Description

LeadHER Speaker Series
The Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce is proud to support women in business by bringing talented speakers to the Aurora area through our leadership development series. 

This Month:
Leading with Authenticity: How Our Stories Create Value-Centered Leadership, presented by Dr. Susana Rivera-Mills
Our personal stories can be transformative in shaping value-centered leadership. Through shared experiences and common values, organizational cultures are shaped. Leaders set the tone in any organization, and understanding the importance of authenticity can shape a community, strengthen connections, and inspire those around us. The result is a more engaged and committed community with a shared vision. As leaders embrace their unique stories, leverage their experiences, and lead with transparency, they drive positive change and create a powerful legacy.

About Our Speaker
Dr. Susana Rivera-Mills 
Dr. Susana Rivera-Mills became the 14th president of Aurora University (AU) in June 2023. Before taking office at AU, she served as the provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Ball State University. She is the first Latina to lead AU as president since the institution’s founding in 1893. As president, Rivera-Mills is building on the momentum of AU’s achievements and innovations to ensure that the university remains united in its dedication to the transformative power of learning.

Rivera-Mills earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and a Master of Arts in Spanish Linguistics from the University of Iowa. Her doctorate in Romance Languages is from the University of New Mexico.

Dr. Susana Rivera-Mills arrived in the U.S. at the age of 12 as her family fled civil war in El Salvador. Like many immigrant students, she soon learned English and became the linguistic broker for her family. It was a high school Spanish teacher who changed the trajectory of her life by saying to her in conversation—when you go to college, not if you go to college—a word choice that instilled in Rivera-Mills a belief that she could be anything she wanted to be.