Alvernia honors alumna Sharon Danks at President's Dinner

READING, PA (10/18/2013)(readMedia)-- At an annual President's Dinner this October, Alvernia University honored alumna Sharon Danks (Class of 2003, M'04) with the Ellen Frei Gruber Alumni Award.

The Ellen Frei Gruber Award honors alumni who embrace Alvernia's core values of service, humility, peacemaking, contemplation, and collegiality - and demonstrate exceptional commitment to their alma mater.

Sharon Danks excelled as an adult student at Alvernia University, graduating with a bachelor's degree in psychology, and a Master in Business Administration degree a year later. After two decades of professional experience, Danks is a Principal and Vice President of Reading, Pa., based Tweed-Weber, Inc., where she facilitates the strategic planning process and designs and implements market research projects for a wide range of clients and associations across the county.

Deeply committed to serving her community, Danks has served the United Way of Berks County in numerous capacities over the last 12 years, including as a member of the Board of Directors, numerous committees, and the Ready. Set. READ! Founders Council. She also has been a board member of the Penn Corridor Initiative, the Family Guidance Counseling Center, and the Animal Rescue League and has provided pro-bono strategic planning expertise talent to numerous local non-profit organizations.

Sharon has served her alma mater faithfully, serving on the Marketing Committee of the Board of Trustees, and most recently leading the Alumni Council and institutional advancement staff in a strategic planning process that will drive the work of alumni relations for the next several years.

ALVERNIA is a thriving university that empowers students through real-world learning to discover their passion for life, while providing the education to turn what they love into lifetimes of career success and personal fulfillment, helping them make the world a better place.

Situated on a scenic 121-acre suburban campus in historic Berks County, Pa., the university of more than 3,000 students is conveniently located near Philadelphia (60 miles) and within an easy drive of New York, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. With a College of Arts and Sciences and College of Professional Studies, Alvernia today offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and minors and a range of graduate programs at the master's and doctoral levels through its School of Graduate and Adult Education. Satellite sites are located in Philadelphia and Schuylkill County. As one of only 22 Franciscan institutions in the country, Alvernia's focus on caring for each other, the environment and the community are joined with a challenging educational experience to provide an unparalleled environment to grow, develop and mature as a person and professional.