engaged beyond their term. Under her leadership, PCCW not only attained the $1 million mark for the Affinito-Stewart Endowment Fund, but also launched the PCCW Leadership Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarship assistance to sophomore, junior and senior women who have demonstrated leadership while attending Cornell.
She is optimistic about Cornell’s current state and future. In her role as trustee, some of her priorities will be to increase diversity among the student body and faculty, and strengthen the ties of graduate and professional school alumni so that they feel a strong affiliation to the university beyond their particular program. According to Wilkinson, "Trustees must provide long-term vision and direction, focusing not only on challenges presented by the current global economic environment, but also positioning Cornell for the future with the goal of maintaining our preeminence as an educational institution with a diverse student body, stellar faculty, committed leaders, and active alumni."
[pullQuote position="left"]Trustees must provide long-term vision and direction, focusing not only on challenges presented by the current global economic environment, but also positioning Cornell for the future with the goal of maintaining our preeminence as an educational institution with a diverse student body, stellar faculty, committed leaders, and active alumni.[/pullQuote]
As she reflects on her own experiences, Wilkinson shares advice for current undergraduate students, “choose classes and a major that you like so that you can get the best grades, and the rest will take care of itself.” For alumni, Wilkinson encourages them to “be involved with your alma mater because the education you received is the foundation for your career and profession. It also is the place where you developed important friendships, and engagement with the university as an alumni helps to not only deepen those friendships, but also form additional relationships with people whom you can bond with due to the shared Cornell and Ithaca experience. So, give back to Cornell by volunteering your time and supporting the school with monetary contributions at what ever level you can — I view it as an obligation.”
Wilkinson currently resides in the Washington, DC metro area and is an antitrust partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges where she specializes in mergers and acquisitions. In addition to her Cornell responsibilities, she serves on the board of directors of Alpha Kappa Alpha Educational Advancement Foundation and Legal Momentum – the Women’s Legal Defense and Education Fund.
CBAA congratulates Laura Wilkinson on this significant milestone and wishes her a successful term!
Inspiring story! She was wise to earn a law degree in conjunction with the M.B.A. In retrospect, if I were to do it all over again , I would pursue both degrees for the greater breadth of knowledge that you gain by possessing both .A legal background is invaluable for many of the challenges that you face in the business world and is invaluable in one’s personal life as well. I have met several attorneys who worked initially for law firms and later moved into human resources positions in corporations so possessing both degrees provides flexibility.
Sincerely,
Valerie Gulston
ILR ’74
Columbia M.B.A. 1979