Gwynedd Mercy University celebrates history of 75 years of female leadership

GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Celebrating 75 years of collegiate excellence, Gwynedd Mercy University has been led by visionary women since its inception in 1948.

We sat down with the President of Gwynedd Mercy University, Deanne D'Emilio, to discuss the institution's rich history of female leadership.

"It's an honor for me to be in this role and I feel every day the inspiration of the women," said D'Emilio.

Seven years ago, D'Emilio was chosen as the sixth woman to lead the small, private Catholic university in Montgomery County, which was founded by the Sisters of Mercy.

"They were always looking to educate women, especially so that they could have a profession and provide for themselves," said D'Emilio.

Like her predecessors, D'Emilio has proven to be a changemaker in her own rite but her path wasn't always clear.

As a wife and mother of two who initially went to law school, D'Emilio says she made the tough decision many women still make today. She gave up her career as a lawyer to stay home with her children. When it was time to return to work, she took on teaching instead.

"You never know what opportunities are going to present themselves to you and you might have never dreamed of that opportunity. What's important are the skills that you learned along the way because I didn't train to be a university president, but here I am," she said.

She persisted and now Gwynedd Mercy is growing! D'Emilio was named the 2022 Woman of Distinction by the Philadelphia Business Journal after tripling the sale of the University's East campus and securing a $10 million gift to build a new medical center.

"The new Frances M. Maguire Healthcare Innovation Center - when it is completed, it will be our largest academic building at around 63,000 square feet," said D'Emilio.

The university breaks ground on the new building in a few weeks.

It marks yet another milestone on this 75-year journey to educating young people and continuing to empower women.

For more information on Gwynedd Mercy University, visit: https://www.gmercyu.edu/