Alumnae Mass & Brunch

Kelley Brisbon Hodge graduated from the Mount in 1989.  A proud graduate of the University of Virginia and the University of Richmond School of Law, Judge Hodge’s career took root as a public defender in Richmond, Virginia, where she honed her skills advocating for those in need. She later made her mark in Philadelphia, becoming a pivotal force in the District Attorney's Office, where she made history as the first African American woman to lead that office in its 167-year history—a milestone that not only shaped her career but also paved the way for future generations.

Judge Hodge’s influence extends far beyond her role as District Attorney. Her work as the first independent Title IX coordinator at the University of Virginia and her involvement in statewide commissions on school safety and juvenile justice demonstrate her unwavering commitment to public service and the rule of law.

Most recently, Judge Hodge was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden and sworn in as a United States District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in December 2022. But her journey to this esteemed position is one filled with passion and commitment to justice that began long before her federal appointment.

With over 25 years of legal expertise, her comprehensive practice has focused on education law, criminal law, and civil rights, ensuring that justice is served and that marginalized voices are heard. As a lecturer in law at both the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Virginia, she has also dedicated herself to shaping the minds of the next generation of legal professionals.

Judge Hodge is also very active in her community in a volunteer capacity.  She served on the MSJA Board of Directors from 2012 to 2018, and as a member of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee of the MSJA Board.  She currently serves on the Boards of Mission Kids of Montgomery County, EducationWorks, Forum of Executive Women and the Pennsylvania Innocence Project.

As her Alumnae Hall of Fame nomination stated “While she is clearly an accomplished alumna of the Mount, what I think truly distinguishes Kelley is her generosity in mentoring other women. I know Kelley has welcomed at least one Mount alumna as a law clerk, and I would bet she has extended a hand to many others over the decades of her career. “

2016 Nigerian Olympian - Rowing

2012 & 2016 USA Olympian - Field Hockey

2012 & 2016 USA Olympian - Field Hockey

When she graduated in 1980 after playing four years of field hockey, serving as co-captain, and holding other leadership roles, it was with a growing understanding of the roles fitness, wellness, teammates, and friends meant in her life.

 At Mount Saint Mary's College, where Mary played four years of Division II field hockey, and competed in club lacrosse for 3 years, she refined her public speaking and leadership skills--and had a lot of fun--as representative for her Class of 1984, graduating with a Business & Finance degree.

 After college, she launched her own business (a nod to her Dad), before turning to actuarial work. While raising four children, a stint at a local police department gave her insights into what teens can get up to. She later worked for League Collegiate Wear in Bridgeport for 13+ years.

 An unthinkable tragedy struck in 2015, when her youngest son Christian, a 20-year-old Temple University landscape architect major, died from complications of alcohol poisoning after a night of binge drinking.

Through her grief, Mary realized our society often glamorizes this dangerous drinking behavior, or else sweeps it under the rug. She founded The CTC Wellness Foundation and Don't Stall, Just Call https://www.dontstalljustcall.org to share alcohol awareness, anxiety reduction strategies, wellness opportunities, and teach the signs of alcohol poisoning so people will make a call and safe a life. Mary and her team have presented Christian's story to 60,000+ teens, college students, and families, including MSJA and other area schools. Under Mary’s vision, The CTC Wellness Foundation has created an endowed scholarship at Temple University, Tyler School of Art & Architecture that is awarded annually for a landscape architect student to study in Italy each year. Mary and her husband Pat live in Conshohocken, near two sons and a daughter and six grandchildren.

Pamela Gwaltney is Deputy Director of Compliance with the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations (PCHR), the nation’s oldest municipal civil rights agency. In this position, she manages the enforcement and administration of the Fair Practices Ordinance which protects the rights of over nineteen categories of individuals prohibiting discrimination in housing/real property, employment, public accommodations and the delivery of city services. PCHR also enforces Philadelphia’s Fair Chance Hiring law (Ban the Box), the Wage Equity Law, and the new Wholesaler’s and Renter’s Access Laws. Previously, she worked as Assistant Chief Counsel and Education attorney with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC). As Assistant Chief Counsel, she approved complaints of discrimination and provided guidance and advice to the Philadelphia Regional Office staff in employment and housing matters. As Education attorney in the Executive Office of the PHRC, she developed and implemented a comprehensive plan for equity and diversity in a local Pennsylvania school district.

No stranger to advocacy and protecting the rights of others, Pamela worked as trial attorney for the Defender Association of Philadelphia where she acquired extensive trial and courtroom experience. During her time there, she represented a multitude of clients and logged thousands of courtroom hours in Municipal Court and Common Pleas Court. While a Public Defender, she spent many in the Juvenile Unit counseling and representing juveniles charged with criminal offenses from pre-trial through trial and disposition. She is a graduate of Hampton University in Virginia; Temple University’s Beasley School of Law, and is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania.

Pamela’s professional and volunteer experience includes membership in the Forum of Executive Women, Board Member of Mount Saint Joseph Academy (DEI Committee Chair), Board Member of Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts (Policy, Programming) and Board Member of Temple University Law Alumni Association and Advisory Board member of the Welcome Center. In 2022, Pamela began teaching English to English Language Learners at the SSJ Welcome Center, a sponsored work of the Sister of St. Joseph. Recent presentations include:  Training on Philadelphia’s Renter’s Access Law to Philadelphia City Council’s Constituent Affairs Representatives; Panelist on “Lawyers Don’t Discriminate Right?-8.4 (g) and Anti-Discrimination in the Legal Profession” at the 2021 Virtual Bench Bar Conference; co-presenter for #StopAsianHate presentation for students and faculty at Mount Saint Joseph Academy; The Forum of Executive Women’s virtual presentation on systemic racism entitled “Let's Talk about Being Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable.”

Megan Kennedy, MS, CMPP(TM) is an independent medical communications professional at ELM Medical LLC and Head Rowing Coach at Mount Saint Joseph Academy.  A proud Mount alum, Meg continued her academic pursuits at Drexel University receiving a BS in Bioscience & Technology and MS in Scientific Communication. Meg has dedicated her professional life to the pharmaceutical and medical communications space, holding roles from bench science, clinical science and safety, and marketing and communications Moss Rehab, SmithKlein, Wyeth, Meniscus Limited, the Gene Therapy Program at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and ELM Medical LLC.

During her time at Drexel, Meg was quickly drawn to the sport of rowing as a coxswain for the men's team. Working daily to improve her crew as individuals and a unit was the exact challenge she was looking for outside the classroom.

Called to combine her love of the sport of rowing and her commitment to her alma mater, Meg spearheaded the resurgence of the MSJA crew program in 1999. Over the past 25 years, Meg has seen the program quickly grow to national dominance taking home 22 national titles, 39 Stotesbury Cup victories, and 67 wins at the Philadelphia City Championships. During her tenure, the program has graduated over 450 young women and boasts a roster of ~80 athletes annually.