Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston is the seventh President of Norfolk State University. She began her tenure on June 24, 2019. As President, she is committed to ensuring that Norfolk State University fulfills its mission as an HBCU for the modern world, a university grounded by its heritage, focused on the future, and deeply committed to student success. Her vision is opportunity, access, affordability, growth, sustainability, and student excellence. A strong advocate for collaboration and developing strategic partnerships with local, regional, and state and national stakeholders, Dr. Adams-Gaston is committed to cultivating strong connections in the university, among alumni and in the community.

Under President Adams-Gaston’s leadership, Norfolk State University has successfully achieved the status of a U.S. News and World Report 2020, 2021, and 2022 Top 20 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) designation. The University attained 10-year reaffirmation of accreditation by its major accrediting body, The Southern Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). This reaffirmation underscores the University’s strength, stability, and forward momentum. Enrollment increased to a six-year high in Fall 2022 to 5785 students. The University realized record high operating revenues 104% above projection, the highest in the history of Norfolk State. And Dr. Adams-Gaston has been successful in acquiring multiple donations including a transformational gift of over $40 million from Mackenzie Scott, the largest single donor gift in the history of NSU. The University has also raised over $11 million for the 2022 calendar year to support student initiatives.

Since President Adams-Gaston’s arrival, Norfolk State University has also expanded its online academic program curriculum to include a master’s degree in Cybersecurity and has been recognized nationally and designated as a Department of Defense Center of Excellence in Cybersecurity and Department of Energy Cybersecurity Consortium Leader. Under her leadership, the online master’s degree in Cyber Psychology, the first in the nation, launched in Fall 2020 in connection with Academic Partnerships. The University has secured grants of more than $53 million for scholarships and financial support to enhance student success during her tenure. Her strategic planning has also helped to secure transformational partnerships with the Sentara Healthcare- Public Health Program, Appalachian School of Law 3+3 program, Academic Partnerships, Dominion Energy, Micron Technology, Inc., Landmark, Netflix, 2U, Apple, Amazon, USAA, and the Pharrell Williams Black Ambition Prize, Mighty Dream, and many others.

A recognized higher education leader, President Adams-Gaston is an invited speaker nationally and internationally. Her appointments and honors have included: President Biden’s Appointment to the Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, NCAA Board of Governors among many other boards. Prior to joining Norfolk State University, Dr. Adams-Gaston served as senior vice president and affiliate assistant professor at The Ohio State University and led forty departments in the Office of Student Life annually impacting over 66,000 students.

Prior to that she held multiple administrative and faculty positions at the University of Maryland College Park including associate dean of academic affairs, faculty member, executive director of the Career Center, equity administrator, psychologist and first UMCP African American female assistant athletic director (Division 1). Trained as a psychologist, Dr. Adams-Gaston spent more than twenty years in private practice. She also served as a member of the graduate faculty at the University of Maryland College Park and Johns Hopkins University.

Michael Andreasen is the University’s senior development officer and oversees the Office of University Development staff, which works closely with campus fundraising offices and affiliated foundations that support schools, the College of Arts and Sciences and other units. Andreasen also is chief executive of the UNC-Chapel Hill Foundation Inc., a nonprofit corporation that receives gifts on behalf of the University, its schools and units.

Prior to joining Carolina in 2023, Andreasen served as senior vice president for university advancement at the University of Oregon, overseeing all aspects of advancement including development; state, community and federal affairs; advancement operations; stewardship and public events and alumni relations. During his tenure, he consistently increased annual fundraising totals and secured some of the largest donations to any public flagship university.

Andreasen began his time at UO as the vice president for development, leading efforts to establish campaign priorities, setting a working goal of $1.2 billion and developing a communications plan for the public launch in collaboration with the president, executive leadership and deans. Over 12 years, he served as a member of the University of Oregon Foundation Board, the Alumni Association Board, the Portland Business Alliance Board and the Greater Portland Chamber of Commerce.

Prior to joining UO, Andreasen was at the University of Michigan for seven years — first as executive director and assistant dean for advancement for development and alumni relations, then as executive director and assistant dean for advancement at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business. His 32+ years of fundraising experience include roles in major gifts and campaign leadership at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the American Film Institute. He began his career as the director of the annual fund for the University of California, Irvine, where he also earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science.

Sue Ballard is a proud wife and team partner (14 years and counting!) to Troy and mom to a super fun and energetic toddler, Ben. A proud native of upstate, New York, so loves all outdoor activities and can be found on her favorite river (the St. Lawrence River) in the summer months. Sue values CliftonStrengths (Top 5: Consistency, Discipline, Relator, Activator, and Empathy) and would rather be wearing flipflops and athleisure wear than heels and a dress. Beyond these fun facts and insights into who she is as a person, Sue has a pleasure of serving as the Associate Vice President, Employee Engagement and Advancement Operations with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In this role, she oversees all efforts focused on enhancing employee engagement and operations, including oversight of the Advancement Services, Strategy, and Infrastructure and Prospect Research and Management teams. Her world also includes oversight for creating, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive employee engagement program for the division. With “activator” as one of her top five strengths, Sue enjoys the opportunity to build programs, while seeing firsthand the productivity that results from employee engagement initiatives.
 
Prior to joining the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute team, Sue was with Syracuse University for nearly 8 years. During which time, Sue served as vice president of alumni engagement for nearly seven years as she worked with a fabulous team to build a premier alumni engagement program to meet and exceed the goals of the ongoing Forever Orange Campaign. Most recently, Sue served as the associate vice president, employee engagement in the Division of Advancement and External Affairs. Before joining the Syracuse University team, Sue served as the director, stewardship & special events for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, as well as the first-ever major gifts officer for the College of Mount St. Joseph. She spent her early career with Bowling Green State University (BGSU) in increasingly prominent positions in events, alumni engagement, and development. Her tenure with BGSU included a variety of alumni and volunteer engagement activities. 

Sue believes in the power of employee engagement, CliftonStrengths assessments, vulnerability, and humor in the workplace. Many moons ago, she earned a B.A. in political science from Hartwick College and then her M.A. in college student personnel from Bowling Green State University.
 

Mr. David P. Bennett serves as the Senior Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations at Howard University.  In this role, Mr. Bennett provides strategic vision, and leads the critical work of developing campaigns and activities that will enhance philanthropic support and alumni engagement for the University. 

Mr. Bennett is an energetic leader with more than 25 years of experience advancing development strategies for organizations with national and international focus.  Most recently he led all philanthropic programs globally for one of the world’s largest nonprofit organizations, the National Geographic Society.  Serving as Chief Development Officer, his responsibilities included managing a portfolio of trustees and high net-worth donors and prospects, overseeing all international fundraising efforts and providing direction for several keys areas including principal and major gifts, planned giving, annual giving, and stewardship.  In addition, he helped to build a network of fundraising and programmatic offices for National Geographic around the world.  Mr. Bennett has a proven track record of building close, collaborative, and transparent relationships across teams, creating strategies that increase engagement, and driving campaigns that exceed their target goal.

Prior to joining National Geographic, Mr. Bennett was Chief Advancement Officer of Safe Kids Worldwide, an international injury prevention organization.  In this role, he was responsible for the fundraising, communications, and public policy functions of an organization with over 350 affiliates in the United States and operations in 17 other countries.  His previous experience also includes serving as vice president of United Cerebral Palsy of America and as director of the Fundraising and Sponsorship Group of Odell, Simms, & Lynch, a consulting firm that provide services to nonprofit organizations.  Early in his career, Bennett worked in federal politics as a finance director for two United States Senate campaigns and as a fundraiser for a national political party.

Mr. Bennett earned a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia. 

