Earlier today, Cabrini President Donald B. Taylor, Ph.D., announced the appointment of Highsmith—a 1988 Cabrini alumnus and former trustee—who will officially begin his role on January 11.
Highsmith will oversee the College’s alumni relations and fundraising efforts, focusing on annual giving and major gifts.
“As an active Cabrini alumnus, community advocate, and public figure, Steve exemplifies the impact that our graduates have on the communities they serve,” Taylor said. “I am confident his expertise and passion for the College’s mission will help us as we move Cabrini forward.”
Highsmith’s involvement at Cabrini did not stop with his education. A former trustee from 1998 to 2007, he served as the committee chair on the mission integration committee. In 1998, he was awarded the Cabrini College Distinguished Achievement Award.
At Cabrini, Highsmith also established Adult Learner Scholarship with Judith M. Bradley, Cabrini’s former director of adult academic services, to assist matriculated students 25 years or older in completing a higher-education degree.
“Broadcasting provided me with the opportunity to uncover the vital stories, successes, and issues of the Greater Philadelphia area,” said Highsmith.
“Now, I have the privilege of speaking with and learning from the Cabrini community—the alumni, faculty, staff, students and community members who live out the same Cabrini mission, in beautifully different ways.”
Previously, Highsmith served as director of community relations and local programming/news at PHL 17, producing and hosting PHL17’s “In Focus” program, and hosted special projects, such as election specials and the annual SugarHouse Casino Mummers Parade on New Year’s Day, which he has helped broadcast for more than 20 years and will continue as the Host of the Parade on PHL17 in 2016, 2017 and into the future.
Highsmith has been on the Philadelphia news scene since 1981, first serving as morning news anchor and news director of WCAU Radio (CBS) and news anchor of the NJN Nightly News before joining “Inquirer News Tonight” on WPHL-TV in 1994 as chief political correspondent and anchor. He also served as NBC10 political correspondent and host of NBC10@Issue from 2005 to 2013.
His reporting credits include the Reagan-Gorbachev Summit, several national political conventions, and most recently, the visit of Pope Francis to Philadelphia.
Highsmith has been honored by the National Association of Television Arts and Sciences, the Associated Press, the Radio and Television News Directors Association and the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters. In 2011, Steve was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame. He is also an inductee of the Philadelphia Mummers String Band Association Hall of Fame.
Active in the community, Highsmith serves as Treasurer of the Mummers Museum Board of Directors and as a member of the Board of Directors of CADEkids and Love The Mummers. He is a former member of the Boards of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Philadelphia, United Cerebral Palsy of Philadelphia, and the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, as well as a former member of the Cabrini College Board of Trustees and the Board of Governors of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Steve also has been involved in supporting other community and nonprofit efforts, such as the Philadelphia Children’s Alliance, BuildaBridge International, Inn Dwelling, the Global Philadelphia Association, and Special Olympics.
Highsmith earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Communication at Cabrini College and attended the University of Notre Dame. He resides with his wife Jayne in Bucks County and they have two children in college.
About Cabrini College
Students do extraordinary things at Cabrini College, a residential Catholic college welcoming learners of all faiths, cultures, and backgrounds.
Since its founding in 1957 by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the College has provided a transformational Education of the Heart, focusing on academic excellence, leadership development, and a commitment to social justice.
Cabrini enrolls about 1,300 undergraduates in more than 30 majors, pre‑professional programs, concentrations and minors on its serene 112‑acre campus located 30 minutes from Philadelphia. The College also enrolls nearly 1,000 students in graduate and professional studies programs at its main campus in Radnor, Pa., and at 13 off‑site locations.