Former FedEx executive to headline Patricia Adams Lecture Series in September

Heidelberg University will welcome a nationally recognized corporate leader to campus next month as the keynote speaker for this fall’s Patricia Adams Lecture Series.

Ramona Hood, former president and CEO of FedEx Custom Critical, will deliver the keynote address on Thursday, Sept. 25. Hood, who brings more than 30 years of executive experience at Fortune 500 company FedEx, previously led the corporation’s $1 billion high-value and hazardous transportation division.

In addition to delivering her keynote address during the PALS dinner, My Journey – Getting Comfortable with the Uncomfortable, Ramona will spend time with students in a fireside chat during her visit to campus.

Beyond her role as a top executive, Ramona lends her leadership and governance expertise to public, non-profit, and bank boards. She has guided CEO searches, helping organizations identify leaders who align with strategic goals. In healthcare and hospitality, she has merged mission-driven priorities with sound business practices while maintaining strict governance standards. Her experience in regulated industries, coupled with extensive operations and supply chain knowledge, has made her a sought-after independent director.

Ramona’s non-profit board experience includes the Governance and Program Committee on The Knight Foundation and The Kent Area Chapter of The Links, Inc., as Fund Development Chair. She is passionate about empowering organizations to achieve their full potential while maintaining ethical governance and impact. She is committed to leveraging her background to contribute to the future success of the organizations she serves.

A leader in the transportation industry, Ramona has received numerous recognitions and awards, including being named a Women In Trucking Association Distinguished Woman in Logistics finalist (2024). She was also named to the Women We Admire Top 50 Women Leaders in Ohio list (2023 and 2024), Crain’s Cleveland Business Power 150 list (2022), The Power Players: 17 Powerful Women leading a top logistics company through the shift to e-commerce (2021), and Diversity Woman Elite 100 (2021).

Ramona holds an MBA from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management and a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Walsh University.

In conjunction with Heidelberg University, PALS is sponsored by Mercy Health – Tiffin Hospital, National Machinery Foundation, Reineke Family Dealerships, the Newman Family, and UIS Insurance & Investments.

Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to sign up for the PALS dinner and the keynote. To RSVP, visit alumni.heidelberg.edu/pals25 or call (419) 448-2231. The deadline to register is Wednesday, September 17.

About The Patricia Adams Lecture Series

In 2010, Heidelberg launched The Patricia Adams Lecture Series, created and funded by The John and Patricia Adams Foundation. It aims to present exceptional female leaders from a broad spectrum of professional backgrounds as a way to expose all Heidelberg students to women who have made a significant impact in their careers and communities. The series is named to honor the late Pat Adams’ loyalty to and passion for Heidelberg, her philanthropic spirit, and her desire to leave a legacy to the university that meant so much to both her and John, a ’58 alumnus and trustee who passed away earlier in 2024.