Emili Bennett joined Bryant Group in 2022 as the first VP of Leadership Development, leading executive coaching and talent development for the firm that positions Bryant Group as a long-term talent consultant throughout the talent life cycle. She brings a wealth of subject matter expertise in executive coaching, talent strategy & development, leadership development, employee engagement, change management and organizational development in higher education, non-profits, healthcare and corporate. She has been featured as a keynote speaker for CASE Strategic Talent Management and has participated as a subject matter expert and presenter in multiple CASE conferences.  
 
Emili came from the Indiana University Alumni Association where she led career and professional development strategy and programming for 760,000+ alumni, served as a talent strategy partner to the CEO and executive team and led the training and development efforts for staff and high-level volunteers in the area of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. She also founded her own executive coaching and talent development consulting firm, coaching hundreds of leaders through the lens of positive psychology and authentic leadership. She is a Professional Certified Coach, recognized by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), an Advanced Gallup CliftonStrengths Coach and a certified facilitator of the LEIPA 360-degree emotional intelligence leadership tool.  
 
Emili graduated from Indiana University Bloomington with a BA in Spanish and from Purdue University with an MS in Organizational Leadership and Human Resource Development. 
 

Aiko Bethea is a leader, builder and connector who has successfully navigated leadership roles in government, philanthropic, nonprofit and private sectors. In each sector, she created inaugural roles to meet growing organizational needs. After leading a legal team at the city of Atlanta under the leadership of Stacey Abrams, Aiko served as director of compliance for the city of Atlanta and deputy director of a compliance department at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Most recently, she was the head of diversity and inclusion for the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center. The founder of RARE Coaching & Consulting, Aiko guides leaders and organizations to remove barriers to inclusion. She serves as an executive coach to leaders and teams of Fortune 100 companies and global nonprofit organizations. Because of her work, she has been recognized by Forbes as one of the top seven anti-racism educators for companies and by Culture Amp as a DEI influencer to follow. Aiko is also a senior equity consultant for the Brené Brown Education and Research Group where she oversees development and implementation of DEI and belonging strategy. Aiko’s writing on leadership and belonging has been published in Harvard Business Review, Forbes and The New York Times bestselling anthology, You Are Your Best Thing. Aiko holds a law degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and a bachelor’s degree from Smith College. On most days, Aiko enjoys spending time with her two sons.

Regarded as one of the nation’s preeminent lawyers for institutions of higher education, as well as large corporations and organizations facing issues related to the diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, Ishan is a go-to lawyer for universities, companies, and organizations facing their most difficult and challenges. He is a Co-Chair of the firm’s Education Practice, a leader of its Technology Practice, and a member of the firm’s Management Committee. In his TED Talk, viewed more than 1.4 million times, he discusses how organizations can foster productive and responsible debate while protecting free speech. His work has been featured in numerous publications including the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Fortune. 

Large institutions and companies turn to Ishan when they face complex challenges with significant financial, operational, or reputational consequences. He specializes in commercial, constitutional, and regulatory law and has successfully litigated cases in numerous state and federal courts, including the US Supreme Court. He has substantial arbitration experience and also represents his clients before administrative agencies and in government investigations. Ishan frequently advises public company boards on critical issues of ethical and regulatory risk, including most recently the risks companies face as a result of the Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Through the firm’s CLE Relay, Ishan and Lauren Hartz provide clients with the latest legal developments since the Court ruled in SFFA that race-conscious admission policies are unconstitutional. In 2023, they presented DEI Programs: Risks and Strategies in a Changing Legal Landscape."

 In 2024, they will offer a retrospective that describes the landscape one year after the SFFA decision Ishan’s clients include leading educational institutions and major technology companies. Ishan has counseled numerous colleges and universities on issues ranging from free speech and admissions to athletics, Title IX, and research funding. He has represented various institutions in large-scale class actions with multibillion-dollar potential liability and is also a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA). Likewise, Ishan has advised and defended technology companies on free speech issues, commercial litigation, and government investigations. He regularly consults on how disruptive technologies will be assessed under existing regulatory structures.

 Ishan is a member of the Legal Advisory Council for the McArthur Justice Initiative, the Legal Council for the President’s Alliance for Immigration and Education, and Law360’s Diversity and Inclusion Editorial Advisory Board. He was recognized by both Bloomberg Law and the National Law Journal as one of the 40 best lawyers under 40 in the United States. Prior to joining Jenner & Block, Ishan worked at the US Department of Justice and the Boston Consulting Group. 

Jessie Brooks serves as the Senior Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Spelman College.  Brooks joined Spelman as the Vice President for Institutional Advancement in November, 2016.   Brooks has over 25 years of experience in higher education fundraising. As a member of Spelman’s senior leadership team, Brooks provides oversight to the College’s fundraising program.  His responsibility at Spelman College includes oversight of individual giving, planned giving, corporate giving, annual giving, advancement services and operations, donor stewardship, donor events, campaign office and alumnae engagement and outreach.  Spelman College recently completed a comprehensive campaign

Prior to joining Spelman College Brooks served as the Senior Director of Development for the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego). Jessie’s role focused on securing major and principal gifts to support oceanographic and environmental initiatives. During his time at Scripps Oceanography, he helped secure funds for the Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine and the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation. Specific key fundraising projects included securing funding for a new Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy System, a 100 Island Challenge, and fellowships for graduate students at Scripps Oceanography.

Brooks began his development career working in corporate and foundation relations at the Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of Global Management, later, at the University of Washington College of Engineering. In 2001, he began his first stint at UC San Diego, serving as Director of Development for major gifts in the Division of Biological Sciences. After two years in the role, he joined San Diego State University (SDSU), where he raised funds in support of the College of Health and Human Services. Five years later, he was named Assistant and then Associate Vice President for University Development at SDSU.  During his time at SDSU, the university initiated a $500M comprehensive campaign.  As associate vice president, Jessie managed the Advancement  Team and Development Operations.  Two key fundraising initiatives that Jessie spearheaded — working closely with the dean of the College of Sciences and the dean of the College of Health and Human Services — were the Donald P. Shiley Bioscience Center and the Sharp Healthcare Human Patient Simulator.

Ted Carter became the eighth president of the University of Nebraska System on Jan. 1, 2020, following a national search by the Board of Regents.  
 
As president, Carter leads a four-campus university system that enrolls nearly 50,000 students and employs 16,000 faculty and staff on campuses in Lincoln, Omaha and Kearney, plus academic divisions and research and extension centers across the state. He serves as chief spokesman and chief executive officer for the system, which operates on a $3 billion annual budget and includes a flagship Big Ten institution, a world-renowned academic health sciences center, Division I athletics programs, and preeminent institutes focused on water and agriculture, national security and defense, infectious disease and early childhood education.  
 
Carter brought with him a distinguished record in education, partnerships and military service, having come to Nebraska from the U.S. Naval Academy, his alma mater, where he was the longest continuously-serving superintendent since the Civil War. Under his leadership, the Naval Academy achieved a No. 1 national ranking and new records in student success and diversity. Carter previously was president of the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I. A retired Vice Admiral with 38 years of service, Carter has logged more than 6,300 flying hours and holds the American record for carrier-arrested landings.  
 
In his first year at the University of Nebraska – faced with the unexpected and unprecedented challenges presented by COVID-19 – Carter led with a focus on the land-grant priorities of access and opportunity for students and families. He launched the Nebraska Promise, a financial aid program guaranteeing free tuition for low- and middle-income Nebraskans, and implemented a multi-year budget plan that included a two-year, across-the-board tuition freeze. The result was system-wide growth in enrollment, including record gains among underrepresented students.  
 
