This September, Buffalo Business First honored President Mullen, along with ninety-nine other woman, with a position on this year’s “Women of Influence” list.
According to the organization’s website, the women chosen for the list “have demonstrated an incredible dedication to their organizations, their families and to the City of Buffalo.” In 2006, President Mullen became the fifth president and first woman to assume the office of the presidency at Houghton College. A recent Houghton press release states that the women named for this honor “are fostering change in their communities and Western New York.”
When asked about which of her contributions have been the most gratifying for her, President Mullen responded that she was “most grateful for anything that has been done to make Houghton a more inviting place for students to discover their gifts, realize their full God-given potential, and imagine where their gifts might be connected to places of effectiveness and service around the world.” She adds that success is measured by what others judge success to be, and that “everything is a team effort.”
Despite being named for an honor that showcases powerful and influential women of Western New York, President Mullen noted that she does not think about being a woman in power “much at all.” Instead, she emphasized her own commitment to “trying to do what I believe God has asked me to do.”
“The only time I link this to ‘being a woman’ is when I remember that others are still sometimes getting used to the idea of women being in this kind of role,” she said. “Sometimes we have to help others become comfortable with our being in the places we are in.” Mullen stressed how important it is for women to pursue God’s calling, not because they have something to prove, but because “God has gifted them in particular ways.”
Her statement addressed the truth about what it means to be a strong woman. “A ‘strong woman’ is someone who can face the circumstances of one’s life—including the challenges—with ruthless honesty, with self awareness, and with a deep desire to use one’s gifts to make a difference for others,” said President Mullen. She added that grit, resilience, and humility are necessary traits for those in leadership, and noted that “doing good for the people whom we have been entrusted to lead” is crucial.
Several other college presidents received the honor alongside Mullen: Cynthia Zane of Hilbert College, Virginia Horvath of SUNY Fredonia, Katherine Conway-Turner of SUNY Buffalo State, and Lorrie Clemo of D’Youville College. Kim Pegula, who gifted Houghton College with $12 million in 2011 in order to build the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex, was also given a place on the list.
President Mullen also believes that, rather than pursuing positions of leadership, women and men alike should “seek to develop the gifts God has given [them]. Learn to know yourself—your strengths and your weaknesses. Learn to be comfortable with criticism. Do the tasks before you with all your heart—and let the long term take care of itself.”