Biography of Jennifer L. Dorsey-Howley 

Jennifer L. Dorsey-Howley

Lincoln Southeast can be justifiably proud of its 1985 graduate, Jennifer L. Dorsey-Howley.  On September 11, 2001 she was last seen ushering co-workers to the stairwell on the fire-engulfed 92nd floor of the south tower of the World Trade Center, before attempting to descend the staircase herself. 

In Jennifer’s 14 years in the insurance industry, she worked her way up from an entry-level position to the title of Director within Aon Corporation, the world's second largest insurance brokerage and a Fortune 500 company.  Her client base was estimated at 1/2 billion dollars.

"I would like to briefly tell you about a woman who defied expectations," Jennifer's husband, Brian Howley, said in accepting LSE's Distinguished Alumni award on her behalf in April, 2002.

"As many of you well know, graduation is decision time...Jennifer's financial situation dictated that a job would be better suited for her than college...after a year and a half (as a nanny to two small children in Long Island, NY)...Jennifer...seized an opportunity to work with an insurance company in Midtown Manhattan, " he said.

"For the next 14 years, and against many odds, Jennifer's intelligence, confidence, hard work, and determination combined to successfully establish herself as a preeminent insurance broker in her industry."

"Because Jennifer did not have a college degree, she had to work much harder...however, once she established herself, a degree became a moot point as she immediately began proving her prowess among her peers."

"What Jennifer didn't do, was to allow the caliber of the individuals within her industry, most of them Ivy League graduates, to intimidate her.  Jennifer would never back down," Brian emphasized.

A number of colleagues wrote to Brian to share their thoughts of Jennifer.

One highly respected colleague in the insurance industry noted, in Jennifer's professional vitae, "a reputation for thoroughness, efficiency, organization, energy and originality in problem resolution,...(and)...has become a formidable player and a keen competitor (in the insurance brokerage/risk management industry)."

"Jennifer was like no other. She had the ability to be a team leader, while all the time being a teammate," Brian recalled from those colleagues who wrote to him.

“She learned from mistakes, and grew because of them. She knew that hiding from mistakes was a weakness, and because Jennifer was not weak, she could admit and learn from them...now that takes someone special,” Brian said.

"In both the banking and the insurance fields, the expectation is that you will be a dedicated employee (who) will sacrifice yourself for the company. With that sacrifice comes hard work and long hours. Neither of these were an issue for Jennifer- - she was the personification of hard work," Brian noted.

"One of our last goals was Jen’s alone. Work 5 more years and then cut back and become a stay-at-home Mom. While I believe she would never leave the workforce, I knew that today’s technology would allow her to work from home or virtually anywhere. She also knew this, and we spoke about it all the time. Jennifer had work in her blood. She thrived because of it and somehow it never left her system."