Carter oversaw the awarding of a $92 million federal contract for the university’s National Strategic Research Institute, one of only 14 University-Affiliated Research Centers in the country conducting exclusive research for the Department of Defense. During Carter’s tenure, the NU System has been ranked among the world’s top 100 institutions for earning research patents, the Omaha campus was selected as the home for a new federal counterterrorism research center, the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources launched a new effort focused on rural vitality, and the medical center opened an education, training and preparedness facility that positions Nebraska as the world leader in the fight against infectious disease.  
 
Carter holds a courtesy faculty appointment in aviation in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He serves as the chair of the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute’s Board of Directors and is a board member for the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation. Carter is also a member of the Board for the American Council on Education (ACE), the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities’ Council of Presidents and the Council on Competitiveness. He is an ex-officio member on the board of the University of Nebraska Foundation, the philanthropic partner of the university system that has a $1.7 billion endowment.  
 
Carter earned his bachelor’s degree in physics and oceanography from the U.S. Naval Academy, where he played hockey and served as team captain. He is a graduate of the Navy Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun) and holds educational credentials from the Navy Nuclear Power School, the U.S. Air Force Air War College, the Naval War College and the Armed Forces Staff College.  
 
Carter’s 38-year military career includes logging more than 6,300 flying hours while operating from 19 different aircraft carriers. He flew 125 combat missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Bosnia and Kosovo. Carter is a Distinguished Fly Cross with combat distinction for valor, and a Bronze Star recipient. In 2022, Carter received the U.S. Naval Academy’s Distinguished Graduate Award in recognition of his military service and leadership.  
 
The son of an English teacher, Carter was raised in the rural, one-high school town of Burrillville, R.I. He and his wife, Lynda, live in Lincoln and have two adult children, Brittany and Christopher.  
 

Dr. Alyssia Coates is the Senior Director of Development, Inclusive Philanthropic Engagement, and a major gift fundraiser for Brown University's Advancement division. In this role, Dr. Coates is charged with increasing donor engagement and participation within HUG populations and overall giving to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) priorities. She serves as the academic liaison for the Centers for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America and the Study of Slavery and Justice and the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity at Brown University for the Advancement Division. She is an active member of Fabulous Female Fundraisers, Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and the National Association for Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE). Dr. Coates served in various leadership roles for 25 years at the University of Notre Dame. Regional Director of Development, Senior Leader and Director of Admissions Office for Outreach and Engagement and Office of Pre-College Programs for the Enrollment Division, Director of Trio Upward Bound and Educational Talent Search Programs, and Recruiter for the National Consortium for Minorities in Engineering and Science.

Greta Daniels is a fundraising professional with more than a decade of experience in philanthropy. She has extensive expertise in donor engagement strategies, university advancement and development, and annual giving. In her current role, she works with colleges and universities to maximize donor giving through data-driven omnichannel campaigns that meet immediate fundraising goals while also increasing long-term donor pipeline. Previously, Greta served as director of development at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences—a groundbreaking, nationally recognized research facility. Her efforts helped the school cultivate more philanthropic engagement with alumni, families, friends, and organizations domestically and abroad. Prior to that position, she was the director of annual giving at Point Park University. There she oversaw all aspects of annual fundraising at the university including  direct mail campaigns, campus phonathon program, leadership outreach and cultivation, stewardship communications, and corporate outreach and sponsorship. Greta hold Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from New York University and achieved her CFRE in 2016. 

Dr. Jessica Elmore, a dynamic scholar-practitioner, and expert in educational advancement and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), is dedicated to transforming and elevating the landscape of philanthropic engagement through innovative DEIB strategies. With over a decade of experience, Dr. Elmore's work bridges the gap between cultural community engagement and educational advancement, ensuring that all voices and experiences are heard and valued.

Dr. Elmore joined CASE as the Senior Director of Cross-Cultural Learnings within the CASE OIC: Opportunities and Inclusion Centerᵀᴹ. In this role, she has been instrumental in developing CASE’s first online DEIB course, "The Journey Starts with You: DEIB in Advancement," and delivering bespoke training through CASE@Campus. Jessica is responsible for developing the training and content vision for upskilling, enhancing job performance, boosting organizational culture and contributing to the overall growth of an organization's outreach and engagement with their diverse alumni, donors and stakeholders.   

Previously, the California native relocated to the Midwest and served as the point person and leader for community relationship building and engagement programming for diverse domestic and international alumni and students for the Kansas State University Alumni Association. In Dr. Elmore’s progressive role, she cultivated over $600,000 from diverse donors and organizations; established a successful diverse volunteer leaders board pipeline, executed over 300 cultural-affiliated alumni and student events, garnering national recognition and professional organization industry awards; served as co-editor for the Association’s first diversity-devoted alumni magazine issue, and was a steadfast campus connector who accumulated an immense amount of social capital resulting in successful collaborations with various campus entities including but not limited to, international programs, athletics, and campus administration.

Jessica's expertise lies in creating award-winning external programming and cultivating relationships with domestic multicultural and international alumni and students. She is an interactive trainer and communicator with a proven track record of helping individuals grasp complex concepts through engaging and approachable methods. Her ability to create environments where people feel confident to navigate new spaces and contribute meaningfully sets her apart in the field of educational advancement. Jessica excels in breaking down intricate ideas into easily digestible insights, empowering participants to not only understand but also apply their knowledge in impactful ways.

Dr. Elmore holds a doctorate in educational leadership, a master’s degree in business administration from Kansas State University, and a mass communication degree from Grambling State University. Her diverse educational background equips her with a unique perspective on the interconnection and nuances of educational advancement.

Driven by a vision of inclusive excellence and social mobility, Dr. Elmore believes in the transformative power of education to create equitable opportunities for all. Her approach is rooted in empathy, collaboration, and a deep understanding of the diverse needs of alumni and donor communities.

Dr. Scott Erickson is an independent school leader and has been Head of School at Phillips Brooks School (PBS) in Menlo Park, California, since 2011. He has launched several initiatives to strengthen institutional advancement. He designed and implemented PBS’s first-ever comprehensive campaign to invest in faculty with creative solutions for talent retention, program innovations, and enhanced campus spaces. He successfully led a study to launch a new brand, increased enrollment and market demand, built strong school finances, and developed a successful annual giving program that consistently exceeds goals, including during the pandemic. Scott is currently leading a capital giving effort to build a new endowment that funds an enhanced faculty-staff salary plan, stay bonuses, and workplace benefits.  
 
Scott has also been responsible for designing a formal curriculum review process and a school-wide focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. He believes that educational institutions are at their best when there’s a high sense of belonging and when community members see their identities as an asset in their roles and as a strategic advantage for their institutions. Scott received positive feedback for his effective leadership during the pandemic. Looking to the future, he partnered with the board to extend the school’s lease through 2062 and develop a new strategic plan for 2022-2027. As a leader, he is committed to data-informed decision making as well as actively soliciting regular feedback from constituents. An updated and improved PBS Dashboard, established in 2022, measures success metrics across all school functions.  
 
A frequent conference and workshop speaker, Scott serves as Secretary of the CASE District VII Cabinet. He is helping establish a cohort for LGBTQ+ advancement professionals among CASE-affiliated independent schools and a cohort for those new to the advancement profession in CASE District VII. He is on the Board of Directors at Common Sense Media and the Heads Advisory Group for Independent School Management. He founded and continues to convene the Peninsula Heads Group as a collaborative peer community among 50 independent schools on the Bay Area Peninsula. Prior to moving to San Francisco, Scott was Middle School Director at the National Cathedral School for Girls in Washington D.C. and was teacher, chaplain, and humanities department chair at St. Paul’s School, a co-educational boarding school in New Hampshire. 
 

