Playing the course: Dawne Hickton ’79

This collegiate swimmer, business leader, competitive athlete, and mom of six loves to learn, play, and compete—and support men’s golf

Declan Hickton ’21 and Dawne Sepanski Hickton ’79

Dawne Sepanski Hickton ’79 learned to swim by jumping off the dock in her family’s backyard. “We lived right on the Niagara River so that’s what my brothers, sisters, and I did all summer long,” she says. Hickton spent her youth playing with her five siblings and participating in various sports, including swimming. Her peers even named her captain of their high school swim team—an early indicator of her leadership skills.

When it came time for college, Hickton was excited to go to Rochester and join the swim team. That team went on to great success, too. It became the first women’s swimming team to ever score an undefeated season.

After graduating from Rochester with degrees in English and political science, Hickton earned a law degree from the University of Pittsburgh. Since then, she has become a successful business leader in the aerospace industry. Hickton is also the mom of six children. She and David, her husband of 38 years, both come from large families. They planted roots in the Pittsburgh area and raised their family there. Each one of their children is an athlete, too, including Declan, a Class of 2021 mechanical engineering major who excelled in the classroom and on the golf team.

In appreciation of the experience their son had at Rochester, the Hicktons recently made a significant gift to support the golf team. The couple’s gift, Hickton says, recognizes the importance of higher education, coaching excellence, and the impact of collegiate sports on young lives. It also names the Hickton Family Golf Training Center

“Declan thrived at Rochester during a very difficult time,” she adds, noting that two years of his collegiate experience ran parallel with the pandemic. “Coach Dan Wesley was always there for him and the other students. He provided support, inspiration, and mentorship. We wanted to acknowledge and celebrate that with this gift, which for me is also a way to thank Rochester for the wonderful experiences I had there.”

Hickton adds that great coaches, like great leaders, bring out the best in people and recognize that each person has something that can help the team be successful. She credits Coach Jane Gibbons and the late Bill Boomer with her success during college.

Declan Hickton ’21 and Dawne Sepanski Hickton ’79

“Coach Gibbons trained us hard—six days a week, twice a day, including wet and dry land workouts,” she says. “And Coach Boomer’s bucket workouts were some of the most memorable. We each wore a contraption in the water that connected us to a weighted bucket. If we didn’t swim in constant motion, we’d get pulled backward. I’m sure we hated it at the time, but those experiences made us stronger and more resilient. They also made us a tighter team.”

Hickton’s transferred what she’s learned in the pool to her career. Today, she is the CEO and chair of Cumberland Additive, Inc., a titanium 3-D printing start-up. Formerly, she was the executive vice president and chief executive officer at Jacobs, NASA’s largest services contractor. Before that, Hickton was the CEO of RTI International Metals and one of the few women business leaders to manage a publicly traded firm. In 2020, she served as the first woman chair of the Federal Reserve of Cleveland.

The Hickton Family Golf Training Center

Throughout the years, Hickton has remained an athlete. She credits David and their children for continually challenging her and providing new opportunities to learn, play, and compete. “My kids have always been into sports, and I’ve picked up whatever they enjoy,” she adds. For instance, her sons, Conor and Dan, played ice hockey, so she learned to skate. Her daughter, Bridget, is an equestrian, so now Hickton rides. And her sons, Keenan and Declan loved golf, so she picked that up , too.

When Hickton turned 50, she set a new goal for herself: to run a marathon. Two years later, she’s met that goal and then some, having also raced in two full and 13 half marathons. And, right now, she and Declan are training for the Miami half marathon in March of 2023.

“My mom is the most competitive person you’ll ever meet,” says Declan, who is now pursuing a career as a pilot in the aerospace industry. “That’s why each of us in the family got into sports and why she’s had such a successful career. She has a motor in her and a contagious drive. It’s what has pushed all of us to be our best.”