Widener is pleased to announce the addition of two new members to its Board of Trustees. The appointments took effect in the spring semester and their first board meeting will take place next month in October.
The new members include alumna Marcia Zaruba O’Connor ’90, CEO and founder of The O’Connor Group, a top-ranked human resources consulting and talent solutions firm located in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and the Honorable Scott W. Reid ’02, an alumnus of Widener Delaware Law School and a United States Magistrate Judge serving on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. O'Connor and Reid will both serve a three-year term.
“I am delighted to welcome Marcia O’Connor and Judge Scott Reid to the Widener University Board of Trustees,” Widener President Stacey Robertson said. “Both of them have demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing Widener and its mission. As proud Widener alumni, they have each remained deeply embedded in the Widener community, generously providing guidance, mentorship, and opportunities for our students over the years. I look forward to the expertise and inspired ideas they will bring to our university leadership.”
O’Connor earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Widener University’s School of Business Administration in 1990. As a dedicated alumna, she has remained actively engaged with the Widener community, frequently connecting with both students and fellow alumni. She currently serves on the Accounting and Information Management Advisory Board and has previously contributed to other university groups. O’Connor’s outstanding professional accomplishments and commitment to the Widener community were recognized with the Beta Alpha Psi Distinguished Accounting Alumnus Award in 2019 and the Widener Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2023.
As the CEO and founder of The O’Connor Group, she has transformed her business into a nationally recognized leader in human resources and talent acquisition outsourcing. Under her leadership, the company has earned accolades from prestigious institutions such as Inc. 5000, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Philadelphia Business Journal. Additionally, O’Connor is the founder of ShadowHer.org, a certified nonprofit organization that empowers women entrepreneurs of all backgrounds, ages, and abilities by providing them with a strong foundation in internal operations.
Judge Reid earned a juris doctor from the Delaware Law School in 2002. While in school, Judge Reid served as the president of the Black Law Students Association, senior staff on the Delaware Journal of Corporate Law, and received the Outstanding Student Service Award.
Judge Reid is a dedicated public servant who was appointed as a federal magistrate judge in 2021. Prior to his appointment, Judge Reid served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. While at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Judge Reid also served as chair of the Summer Internship Committee, Black Affairs Program Lead, co-chair of the Youth Court program, and as a member of the Diversity Committee and Hiring Committee. Judge Reid was also a partner in Cozen O'Connor's Commercial Litigation Department where his practice was concentrated in gas/utility litigation, construction litigation, pharmaceutical litigation, contractual disputes and business torts. In addition to his practice, Judge Reid also served as chair of the firm’s Diversity Committee and as a member of the Hiring Committee.
Judge Reid is a celebrated attorney who has earned regional and national acclaim for his professional achievements and service to the legal community. Honors include the Barristers' Association of Philadelphia's J. Austin Norris and Outstanding Young Lawyer Award, National Bar Association Women's Law Division's President's Award, and the National Bar Association's 40 Under 40 Award.
In addition, Judge Reid has served as an advisory board member and past president for the Barristers' Association of Philadelphia, member of the Widener University School of Law Board of Overseers, fellow for the Leadership Council for Legal Diversity, member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association House of Delegates and Minority Bar Committee, chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association's Diversity in the Profession Committee and member of the Board of Governors, member of the American Bar Association TIPS Leadership Academy, and member of the National Bar Association.
Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/widener-welcomes-new-members-board-trustees