Bill Faust oversees the research and strategy function at Ologie. He works with clients to help them uncover market insights and effectively position their brands. With a unique background in design, research and business, he spends most of his time developing research studies and corresponding strategies that improve enrollment, alumni and donor engagement and institutional reputation. He has worked with a wide range of institutions, including Elon University, Virginia Tech, Purdue University, Kenyon College, College of William and Mary, Grinnell College, and Northwestern University.

Prior to Ologie, Faust spent 12 years at branding agency Fitch Worldwide, ultimately as North American CEO.

Julie Hail Flory is vice chancellor for marketing and communications at Washington University in St. Louis. In this role, she leads the work of University Marketing & Communications, which defines, elevates and protects WashU’s brand and reputation as a world-renowned academic and research institution. Julie and her team are responsible for university-level communications in brand strategy and marketing, creative services, digital, media relations, multimedia, social media, strategic initiatives, university news and the publication of the WashU’s award-winning alumni magazine, Washington. As a member of the chancellor’s executive cabinet, Julie provides strategic counsel to university leadership and serves as the primary crisis communications, issues management and executive communications strategist.  

Julie joined WashU in 2014 as assistant vice chancellor for campus communications, and then as associate vice chancellor for university communications. She was promoted to the vice chancellor role in 2021 after having served in the interim role since January 2020, including through the COVID-19 pandemic. WashU highlights have included leading communications around the 2016 presidential debate, the inauguration of Chancellor Andrew D. Martin in 2019, and the launch of the university’s new 10-year strategic plan, Here and Next, in 2022.  

Before coming to WashU, Julie spent 13 years at the University of Notre Dame in a number of communications roles, ultimately serving as director of public relations. Before beginning her career in public relations, she worked as a television news reporter in Colorado, Idaho and Indiana. She earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from San José State University and her master’s degree in American Culture Studies from Washington University, and has completed marketing strategy and strategic leadership programs at Cornell University and the University of Michigan. 

Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick was appointed the 17th president of Howard University in 2014 and was named the distinguished Charles R. Drew Professor of Surgery by the Board of Trustees in 2020. He previously served in numerous capacities within the University, including provost and chief academic officer. Today, he continues to perform in the operating room and teach in the classroom.  
 
As president, Dr. Frederick has advanced Howard University’s commitment to student opportunity, academic innovation, public service and fiscal stability. He has also pursued initiatives to streamline and strengthen University operations. In addition, he has overseen a series of reform efforts, including the expansion of academic offerings, establishing innovative programs to support student success and the modernization of University facilities.  
 
Dr. Frederick matriculated to Howard in 1988 to pursue a B.S./M.D. dual degree program. He completed the requirements for both degrees in six years, allowing him to earn his Bachelor of Science degree and his medical degree by the age of 22. He also earned a Master of Business Administration from Howard University’s School of Business in 2011.  
 
Dr. Frederick is a widely recognized expert on disparities in health care and medical education. His medical research focuses on narrowing racial, ethnic and gender disparities in cancer care outcomes, especially in relation to gastrointestinal cancers. He also devotes his time to writing and speaking on salient topics in higher education and the underrepresentation of African-Americans in health care.  
 
Dr. Frederick has received various awards honoring his scholarship, service and community impact, including the Educator Award by the Lowell F. Hawthorne Foundation, Inc.; the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; and the Diaspora Public Diplomacy Leadership Award by the Embassy of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. In March 2022, Dr. Frederick received Trinidad and Tobago’s highest honor, The Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ORTT).  
 
Dr. Frederick also serves on numerous boards and committees. He was appointed to the board of directors of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Cancer Society as well as Humana Inc. and Insulet Corporation. Dr. Frederick is a member of surgical and medical associations, including the American Surgical Association and the American College of Surgeons. In January 2017, the Federal Reserve System Board of Governors elected Dr. Frederick to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. 
 

Irma Garcia joined Manhattan College after serving as the Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics at St. Francis College (Brooklyn) since 2007, during which she led the Terriers to record-setting Northeast Conference (NEC) championships and NCAA Tournament appearances. She is widely recognized as the first Latina to ever lead a NCAA Division I athletics program.
 
Under Garcia's leadership, the St. Francis Department of Athletics expanded administrative and coaching staffs to support the continuing needs of student-athletes and added both Women's Soccer and Men's Volleyball. The Terrier Men's Soccer team captured five Northeast Conference championship titles from 2013-2020 and the Men's and Women's Water Polo teams have consistently been nationally ranked. Under Garcia's leadership, the Department of Athletics continually exceeded fundraising goals through individual and capital campaigns which led to various facility upgrades, a state-of-the-art student-athlete fueling station and increased support for student-athlete health and wellness. Most recently, Garcia secured 17 facility partnerships across all of the New York City boroughs to ensure St. Francis student-athletes had the proper spaces to train, compete and thrive during the College's relocation.
 
Prior to assuming the Director of Athletics position, Garcia was an Associate Athletics Director at St. Francis and served as the Head Women's Basketball Coach for eleven seasons, honored as the 1998 NEC Coach of the Year. Garcia received the 2015-16 Division 1-AAA Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year Award and was named NACWAA D1 (FCS) Administrator of the Year for the 2014–15 academic year. Already a pioneer for women's athletics on many fronts, Garcia became the first former women's player/coach to ever be inducted into the Basketball Old-Timers of America Hall of Fame and was also honored with the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association Distinguished Service Award.
 
Garcia is actively involved at the local and national levels, including serving as a member of the Division I Women's Basketball Oversight Committee, as a prominent leader within Women Leaders in College Sports and in leadership roles with NACDA, MOAA, HACU and PSAL.
 
The Manhattan College community is delighted to give a warm welcome to Irma Garcia!

Sergio M. Gonzalez joined Brown University as Senior Vice President for Advancement in 2017. He oversees all advancement areas across the institution, including development, alumni relations, corporate and foundation relations, international advancement, the Brown Sports Foundation, and the Brown Annual Fund. He leads the $3 billion Brown Together campaign which exceeded its $3 billion goal early and is now aiming to raise $4 billion. Before coming to Brown, Gonzalez served as Senior Vice President for University Advancement and External Affairs at the University of Miami from 2001-2017. He was the architect and leader of two successful fundraising campaigns that together raised more than $3 billion. 

Prior to joining the University of Miami, Gonzalez served in multiple roles in Miami-Dade County government, including Chief of Staff for the Miami-Dade County Executive Mayor, Director of the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust, and Executive Director of the South Florida 1999 Super Bowl Host Committee. Gonzalez is chair of the Board of Trustees for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). He also chaired the CASE U.S./Canada Regional Council. Gonzalez also chaired an annual CASE conference for Latin American university presidents and advancement practitioners over a number of years, and speaks frequently on the advancement profession to diverse audiences in the US and abroad. Gonzalez has a long history of civic service both in Miami and since coming to Providence. He is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute and has served on the Board of Directors of UnidosUS, the largest national Hispanic advocacy and civil rights organization.

Other past board service includes Belen Jesuit Prep School in Miami, the Orange Bowl, Breakthrough Miami, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. In Providence, Gonzalez served on the board of the Trinity Repertory Theater and currently serves on the board of the Wheeler School.

Vennie Gore is the Senior Vice President for Student Life & Engagement at Michigan State University. He administers housing and culinary programs for 17,000+ students. In his role, Vennie also oversees a multitude of auxiliary units, and units within the areas of Diversity, Equity and Belonging, Student Involvement and Leadership, Student Development and External Relations, University Health and Wellness, University Licensing, Digital Strategies, Human Resources, Assessments, Project Planning and Health and Safety.

Vennie has served in various leadership roles including co-chair of the University Strategic Plan and the Multicultural Center project steering committee. He has been instrumental in expanding student support programs, on-campus University Health and Wellness initiatives, and spearheaded many other initiatives. Vennie’s efforts have been central to our student success efforts – both in academics, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, and leadership. 

