Mary Behrend Impact Award presented to Ann Scott

ERIE, Pa. — Ann K. Scott, community outreach manager for Erie Insurance Group, is the recipient of the inaugural Mary Behrend Impact Award, presented by Penn State Behrend’s Women’s Engagement Council (WEC).

The award was established to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions, directly or indirectly, to advance the purpose of WEC, namely to support and lift women by advancing programs related to women, to the college, and to the greater Erie community. Scott was honored with the first award at a luncheon at Behrend’s Lilley Library.

“Ann’s professional accomplishments, personal philanthropic commitment and dedication to student mentorship exemplifies the spirit of Mary Behrend," said Priscilla Hamilton, a WEC board member and 1973 Behrend graduate who chaired the award committee. “Her contributions reflect Mary’s spirit of generosity, which created Penn State Behrend.”

Scott earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from Behrend in 1982 and an MBA from the college’s Black School of Business in 1999. She joined Erie Insurance in 1982 and currently manages a philanthropic budget of nearly $5 million. She leads charitable giving and community outreach efforts through Erie Insurance’s Giving Network.

Scott is chair of Penn State Behrend’s Council of Fellows and is the first woman to hold that position. She also has served as an executive-in-residence in the Black School of Business. She has been honored by the Boys & Girls Club of Erie for her integrity and impact on the community, and, in 2012, she was recognized as a "Woman Making History" by the Mercy Center for Women, for her support of women and young people.

“I’m humbled to receive this award,” Scott said. “Behrend has been a part of my and my family’s lives since I graduated high school. The people I’ve met here have impacted my life, my community, my work, my family and my values. I’m honored to be counted among the many strong, kind and influential women in the Behrend community, including the remarkable Mary Behrend, who began it all.”