SRU Alumni Speaker Series focuses on networking with Rachel Brecht, Nov. 11

Oct. 28, 2020

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — Networking will be the topic of the second Slippery Rock University Alumni Speaker Series event of the 2020-21 academic year, as Rachel Brecht of TiER1 Performance Solutions will present virtually at 6:30 p.m., Nov. 11.

Brecht, a 1997 SRU graduate with a degree in communication, will share her experiences and offer practical advice as part of her message titled "Accelerating Success through your Strategic Network." The event, conducted via Zoom, is open to the public and people can register on the SRU Alumni Association webpage.

"My message will be focused on how you can really take charge of your career by proactively thinking about your network," Brecht said. "Not just for a job search, but (the message will be) how you can build on your network to really align with your values and the possibilities for your career. That takes shape in a variety of ways through community engagement, professional associations and for college students with built in networks like fraternities and sororities."

Brecht said she will frame her message around the advice that she would give herself as a college graduate. After college, Brecht enjoyed what she calls "passive success" by performing well through hard work and getting recommendations from others but not by truly taking charge of her career through networking.

Brecht is now a member of TiER1 Performance Solutions' senior leaders as a principal and organizational development director, working with the management consulting firm's Fortune 1000 clients to activate their strategies through people. A resident of Bethel Park, Brecht is also a board member of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and the St. Clair Hospital Foundation, and is a member of several other community service committees and civic leadership teams.

"My SRU education was a gateway into my entire career," Brecht said. "As a communication major, in particular, (my education) equipped me with the skills to be able to navigate ambiguity in the workplace, create connections and reinforce messaging."

The SRU Alumni Speaker Series is sponsored by the SRU Alumni Association; the Green and White Society, a student organization at SRU; and Houston Harbaugh, a Pittsburgh-based law firm. To learn more, visit the SRU Alumni Association events and reunions visit www.rockalumnievents.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: Justin Zackal | 724.738.4854 | justin.zackal@sru.edu