Vennie is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and received his master’s degree in college student personnel from Indiana University. He received his Executive Management Certification from the Foster School of Business and participated in the Institute for Educational Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Vennie has served as a member of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Student Segmentation Advisory Board and been a member of the board of directors for the Capital Area United Way. Among his various leadership and service awards, Vennie most recently received the Diamond Award from the American College Personnel Association in March 2023.

Ronald Gray, who brings more than 20 years of experience as a student-serving colleague, joined Manhattan College as the Vice President of Student Life on July 1, 2022.

Gray came to the campus from Felician University, where he has served as Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students.

At Felician, Gray served as a member of the president’s cabinet, and advised on issues, policies and laws related to the student experience. He was the chief administrator for the Center for Personal and Professional Development, Counseling Center, New Student Programs, Center for Student Engagement and Leadership, Center for Student Health, Residence Life, Dining Services, Bookstore, University Safety and Security, Community Rights and Responsibilities, Office of the Reduction of Violence against Women, and Transportation.

Gray also revised and created campus-wide policies related to Title IX compliance and procedures, and established a research initiative related to students’ needs, issues, and developmental concerns. 

Gray has also held leadership development positions at Tidewater Community College (Va.) and at the University of Pittsburgh. He began his career at The Pennsylvania State University, where he worked to recruit students across the State of Pennsylvania and beyond. He has also served in residence life positions at Buffalo State College and the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

He has participated in service to his community alongside the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey, the Newark Regional Business Partnership, and previously as a mentor in the Great Expectation Program and with 200+ Men of Hampton Roads, Virginia.

Gray received his bachelor’s degree from The Pennsylvania State University, his master’s degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and his Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh.

Brent Grinna is the CEO of EverTrue, the leading donor engagement platform. Brent founded EverTrue after serving as a volunteer fundraiser for his undergraduate alma mater, Brown University, when he realized the nonprofit world lacked the same technological advances available in the for-profit sector.  
 
In 2021, EverTrue merged with ThankView, the largest personalized video platform for nonprofits. The company has since acquired The Solas Group, a pioneer in fundraising analytics; Pledgemine, the leader in direct mail solutions for education fundraising; and Fundriver, the premier solution for tracking, managing, and reporting on endowed funds. Today, EverTrue helps more than 2,000 nonprofits, independent schools, and colleges engage more supporters and raise more money using continually updated donor insights to deliver customized donor experiences.

Hawkins became the 19th president of Union College on July 1, 2012. Under her tenure, the college has expanded academic programming, developed successful programs like UGRAD and UCE, and opened its doors to the Ramsey Center for Health and Natural Sciences, which houses state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories, and the Edna Jenkins Mann School of Nursing. Additionally, Hawkins orchestrated the acquisition of the Stivers Aquatic Center and the subsequent grand opening of the Union College Center for Health and Learning. The building houses the Union College Boys & Girls Club, a program she also launched, which provides safe and educational after-school and summer programming for children in Knox County.

Karen Isble joined Kalamazoo College in September 2020 as Vice President for College Advancement, where she guides the College’s fundraising, alumni engagement, and marketing and communications efforts. The College publicly launched its comprehensive Brighter Light Campaign in October 2021. Karen previously served as Associate Vice Chancellor and Campaign Director for the University of California, Irvine, leading the planning and execution of the university’s $2 billion comprehensive campaign, Brilliant Future, which launched in 2019. Prior to UC Irvine, Karen served as Assistant Vice President for Development at the University of Michigan where she oversaw prospect development, gift administration and the information and technology infrastructure, covering 3 campuses, 36 schools, colleges, units, and the academic medical center.  
 
Karen began her career in arts administration in roles with the Chamber Music Society of Detroit, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Goodman Theatre. She currently serves on the board of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. She is a former board member and president of Apra. She has been a speaker and author, regionally and nationally, with Apra, CASE and AFP, among others. Karen holds a bachelor's degree from Harvard University and a master's degree from the University of Michigan. 
 

As the Associate Senior Vice President, Alumni Relations at the University of Southern California, Erika Jordan serves as the chief alumni engagement officer for the campus and plays a key role in providing leadership and strategic guidance to ensure uninterrupted engagement for the nearly 500,000 alumni in the Trojan Family. 

Prior to this role, Erika served as the Vice President, Alumni Engagement at Boston University where she led the Alumni Engagement, Annual Giving, and the Development Events & Communications teams. Additionally, she spent six years serving as Assistant Vice Chancellor, Alumni & Constituent Engagement at UC Irvine. Throughout her career she has been instrumental in exponentially growing alumni engagement and annual fundraising, elevating communications and events, establishing UCI’s dual alumni engagement campaign goal and leading special projects.

Erika has spent her career in politics, special events, alumni relations, frontline fundraising, and served as the Director, Alumni Relations and Annual Giving for the USC Marshall School of Business. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Howard University and executive masters in leadership from USC.

Leigh Kamolins is Director of Analytics & Evaluation at QS. He is responsible for the organization’s rankings, ratings and analytics insight platforms. He has a background in performance evaluation, quality assurance and evaluation system design spanning the public and private sectors in the United Kingdom and Australia. Leigh led a team reporting on the biggest school reform program in British history for the UK Department for Education and designed anti-corruption and human rights monitoring frameworks in the public sector in Australia. He has undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from Monash University in Australia including a period studying abroad at King’s College London.

Brian Kelly is the Editorial Director and Executive Vice President of U.S. News & World Report, a publisher of news and consumer information products. Kelly is a member of the executive committee with primary responsibility for the company’s content, which includes USNews.com and print and e-book guides on education and health care. Kelly has led the transformation of U.S. News from a traditional print news magazine to a largely digital publishing company with a range of influential products including the Best Colleges and Best Hospitals rankings, and the recent Best Countries rankings. Under his leadership, USnews.com has gained an audience of more than 40 million monthly users. Kelly and his team also expanded U.S. News’ Money, Personal Finance, and Health content and launched new Car and Travel products as well as two national conferences.

Kelly joined U.S. News in 1998 after serving as a senior editor at The Washington Post; he was editor and chief content officer at U.S. News for 12 years, starting in April 2007. Kelly is the author of “Adventures in Porkland” (Random House, 1992), a study of the congressional budget process. With Mark London, he co-authored “The Four Little Dragons” (Simon & Shuster, 1989), an exploration of the developing economies of Asia, and “Amazon” (Harcourt Brace, 1983), a look at the economic and cultural forces behind the clearing of the Amazon rainforest. They published a sequel, “The Last Forest,” in 2007. 

Kelly has appeared on numerous television and radio programs including CBS This Morning, NBC’s Today Show, White House Chronicles and National Public Radio. He is a frequent speaker and panelist on issues related to media, national policy, politics and education. He previously served as the vice president of the Economic Club of Washington and is the current vice chairman of The Children’s Inn of The National Institutes of Health.

“Mo,” as she is called by family, friends, and colleagues is the senior vice president for stakeholder engagement and chief of organizational operations (SVP-COO), with responsibility for driving operational and capital campaign strategy, overseeing key administrative functions, and guiding a culture of inclusivity for the UConn Foundation. Mo oversees the departments of alumni relations, marketing and communications, annual giving, stewardship, and board engagement.

Mo was recruited to join the UConn Alumni Association as the Executive Director and Assistant Vice President for alumni relations in 2014. Mo brought with her a national reputation for strong leadership built over two decades in higher education advancement. Mo is known for her ability to lead across departments while building collaborative relationships to enhance the experiences of staff, students, alumni, and friends.

Mo believes that mentorship and sponsorship of not only her staff and colleagues but also those from other institutions is incredibly important. She gives of her time and talent as much as she can and is currently an active member of the Case Board of Trustees. She has been on the faculty for the Case Minority Institute (MAI), Senior Alumni Relations Institute and was a member of the 2018 Case Summit planning committee.

Previously she was executive director of Bowling Green State University’s Alumni Association. Mo received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from BGSU.

Mo has more than 26 years of experience with higher education institutions in the university advancement field where she has developed exemplary leadership, created strategic plans, cultivated organizational change, and is known nationally as a leader in the industry.

Dr. Jennifer Kent has served as the sixth president at Victoria College in Victoria, Texas since August 2020 and is the first woman to lead the college in its 98 years. Kent took the helm at a progressive time in the college’s history that has included multiple construction projects, the addition of workforce and academic programs, expansion of dual credit programs and student services, and the adoption of an equity-centered strategic plan.

Since her arrival, Victoria College has engaged in record-setting fundraising including private grants, gifts, and public grants. The college recently passed a bond election to fund a three-story Student Success Center set to break ground in fall 2023. 

Since arriving in Victoria, Kent has become deeply engaged with the community and participates in the Victoria Economic Development Corporation, the Victoria Chamber of Commerce, and multiple civic clubs and organizations. She also serves on the American Association of Community Colleges’ Commission on Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion as well as the Executive Committee and Legislative Committee for the Texas Association of Community Colleges. 

Kent is a first-generation college student from rural, Central Texas who credits her success to her participation in Upward Bound, a federally-funded TRIO program at Tarleton State University for at-risk high school students in poverty. In 2023, she was honored as the Texas TRIO Achiever of the Year. 

Rebecca Kocher is the Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Engagement at Wittenberg University. In her role, Rebecca is responsible for leading the alumni engagement and fundraising efforts to help Wittenberg University successfully launch and complete its Having Light comprehensive campaign.  Rebecca has a passion for developing, implementing, and analyzing strategies to expand outreach with limited resources, as well as extensive experience in relationship-building and cross-divisional collaboration, all within a metrics-driven environment. With more than 16 years of experience in higher education fundraising, Rebecca understands and embraces the value of creating a metric-driven environment that includes high levels of accountability and a high-touch modeling method. Her advancement experience spans both public and private institutions in all phases of campaign execution, board management, operations development, and goal setting. Prior to Wittenberg University, Rebecca served in various advancement roles at Bowling Green State University, Albion College, and the University of Mary Washington. Prior to her career higher education, she worked for a private publishing company in Virginia focused on marketing and communications. 

Chad Littlefield is the co-founder and Chief Experience Officer of We and Me (www.weand.me)—an organization whose mission is to help leaders, educators, and events make connection easy. Forbes calls Chad a “global expert on asking questions that build trust and connection in teams.” He is a TEDx speaker, bestselling author, and creator of Connection Toolkit™ (https://weand.me/store/), which is now being used to create conversations that matter on campuses and companies in over 80 countries around the world.  
 
Chad has led workshops, trainings, retreats, and interactive keynotes at JetBlue, Starbucks, Conscious Capitalism International, Johnson & Johnson, Penn State, Notre Dame, George Mason University, Typeform, Goodwill, and hundreds of events. You can connect with Chad through his free resources and weekly videos at https://weand.me/ideas/.

Chief Marcus Lyles is responsible for providing innovative and progressive policing and emergency management services for the University and Hospital communities, including serving as a strategic advisor on safety, security, and crisis management. In his tenure he has kept his department motivated despite the school being targeted with eight bomb threats in 2022. In addition his leadership has lead to a 30% decrease in crime on campus over the past three years. 

For these and many other achievements, he has been selected a finalist for Campus Safety’s Higher Education Director of the Year in 2023.

Maurie McInnis is the sixth president of Stony Brook University, an internationally recognized public research institution and center of academic excellence designated as a flagship university in New York State and ranked as the number one public university in the state under her leadership. Appointed in July 2020, President McInnis also oversees Stony Brook Medicine, Long Island’s premier academic medical center. She is a key player in furthering economic development on Long Island and in Stony Brook’s role as part of the management team of nearby Brookhaven National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy facility.

In April 2023, the City of New York and The Trust for Governors Island selected the New York Climate Exchange, a historic new partnership led by President McInnis and Stony Brook University, to create a climate science solutions center on Governors Island. The Exchange brings together universities, researchers, non-profits, community leaders, entrepreneurs and businesses to devise innovative, equitable climate solutions that can be brought to market,  scaled and applied globally. Under President McInnis’ leadership in June 2023, the largest unrestricted endowment gift to a higher education institution in American history was made by the Simons Foundation–$500 million–to Stony Brook University.

President McInnis is focused on providing a high-quality, affordable education for all students, which has resulted in a diverse student population that includes more than one-third of students who are Pell Grant-eligible, one-third who are the first in their families to go to college, and more than twenty percent underrepresented minority students. She continues to advance opportunities to recruit accomplished faculty to improve teaching and learning, conduct groundbreaking research, provide the best clinical care for patients, and boost students’ socioeconomic mobility.

A renowned cultural historian and author, President McInnis’ academic scholarship has focused on race, slavery, and power in the 19th century American South. She brings to Stony Brook her humanist values, among them her conviction that institutes of higher learning should use their expertise and influence to address major societal problems. Before coming to Stony Brook, she served four years as executive vice president and provost at the University of Texas at Austin and spent nearly 20 years at the University of Virginia in various academic and administrative appointments.

Melore Nielsen serves as the inaugural Vice Provost for Student Success at Seattle University.  With over 25 years of dedicated service to the institution, Melore has held various leadership positions, each contributing to achieving the university’s enrollment objectives and the enhancement of the overall student experience.

As Seattle University’s Dean of Admissions, she led the development of the strategic enrollment plan to attract, enroll and grow a diverse and talented student body. Later, as the Vice President of Enrollment Management, Melore successfully implemented strategic initiatives to optimize enrollment, working collaboratively with faculty and staff to foster a culture of service excellence and continuous improvement.  In her current role as Vice Provost for Student Success, Melore continues to drive positive change and student-centered initiatives that promote student achievement, persistence, and graduation.

Melore received her Master of Arts in Education from Seattle University and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington.  She completed Seattle University’s executive leadership program, equipping her with advanced skills and insights into effective leadership practices.

Prior to joining Seattle University, Melore served as the Director of Admissions at the American College of Switzerland and was an international student advisor and instructor at a community college in the Puget Sound region.

With over 15 years' experience crafting effective communications strategies and brands for campaigns with goals ranging from $7 million to $7 billion including Northeastern University, Caltech, University of Minnesota, and Sacramento State University, Colleen O'Grady is audience-obsessed and a champion of compelling storytelling. As Vice President, Philanthropic Strategy at Yes& Lipman Hearne, she takes pride in providing higher-ed organizations with the tools to deepen connections with supporters of all kinds. 
 

Daniel H. Pink is the author of five New York Times bestsellers, including his latest, The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward. His other books include the New York Times bestsellers When and A Whole New Mind — as well as the #1 New York Times bestsellers Drive and To Sell is Human. Dan’s books have won multiple awards, have been translated into 42 languages, and have sold millions of copies around the world. He lives in Washington, DC, with his family.

Jesse Pisors has over 25 years of education administration experience, including leading advancement and marketing and communications divisions as vice president at two universities. He recently began serving as Vice President for University Relations and Advancement at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, following a successful tenure at another Texas, public university, University of Houston-Victoria, in a similar role.  

During his time at UHV, he played a leadership role in the University of Houston System's successful $1 billion campaign and helped set multiple fundraising records. He served on the boards of the Victoria Rotary Club, the Victoria Rotary Foundation, the Victoria Chamber of Commerce, and United Way of the Crossroads, as well as others.  

Prior to his service at UHV, Dr. Pisors served as executive director of development and alumni relations at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and as senior director of development and alumni relations at his alma mater, Oral Roberts University. He was headmaster of a private school, Instituto Las Américas De Parral, in Mexico for several years and is fluent in Spanish. Previously, Dr. Pisors served as assistant director for public relations at Oral Roberts University. 

Dr. Pisors is a CASE District IV cabinet member and has presented at several CASE conferences and served in other voluntary roles with CASE. 

He earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and Master of Education in School Administration from Oral Roberts University. Jesse holds a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration from Texas Tech University where his dissertation focused on the fundraising experiences and perceptions of first-time presidents of public universities.  

Tracy Playle is the director and head of strategy at Pickle Jar Communications, a communications and marketing consultancy in Newcastle, U.K.

Lisa Marsh Ryerson serves as Provost at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). As Provost, Ms. Ryerson is responsible for the university’s academic offerings and the strategic direction for the overall student experience. SNHU currently serves over 170,000 learners around the world and is the largest nonprofit provider of higher education in United States. SNHU offers over 200 programs, from certificates to doctoral level degrees including business, education, liberal arts, social sciences, and STEM. At SNHU, the Provost Office unites campus and online academic programs, as well as student experience efforts, including admissions, advising, student financial services, into one team committed to the student academic experience. Ms. Ryerson is a bold, disciplined, and collaborative leader. Under her leadership, SNHU is continuing to expand access to higher education to learners around the world.

Before joining SNHU, Ms. Ryerson was president of AARP Foundation, the charitable affiliate of AARP. In this role, she set the Foundation’s strategic direction and steered its efforts to realize an audacious vision: a country free of poverty, where no older person feels vulnerable. Once she took the helm, AARP Foundation has developed pioneering initiatives, explored new avenues for collaboration, and secured unprecedented funding to support programs and services that truly change lives.

In her time at AARP Foundation, Ms. Ryerson spearheaded innovative partnerships with other organizations to create and advance effective solutions that help vulnerable older adults increase their economic opportunity and social connectedness. These include The Root Cause Coalition, co-founded by AARP Foundation and ProMedica, which brings the full power of health care to bear in the collective fight to address the root causes of health disparities by focusing on hunger and other social determinants of health. During her tenure, AARP Foundation brought Experience Corps under its umbrella, launched new initiatives such as Property Tax-Aide and Work for Yourself@50+, and expanded its workforce programs including its longstanding sponsorship of the Senior Community Service Employment Program. The Foundation generated over $5 billion in income for older adults in its past three-year strategic plan through work and jobs, tax refunds and credits, and food security benefits.

Ms. Ryerson has decades of expertise in education —beginning in the classroom and extending through 18 years of service as the president and CEO of Wells College in Aurora, N.Y. Her many accomplishments at Wells College included increasing enrollment by 45%, launching an endowed Center for Business and Entrepreneurship, and revitalizing the economy of the surrounding community. She has served on the boards of numerous higher education and nonprofit organizations, including the Council of Independent Colleges, Southern New Hampshire University, and the Congressional Hunger Center. She currently serves on the board of Shriver Center on Poverty Law, The National Women’s History Museum, and The Generosity Commission.

Ms. Ryerson holds a Bachelor of Arts from Wells College and a Master of Science from the State University of New York College at Cortland. Lauded for her leadership, she has received numerous awards and honors. Ms. Ryerson has an honorary degree from Southern New Hampshire University, given to her in 2015; and an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the State University of New York at Albany for having “met and exceeded each of John Quincy Adams’ standards for leadership”; and an honorary degree of Doctor of Social Services from Dickinson College in 2017.

Deep Saini began his term as the 18th Principal and Vice-Chancellor of McGill University on April 1, 2023. A career academic and accomplished researcher in plant biology, Saini brings a unique combination of national post-secondary experience with an international perspective. He most recently served as president of Dalhousie University in Canada and, prior to that, was Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Canberra in Australia. Saini had previously worked at four of Canada’s U15 universities, including as a vice-president of the University of Toronto and principal of its Mississauga campus, dean of the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo, and director general of the Plant Biology Research Institute at the Université de Montréal. 

His awards and recognitions include honours from the Canadian Society of Plant Physiologists, Nanjing University, the Sikh Foundation of Canada, the Royal Society of New South Wales, the Punjab Academy of Sciences and the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce. He was featured in India Abroad’s “2011 Power List” and is the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum and Diamond Jubilee Medals and the NRI Welfare Society of India Hind Rattan Award. 

His leadership roles have included governance and advisory roles at national and international levels, presidencies of national professional societies, journal editorships, membership on national and international granting panels, international trade missions, and membership of the Executive Committee for the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities. He is currently the Vice-chair of the Board of Directors for Universities Canada and will begin his term as Chair later this year. 

Saini grew up in India and holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Physiology from the University of Adelaide in Australia. He is fluent in English, French, Hindi and Punjabi.
 

Minouche Shafik is the 20th President of Columbia University in the City of New York and Professor of International and Public Affairs at the School of International and Public Affairs. She is an economist, policymaker, and higher education leader who has spent over three decades in leadership roles across a range of prominent international and academic institutions.  From 2017 to 2023 she was President and Vice Chancellor of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), a world-leading center for research and teaching in the social sciences.

Before her tenure at LSE, Shafik served as Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, where she led work on fighting misconduct in financial markets and managed a balance sheet of about $600 billion; Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, navigating turbulence surrounding the European debt crisis and the Arab Spring; Permanent Secretary of the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, where she helped secure the UK’s commitment to giving 0.7% of GDP in aid and focused on fighting poverty in the poorest countries in the world; and the youngest-ever Vice President of the World Bank, where she worked on the institution’s first-ever report on the environment, led work on infrastructure and private sector investment, and advised governments in post-communist Eastern Europe. She is a trustee of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Shafik received her BA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, MSc from LSE, and DPhil from St Antony’s College, Oxford. She holds a life peerage and membership of the House of Lords, a damehood for services to the global economy, an honorary fellowship of the British Academy, and several honorary degrees.

Jason loves figuring out complex organizations, telling their stories, and driving change and examination. With more than 15 years of experience leading marketing efforts in higher education, his expertise in brand strategy and positioning was recognized by the American Marketing Association (AMA) when he was named Higher Education Marketer of the Year in 2013.

In addition to corporate and agency branding experience, Jason previously served in marketing communications leadership roles for the University of California System and North Carolina State University. In both roles he launched ground-up efforts to build a case for marketing, assemble and guide successful internal teams, establish brand and positioning strategies.

Heather C. Swain is responsible for MSU's branding, marketing, creative and storytelling, digital and experience strategy, and analytics and insights functions. She has worked in higher education for more than two decades and in senior leadership positions for more than 15 years.

Swain oversaw development of the university's Spartans Will campaign, and under her leadership MSU's communications work has been recognized with numerous awards, including Tellys, Emmys and Addys, as well as top recognition from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Swain received the American Marketing Association Higher Education Marketer of the Year Award in 2016.

Prior to joining MSU in 2006 as assistant vice president for university relations, Swain spent six years as the senior communications officer at Ball State University where she led a major rebranding tied to the institution's strategic planning and governmental relations efforts. Swain also spent five years at Indiana University Bloomington in a variety of communications roles, culminating in the position of associate director for university-wide marketing in which she worked with IU campuses across the state.

Swain has served as co-chair of the American Marketing Association Symposium for Higher Education and a member of the CASE Commission on Communications and the Public Affairs Network (PAN) of the Association of American Universities. She currently co-chairs a new marketing interest group for PAN. She is a board member for Futurity, a multimedia consortium of more than 60 leading research universities from the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Australia, and The Conversation, an independent, nonprofit publisher of commentary and analysis authored by academics and edited by journalists for the general public.

Swain received her bachelor's degree in English from the College of William & Mary and completed the Educational Management Program at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education. In spring 2022, she earned an expert digital marketer certification from the American Marketing Association/Digital Marketing Institute.

Serge is Pro-Rector for Stakeholder Engagement, International Business School.

Previouslyy he held the position of Vice President, Stakeholder Engagement at Corvinus University of Budapest in March 2023. Prior to this, he held several leadership roles at Central European University (CEU), including serving as Vice President for Enrollment Management, Career Services, and Alumni Relations, as well as Vice President for Alumni and Corporate Relations. He has graduate degrees in history, international relations, comparative law, as well as Doctor in Education.

Serge served on the CEU Response Team (2017-18) which received CASE Circle of Excellence Award in Crisis Management category in recognition of its engagement and communication strategies in response to the attack on the University's academic freedom. Between February 2022 and March 2023, Serge had been leading the work of the CEU Emergency Response Team for Ukraine, coordinating humanitarian, academic and philanthropic efforts for CEU community members affected by the war in Ukraine.

Serge was Co-Founder and Chair of the EAIE (European Association for International Education) Alumni Relations Expert Community, as well as an elected member of the EAIE General Council. He has been a senior faculty trainer and course leader at the EAIE since 2010. Serge is the recipient of the EAIE Bo Gregersen Award for Best Practice.

Serge served on CASE Europe Board of Trustees and CASE Europe Regional Council (2016-2023).

Andrew Teie is the VP of Brand Strategy & Customer Experience at Yes&. He has over 16 years of experience overseeing marketing teams and leading brand, digital, communications, and customer experience strategies in New York City and DC. His focus at Yes& is on helping brands connect with their audiences — both rationally and emotionally — across the many touchpoints of a customer journey, leading the strategic direction for several association, government, nonprofit, and commercial clients.

Previously, he led branding and donor experience teams at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center that set digital fundraising records. He launched the most successful Kickstarter project in DC history (Music for Cats). And during his tenure at Ogilvy & Mather and Anomaly, he worked across industries and with a variety of clients including Nestle, Pfizer, Coca-Cola, UPS, Marriott, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Diageo.

Thomas is the Chief Communications Officer and Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications at Jackson State University. She manages a team of 12 dynamic innovators, and is responsible for university brand and reputation management, marketing, media relations and strategic communications. Previously, Alonda served as director of public relations and interim vice president of communications at Howard University; senior PR manager at TV One; and publicity consultant for Liquid Soul, where her client roster included ABC Network, CNN, Walt Disney Studios and Fox Searchlight. Alonda earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. She received her master’s degree in integrated marketing and management communications from Florida State University where she served as a university fellow and taught public speaking. Alonda is a sought-out speaker on media relations, branding and crisis communications. She has received several awards for her work and leadership, including PRWeek Hall of Femme Women to Watch Award (2021), and the PRNews Top Women Award (2020, 2023). 

Alison joined the University of Cambridge in 2013 as executive director, development and alumni relations. She is responsible for carrying forward the University’s philanthropic agenda, which includes leading the £2billion fundraising Campaign for the University and Colleges of Cambridge as well as expanding and enhancing alumni relations. In 2019, Alison led the team and secured the largest single gift to a UK organisation by a UK national, a £100m gift from the Claudia and David Harding Foundation.

Alison has worked in higher education advancement for 30 years, previously holding senior roles in the USA.  Alison led a $3bn campaign for the University of Virginia where she was associate vice-president for development.  Prior to this she completed a $25m six-year campaign two years ahead of schedule as director of development for the Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins University, where she oversaw an increase in giving from $1m to $11m annually. 

Alison began her relationship with CASE as a CASE Student Scholar at the 1987 District I Conference, has subsequently spoken at a number of CASE conferences, and served on the CASE 50 Steering Committee.  In addition she has been serving on the faculty of the Big Ten Fundraiser Institute since 2018.

Suzanne Elise Walsh became the nineteenth president of Bennett College on August 1, 2019. She was most recently deputy director of postsecondary success for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, leading and developing a team and a portfolio of over $70 million in postsecondary investments in institutional transformation in the United States. She previously served in leadership roles with the Lumina Foundation for Education and The Heinz Endowments.  
 
Ms. Walsh has received national recognition for her portfolio of work with organizations at the intersection of innovation, technology and learning. Education leaders with whom she has consulted praise her ability to create and work with cross-functional teams as a key driver in affecting flexible, personalized and affordable approaches to higher education, and other leaders have expressed their appreciation for her work on several viability and sustainability initiatives at HBCUs, analyzing complex situations, developing innovative action plans to address challenges and motivating teams.  
 
Ms. Walsh has been a frequent speaker and workshop leader at conferences such as the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities, the American Association of Colleges and Universities, and the Global Learning Council, of which she is an active member. She has published or edited several books and journal articles on the topic of educational transformation, and is the recipient of numerous awards, honors and fellowships.

Karen Weaver is an expert on college sports as they intersect with higher education management, media, and policy. A former Division I and Division III head coach and athletics administrator, Weaver examines college athletics from the perspectives of university presidents and trustees, athletic conference organization, higher education scholars, and sports finance. Her research includes mid majors and FBS Division I institutions, public finance and facility debt policies, and the role that college senior leaders can and should play in managing athletics.  
 
Weaver has been a part of Penn GSE since 2007, when she began her doctoral studies in higher education management. After graduation, she left a 30+ year career in college athletics to join the faculty at Drexel University. Weaver began teaching at Penn GSE in 2012 and joined as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in 2020.  
 
In addition to teaching in Penn GSE’s Higher Education programs, Weaver is the Academic Director and lead faculty member of the program Collegiate Athletics for Senior Campus Leaders through the Center for Professional Learning. She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in leadership, sports and digital media, marketing, and promotions. While at Drexel, Weaver was recognized by the Drexel Center for Academic Excellence for her work with undergraduate student media projects.  
 
A long-time athletics administrator in NCAA Divisions I and III, Weaver has received numerous honors and appointments during her years in college athletics. She has worked for several Big Ten universities; she also oversaw the progression of building an athletics department program from club status into full NCAA Division III membership.  
 
As a college athlete, she was an All-American and one of the first women ever to earn an athletics scholarship under Title IX. She was part of the United States National Training Squad in Field Hockey that qualified, but did not compete, in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Her USA Field Hockey coaching experience includes US Olympic Training Center camps, and US Olympic Development Camps. 
 

As the first Asian American to lead a CUNY college, Dr. Wu brings to Baruch a track record of bold and visionary higher education leadership. Wu’s aim at Baruch College is to challenge higher education isomorphism—the gravitational pull toward status quo and stagnation, rather than change and innovation—and expand Baruch’s national reach.  

From 2014 until his appointment at Baruch, he served as provost and executive vice president of George Mason University. Under his leadership, Virginia’s largest public research university experienced historic growth in innovative academic programs, embraced multi-disciplinary collaboration, and increased student diversity and academic outcomes. Mason also emerged as a top-tier national research institution-the youngest university to earn Carnegie research-one (R1) designation.  

For more than a decade prior to Mason, Wu was dean and Iacocca Professor of the Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science at Lehigh University where he had been a member of the faculty since 1987. He was also a visiting professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He has served as a long-term member of the board of Dartmouth College’s Thayer School of Engineering in addition to various national and international panels and advisory boards, including with the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Science Foundation of Ireland, the Research Grant Council of Hong Kong, and the Science & Engineering Research Council of Singapore.  

Wu holds MS and PhD degrees from Pennsylvania State University.