Tiara joined the AI team as a Membership Eligibility Specialist. She has spent 10+ years in the Healthcare industry as an administrator and eligibility specialist here in the beautiful state of Colorado. Originally from the Heartland of the Mid-West, the wonderful state of Iowa, she attended the University of Iowa (GO HAWKS!). Upon coming to Colorado, she obtained her Associate of Business Administration from Colorado Technical University. She’s very excited to bring her knowledge and skills to Academic Impressions as well as to learn and grow within the organization.
Rod is currently Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Innovation in the Benerd School of Education at University of the Pacific in California. His work is focused on helping leaders of all types nurture human and organizational potential. Rod’s professional practice focuses on organizational learning, organization development, strategic planning, and evaluation. In his current role at Pacific, Rod leads school-wide academic program development, innovation facilitation, and enrollment services. Rod facilitated the development and implementation of the school’s strategic plan, Benerd Reimagined, which is resulting in a major academic and organizational transformation. He’s currently a key leader in the school as it merges with the university’s continuing and professional education unit in 2019-2020. In his previous role at Pacific, he led the startup of the Benerd School in Sacramento, designed to be a hub of innovation and creativity for learning, leadership, and change. Prior to his work at Pacific, Rod worked at Drexel University’s startup campus in Sacramento and led the transformation of a program group at University of Louisville, which tripled in enrollment to 550 students during his time there. Before becoming a faculty member, Rod managed a group of online programs at the University of Illinois. In his previous […]
Rabia (she/hers) is a Senior Learning & Development Manager who partners with higher education leaders to design and facilitate both open-enrollment and custom programs for individuals and teams, with a particular focus on academic affairs and department chairs/heads. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Elmhurst College (now University) and is a proud double alumna of Loyola University Chicago, holding master’s degrees in Higher Education and Human Resources. Before joining Academic Impressions in May 2018, Rabia spent 17 years in Student Affairs, primarily in leadership roles within residence life and Title IX. She served as the Director of Equity Issues and Title IX Coordinator at Columbia College Chicago, as well as the Assistant Dean of Students/Deputy Title IX Coordinator at Loyola University Chicago. In addition, she has taught undergraduate courses and served as a guest speaker in Loyola’s Higher Education graduate program. Rabia has been a subject matter expert and presenter for Academic Impressions since 2013 and is also a Five Paths to Leadership certified instructor. In 2022, she earned her Leadership Principles Certificate from Harvard’s Online Business School, and in 2016, she was honored with Loyola University Chicago’s Higher Education Distinguished Alumna Award. A full-time remote employee, Rabia […]
An accomplished leader and emerging higher education scholar, Kyra Lobbins played a key role in the overall leadership, direction, and national reputation of Adler University – a graduate institution uniquely dedicated to advancing social justice. As Chief of Staff previously, Kyra provided support and counsel to the President and key leaders across Adler’s three-campus system – with a focus on operations and administration, institutional advancement, and development of the Board of Trustees. Kyra joined Adler in May of 2021, after an 8-year tenure at Clemson University – most recently serving as the deputy chief of staff in the Office of the President. During her time at Clemson, Kyra served as a member of the University’s Executive Leadership Team, working closely with their President and Chief of Staff along with other leaders across campus on strategic initiatives in student recruitment, academics, communication, alumni engagement, diversity and inclusion, fundraising, and university operations. Prior to that, Kyra served as Director of the President’s Leadership and Strategic Initiatives, which included developing and overseeing the President’s Leadership Institute (PLI). She has spoken nationally on PLI’s success and popularity with faculty and staff at Clemson and has consulted with other universities about creating a similar model. […]
I help leaders in higher education navigate change with clarity and confidence — offering a trusted space to quiet self-doubt, recalibrate and lead from solid ground. “I stopped second-guessing myself and started making decisions I could stand behind. Beth helped me build confidence in my role and prepare for what’s next.” My work focuses on helping leaders navigate transitions, manage the stressors of institutional change, and clarify their next steps. I create a reflective and supportive space where you can think clearly, reconnect to your strengths, and lead with a steadier sense of self. What we might work on: I’ve spent decades working at the intersection of leadership and psychology, balancing private psychotherapy practice with executive coaching and consulting. I became a coach after seeing how many talented leaders struggle silently during transitions — not because they lack ability, but because they lack the internal support needed to meet external demands with confidence. My work is grounded in training as a clinical psychologist and organizational development specialist, with degrees from Columbia, Cal State Hayward, and Temple University. I’ve taught at undergraduate and graduate levels and have published on what I call “leadership consciousness.” Outside of work, music keeps me grounded: […]
Niecie Washington, Senior Meeting Planner, ensures that all our in-person events go off without a hitch. She is our go-to for meeting planning and logistics. Niecie has more than 15 years’ experience in meeting and event planning with organizations ranging from Academic Impressions, Marriott Corporation, and the City and County of Denver. Niece has a degree from Grambling State University and recently emptied her nest with her daughter flown off to Colorado State University. During the week, Niecie keeps us all on our toes; on the weekends, she enjoys a quiet house and some long overdue downtime.
Meg has been with AI since 2013. She works with members and partners, making sure that we are integrating with and supporting the work already happening at higher ed institutions strategically and mindfully. Meg landed at Academic Impressions after spending four years teaching and traveling abroad and has a bachelor of arts in liberal studies from the University of Notre Dame.
As Assistant Director of Partner Success, Christine works alongside the Director to lead a team of partner success managers dedicated to helping member institutions achieve their professional development goals and get the most out of their memberships. Over her nearly 20-year tenure with Academic Impressions, she has held diverse leadership roles spanning operations, learning and development, online programming, and event planning, ensuring she can leverage her deep institutional knowledge to ensure high-quality experience for every AI partner. Prior to joining the organization, Christine worked in executive education at Harvard Business School and in public relations. She holds a B.A. from the University of Richmond. Christine resides in Denver, where she is the happiest close to the mountains, family, friends, and her dogs.
Amit co-founded Academic Impressions in 2002 to build the capacity of leaders at all levels in higher education. Under his direction, AI has grown to be the largest provider of leadership development for the higher education community and has served over 200,000 people at 3,500 institutions ranging from community colleges to R1 institutions. In addition to his responsibilities leading the organization, Amit actively facilitates leadership workshops, coaches leaders, consults with boards and cabinets, and authors various thought pieces on strategic issues facing higher-ed leaders. He is a certified strengths coach and has been published in numerous outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Huffington Post, International Educator and The Chronicle for Higher Education. He also co-hosts a new podcast focused on higher education leadership and strategy. Articles
Mr. Dexter A. Bailey, Jr. is a fundraising executive with more than 30 years of experience in higher education. Prior to joining Caltech in July 2019, he served as senior vice president for advancement at Stony Brook University and executive director of the Stony Brook Foundation (501c3), where he led the most successful fundraising campaign in the history of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Over the course of his career, Mr. Bailey has successfully built and managed development and alumni relations programs at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the University of California, Berkeley Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, the University of Washington School of Law, and the Ohio University College of Education. His expertise includes reengineering comprehensive fundraising programs, securing complex principal gifts, advancing grateful patient initiatives, strengthening alumni relations, developing high-performing teams, optimizing organizational structures, and executing modern, comprehensive campaigns. Mr. Bailey serves on the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) 50 Steering Committee and as a Board member of the Turkana Basin Institute, International Advisory Board (IAB) and the One Arroyo Foundation. He earned a BS in journalism from the Ohio University E.W. Scripps School of Journalism and an MBA from the University of Toledo. He […]
