LINC Hosts Successful 3rd Biennial C-Suite Leadership Summit

LINC, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering welcoming and inclusive workplaces and communities, hosted over 150 CEOs and executive leaders at its third biennial Lehigh Valley C-Suite Leadership Summit on Tuesday, Sept. 30, at Lehigh University’s Iacocca Conference Center. During the event, guest speakers shared information and examples of effective strategies that leaders have used to spur employee engagement, foster trust, and cultivate a sense of belonging in the workplace.

“The kind of opportunities LINC provides, for example the biennial C-Suite Summit and CEO Breakfast Forums, are one-of-a-kind chances to connect with peers and to grow as individual professionals. LINC provides unique opportunities that ultimately help strengthen our organizations and community,” said Tony DaRe, CEO of BSI Corporate Benefits.

Opening remarks from the founder and CEO of idealis.advisory and Lehigh University graduate, Dr. Sumona De Graaf, emphasized the importance of balancing both high performance and high humanity in the workplace. De Graaf, who flew in from Amsterdam to keynote the event, cited stats from the U.S. Pulse of the Workforce survey, including that 78% of workers believe companies have a responsibility to make a positive impact on the world, yet only 22% believe business leaders actually do. When referring to Pennsylvania specifically, De Graaf shared that just under 39% of workers trust major companies. The survey is conducted by idealis.advisory with Civic Science.

Dr. Joseph Helble, president of Lehigh University, welcomed attendees, and J.B. Reilly, president of City Center Group, shared remarks throughout the program.

This year’s event featured a panel discussion on pressing workforce issues featuring this year’s Champions: Marci Lesko, CEO of United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley Julien Sauvagnargues, president and CEO of Olympus Corporation of the Americas; and Michael Spigel, president and CEO of Good Shepherd Rehabilitation. Panelists shared how they are strengthening workforce resilience by responding to emerging challenges and trends, offering insights to help leaders navigate uncertainty with clarity and purpose.

During the panel, Spigel reflected on a statistic shared by De Graaf and his approach to leadership.

“The data on trusting strangers doesn’t surprise me,” said Spigel. “You trust people you know, so if I want people to trust me, then they have to know me.”

Following the CEO panel, executives attended workshops and interactive sessions on how AI and automation are reshaping the workforce, as well as ways companies are collaborating to address community issues that impact talent retention and employee engagement. They also explored examples of organizations partnering creatively to expand workforce opportunities and meet their business needs.

LINC President Katelyn Mack asked attendees to consider what bold commitment they could act on in the next 90 days to make the Lehigh Valley workforce and community more resilient. Responses ranged from addressing mental health issues to bolstering child care in the region to fostering greater collaboration.

“Leadership isn’t about what we say, it’s about what we do next,” said Mack. “If you’re not sure what’s next for you, attend our Inclusion Roundtable or our next CEO Breakfast Forum.”

The C-Suite Leadership Summit has evolved from a virtual CEO forum into one of the Lehigh Valley’s premier gatherings for executive leaders. With each summit, LINC has deepened its commitment to equipping leaders with the tools, strategies, and networks needed to drive meaningful change within their organizations and across the community.

2025 C-Suite Leadership Summit sponsors include: