Moneta is continuing its support as a Premier Sponsor of the 5th Annual Saluki Women’s Weekend, set for Sept. 10-12 at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Moneta has supported the event every year since its launch in 2022.
For Diane Compardo, a Moneta partner and two-time SIU graduate who earned her master’s from the College of Business and Analytics in 1992, the partnership provides an opportunity to give back to the university that helped shape her future while creating similar opportunities for the next generation.
“I came to SIU as a young woman from a small town, and I didn’t know what my career would look like or where it would take me,” Compardo said. “SIU opened so many opportunities for me.”
Compardo has been involved with Saluki Women’s Weekend since its launch and has watched it grow over the past five years.
“The evolution of Saluki Women’s Weekend has been wonderful,” she said. “We started reasonably small, and every year it gets bigger with more energy in the room.”
Paying it forward
Hosted by the SIU Foundation Women’s Leadership Council and presented by Moneta and SIU Credit Union, Saluki Women’s Weekend creates opportunities for women to connect across generations and stages of their careers.
Compardo has spent more than 25 years at Moneta, a financial advisory firm based in St. Louis. She said Moneta encourages its partners to support organizations and causes that are personally meaningful to them.
“Moneta is a very philanthropic organization, and one of my passions is supporting women,” Compardo said. “That’s why I choose Saluki Women’s Weekend as one of the events I support.”
For Compardo, that support reflects her belief in paying forward the encouragement and opportunities she received throughout her education and career.
“I was fortunate to have people who invested in me, encouraged me and opened doors for me,” she said. “I think we have a responsibility to do the same for the next generation.”
That connection extends beyond Saluki Women’s Weekend. Compardo has returned to SIU to speak with students at the College of Business and Analytics about Moneta and career opportunities. Several SIU alumni work at the firm, and a recent SIU graduate is joining Compardo’s team.
Celebrating at the Tedrick Welcome Center
This year’s Women’s Empowerment Conference will take place Sept. 11 at the Tedrick Welcome Center, adding another personal connection for Compardo.
Compardo is past president of the SIU Foundation Board of Directors and served as president during much of the planning and approval process for the new facility.
“It’s a wonderful space to welcome students and host events that showcase the best of SIU,” she said.
The weekend begins Sept. 10 with the Women’s Leadership Council Welcome Reception at Hangar 9 in downtown Carbondale. The evening will feature line dancing instruction from Kyle Erickson, better known as Cowboy Kyle, founder of Urban Cowboy Line Dancing in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Women’s Empowerment Conference follows Sept. 11 at the Tedrick Welcome Center with educational sessions, networking opportunities and the Philanthropy and Woman of the Year Awards Luncheon. This year’s programming also recognizes the United Nations’ International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Activities conclude Sept. 12 with a Women’s Leadership Council board meeting for invited members and a mentorship brunch connecting students, alumni and professionals.
As Saluki Women’s Weekend celebrates its fifth anniversary, Compardo encourages students and alumni to take advantage of the relationships the event can create.
“Say yes to opportunities. Say yes to meeting people. Say yes to experiences that may be outside your comfort zone,” she said. “Embrace the experience and run with it.”
Compardo hopes those connections continue to grow along with the event.
“The SIU connection is so powerful,” she said. “It feels like you’re coming home to a room full of family.”
Registration for the 5th Annual Saluki Women’s Weekend is free. Learn more and register at siuf.org/saluki-women.