The Mary Behrend Impact Award has been presented to Jana G. Goodrich, president and CEO of Seaway Manufacturing Corporation and a longtime supporter of Penn State Behrend and its students.
The award, created by the Women’s Engagement Council (WEC) at Behrend, recognizes individuals who have made contributions that advance the purpose of WEC, which was founded to support and lift women through programs related to women, to the college, and to the greater Erie community. Goodrich was honored at a luncheon at John M. Lilley Library.
“Jana’s exceptional professional accomplishments, personal commitment, mentorship and dedication to creating student success exemplifies the spirit of Mary Behrend,” said Priscilla Hamilton, a WEC board member and chair of the award committee. “Jana has plowed the ground for women in the manufacturing space. Currently, only about 9 percent of women in manufacturing are in executive leadership positions.”
Goodrich has led Seaway Manufacturing, an Erie-based manufacturer of premium vinyl windows, patio doors and sunrooms, since 2010. Earlier in her career, she worked at Xerox and IBM. In 1994, she founded Executive Education Services, a management consulting firm serving numerous regional organizations.
After earning her M.B.A. at Behrend in 1995, Goodrich went on to consult and lecture at the college for nearly 10 years. She helped write the original curriculum for the Interdisciplinary Business with Engineering Studies degree, which has produced more than 300 graduates. She also directed the Business Bridge program in the Black School of Business ― a program now known as the Business Leadership Weekend.
Her commitment to the college extends beyond the classroom. Goodrich currently serves as chair of the Black School of Business Advisory Board. She also chaired the board of Erie’s Manufacturer and Business Association, which named her an “Icon of Industry.”
In 2018, Goodrich received the Penn State Alumni Fellow Award, the most prestigious honor conferred by the Penn State Alumni Association.
“I am truly both honored and humbled to receive this award,” Goodrich said of the Mary Behrend Impact Award. “So much of what I have been able to do has been impacted by the personal and professional relationships I’ve made at or through Penn State Behrend and the opportunities made available to me here.”
Goodrich said that mentoring others has always come naturally to her.
“Helping others to advance their careers is kind of in my DNA,” she said. “I’ve been blessed to grow up with a strong role model ― my mother was a working mom long before that was widely acceptable.”
She also drew a connection to her industry.
“I own a window and patio business, so I love glass,” she said. “I love big windows and glass everywhere. But I absolutely detest glass ceilings. Gender should not limit opportunity.”
Goodrich, who earned a degree in economics at Allegheny College, said she hopes to remain active at Behrend in the years ahead.
“I’m always impressed by how well Penn State Behrend has positioned itself, and its students, to be successful,” she said. “I’m so proud to be even just a tiny part of all that Behrend is doing to help our students.”