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Alumni Spotlight: Robby Foss, C'92, GEd'92
June 13, 2012
Since graduating from Penn, Robby Foss, C’92, GEd’92, has worked with many notable celebrities, including Snoopy, Woodsy the Owl, and everyone’s favorite sweets munching Muppet, Cookie Monster. When she is not engaged with her diverse stable of talent for PR, she applies her energy and enthusiasm to a variety of Penn events. Red and Blue, Ben, and Penn are three of Robby’s greatest passions, and she shows it frequently by dressing not only in a wardrobe inspired by University colors, but also as the founder himself. We talked to Robby about her time at Penn and what she thinks will make for a successful Penn event.
What first attracted you to Penn?
Penn was just an incredibly diverse place. Even 20 years ago, there was an amazing variety of classes, majors, and people on campus. I absolutely loved that there were so many student activities to participate in.
What are some of your fondest memories of Penn?
I absolutely adored my roommate at Penn. She was from Tokyo and I was from Manhattan, so we had a lot to learn from each other. She taught me how to make sticky rice and I taught her how to find the best bagels. She even came to Thanksgiving with me one year. One of my most favorite memories is holding Seder in my dorm room. A bunch of my friends’ parents sent us care packages with food for the observance. It was great.
I was also very involved with extracurricular activities. Besides classes and SPEC, I also spent a lot of my time working at UTV. I hosted a couple of shows, Dating Connection, which was a combination of The Love Connection and The Dating Game, and Live with Robby and Doug. This was before digital film and YouTube, so we had to do all of our filming on tape, which was very time consuming, but it was so hands on that I felt well prepared for my career post Penn. It wasn’t just the skills I learned, but the fact that I was taught how use media for positive change that made my communications degree so valuable.
Where did you go and what did you do after graduation?
My first job was working in New York City for the Parks and Recreation department under Mayor Giuliani. At the time, there was a big push to make the parks safer and more family-friendly. After initial success with my first position at a playground for special needs children, I moved on to working with the parks commissioner, under whom I organized a program called “Eartha Day” with Eartha Kitt to celebrate Earth Day in Central Park. It was a lot of fun, and a great PR move for a city in a state of transition. At one point, we even had Snoopy the Easter Beagle come to Central Park, an honor usually only reserved for the White House lawn. This led me to work on even bigger PR campaigns for the American Dairy Council, where I had the honor of meeting Frank Oz and working with Cookie Monster himself on the “Got Milk?” campaign. I’ve had a lot of fun during my career and I owe much of my success to a groundwork set by my time at Penn.
Tell us a little bit about your involvement with regional Penn clubs in San Diego and Austin.
We have A LOT of fun at our Penn club events. Recently, we celebrated Ben Franklin’s 306th birthday. I dressed up as Polly Baker (Franklin’s female alter ego whom he used to champion Women’s Rights) and a volunteer dressed up as the man himself. We also have gone on gallery tours and had a great trip to Susie’s Farm, an organic CSA in San Diego. I like having Happy Hours too, but I think Penn events should be more than a simple networking event. People should have an experience that connects them to one another, and the commonality of Penn provides a great avenue for that. At the farm event, it was extremely heartwarming to see three generations of Penn graduates all wearing their red and blue and showing their pride for the University. When organizing events, I try to use Ben Franklin as my role model and sounding board. I often think “Would Ben Franklin approve of what I am doing?” I think he would have loved the idea of dressing up for his birthday. He had a great sense of humor and I want to bring that same sort of joy to our events.
How would you encourage your peers to reengage with the University?
As I am in California, I would definitely recommend getting out and engaging with your local club. If there isn’t one in your city, reach out to the Penn Alumni Relations Office. They are a great resource. I would also recommend staying in touch using social media, like Facebook and Twitter. Above all, just stay in touch with one another. There is always a reason to get together and have fun. And if you DO end up having a party in your region, here are some things I would recommend to make the most out of celebrating Penn:
-Every Penn party needs a taste of Philadelphia. Did you know that Tastykake will deliver cases of their famous baked goods directly to your door? Order them here for you next event!
-Have you ever wondered where you can find the best cheesesteak in your region? Carol Wyman’s The Great Philly Cheesesteak Book is the Bible when it comes to the Philadelphia region’s most famous sandwich.
-Don’t forget the Red and Blue! Balloons and streamers are a good start, and the Penn Bookstore always has banners, shirts, and all sorts of other Penn-branded paraphernalia that will make folks feel like they are back on campus. There is a Vineyard Vines tote bag with the Penn logo on it that I absolutely love and take with me to every Penn event!
-Invite Ben Franklin to your event (or at least find someone to dress up like him).
-If you are looking for a Quizzo-style trivia game, please feel free to contact me. I have a ton of questions and it is a lot of fun to see what your fellow graduates know about Penn and its founder.
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