Announcing Saint Joseph’s 2026 Honorary Degree Recipients

This May, Saint Joseph’s University will award honorary degrees to three of its distinguished alumni who have made outstanding contributions in their communities. Rear Admiral Thomas E. Beeman, BS ’74, MA ’77, PhD, LFACHE, FCPP, USN (ret.), retired president and CEO of Lancaster General Health; Corinne O’Connell, BA ’97, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia; and Leslie Walker, MS ’05, executive director of the Sixers Youth Foundation, will each receive the honor.

Rear Admiral Thomas E. Beeman, BS ’74, MA ’77, PhD, LFACHE, FCPP, USN (ret.)

Rear Admiral Thomas E. Beeman, BS ’74, MA ’77, PhD, LFACHE, FCPP, USN (ret.) has had a distinguished career as a hospital executive throughout Pennsylvania and Tennessee for more than 40 years. Most recently, he served as chief operating officer of regional operations for Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System, an $8-billion health system with hospitals and outpatient facilities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Prior to his tenure at Penn Medicine, he spent a decade as president and CEO of Lancaster General Health (LGH), a not-for-profit health system serving more than 500,000 people in South Central Pennsylvania. A rear admiral for the Medical Service Corps and assistant deputy surgeon general for Reserve Integration (retired in 2016), Beeman continued to serve LGH’s Board of Trustees as a strategic advisor while on active duty in the U.S. Navy.

Before settling in Pennsylvania, Beeman spent six years as president and CEO of Saint Thomas Health Services in Nashville, Tennessee. He has also served as an executive for the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, the Franciscan Health System and Saint Joseph Hospital, among other Pennsylvania-based hospitals and health systems. His admirable military career earned him three Legion of Merit awards, a Meritorious Service Medal, two Navy Commendation Medals and a Navy Achievement Medal.

In his retirement, Beeman was an executive in residence for Penn Medicine; interim dean of health sciences for Alvernia University; and executive in residence and professor of practice for Saint Joseph’s University. Currently an adjunct faculty member at SJU, Beeman is also a trustee for Drexel University and Fighting Back.

Beeman will be honored at the Lancaster ceremony.

Corinne O’Connell, BA ’97 

Corinne O’Connell, BA ’97, is a passionate and visionary leader with extensive nonprofit management experience and a proven track record for driving strategy and advancing mission. Currently the CEO of Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia, O’Connell has held leadership roles with the nonprofit homebuilder for nearly two decades. During her tenure, she implemented a 10-year plan to scale the organization’s impact on affordable housing, drove sustained revenue growth to $12 million and grew the nonprofit’s full-time employee capacity from seven to 75. With an aptitude for leveraging philanthropic resources, she also secured multi-year funding to launch the Critical Home Repairs Program, growing the program from 20 homes per year to 200; secured start-up capital to establish Habitat ReStore, a 17,000-square-foot retail store that grosses $1.5 million a year; and successfully stewarded the three-year We Build Together campaign, surpassing its $5 million fundraising goal and doubling the organization’s impact on affordable housing.

Prior to Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia, O’Connell served in leadership roles for the YMCA, University of Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Foundation and Project HOME. She is an active member of the U.S. Council Board for Habitat for Humanity International, the Saint Joseph’s University National Alumni Board, and Global Village Build Guatemala and Nicaragua.

In 2019, O’Connell was named one of Philadelphia Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs, and in 2015, she received Saint Joseph’s Ignatius Award, given to those who have lived a life of service to others.

O’Connell will be honored at the College of Arts and Sciences ceremony.

Leslie Walker, MS ’05

Leslie Walker, MS ’05, is an accomplished nonprofit and philanthropic leader with more than three decades of experience advancing educational equity, youth empowerment and community well-being. As the executive director of the Sixers Youth Foundation — the nonprofit affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers — she is responsible for implementing the Foundation’s strategy and allocating grant dollars to youth-serving nonprofits in the Delaware Valley that focus on academics, recreation and safe play spaces. In her role, she manages more than $2.1 million in grant commitments to serve middle-school-age children; has launched fundraising initiatives including gameday memorabilia auctions and galas that have consistently exceeded revenue goals; and created the Sixers Youth Foundation Young Friends Group to advance the nonprofit’s mission.

Prior to her time with the Sixers Youth Foundation, she spent five years with the Free Library of Philadelphia as chief of staff and interim director, leading a workforce of more than 750 individuals across 58 properties. Her career includes executive roles at the Please Touch Museum, where she shaped the children’s museum’s visitor experience, community partnerships and educational philosophy; and at Philadelphia Safe and Sound, a child-advocacy nonprofit.

In 2025, Walker received the PA City & State Above and Beyond Women’s Award for her exemplary leadership. She is on the board of directors for the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and Satell Institute; the dean’s advisory council for Rutgers University Camden; and the advisory board for the Senator Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs.

Walker will be honored at the master’s ceremony.

Visit Saint Joseph’s Commencement website to learn more about the ceremonies.