Shana is a certified Human Behavior Consultant and Certified Executive Coach. She is certified in a variety of self-assessment tools, including DiSC, Bar-On Emotional Intelligence, Hogan, Myers-Briggs and RightPath. Shana is the lead on strategic planning research, development, and writing for many Leadership Institute clients, including the City of Columbus’ “10 Year Plan to End Homelessness.” Shana is also extremely active in the Columbus community, serving on the board of directors for the Columbus Alliance for Battered Women, (DBA Hope Harbour Board), and as a member of the Mayor’s Opportunity Center Task Force and the Junior League of Columbus. She is a member of Leadership Georgia‘s Class of 2019. In 2016, she was named as one of Georgia Trend’s “40 Under 40.” Shana is a 2009 graduate of the Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Columbus and was named one of Columbus and the Valley Magazine’s “5 Under 40” in 2012.
Johann has over 24 years of experience as a consultant working with companies in the Silicon Valley to align product development portfolios to strategy, and to prioritize them for the most effective implementation. She has served in executive R&D and Operations positions at a San Jose, CA-based biosciences company, co-founded a management consulting practice in San Jose, and co-founded a consulting practice focused on higher education. Johann was an instructor for Stanford University Center for Professional Development for eleven years, where she taught leadership and strategy courses for the Stanford Advanced Program Management credential series at corporate clients including Cisco, Google, Janssen and Merck. She is currently an instructor for Duke Corporate Education and has also taught and developed curriculum for university programs. Johann is an engaging leader with a track record of increasing organization competencies. She is uniquely capable of building rapport and influencing people at all levels of an organization, in a myriad of cultures, worldwide and collaboratively. She brings proven leadership to Academic Strategy Partners to help colleges and universities in North America align academic programs to institutional strategy and values. Johann holds degrees in Petroleum Engineering and Technical Communication from New Mexico Institute of Mining and […]
During his 18 years at SOU, Dan has served in a variety of campus leadership roles including leading SOU’s campus-wide program prioritization project and serving as the campus liaison for a four-year nationwide research project on the belongingness mindset. He also helped to create an annual international conference on the scholarship of creativity for which he continues to serve as the Executive Director. Dan has chaired a presidential task force that focused on how to infuse creativity programming into the curricular and co-curricular aspects of the university. He earned his Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of Tennessee and a Masters in I/O Psychology from Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minnesota.
Previously, Eden was associate professor of English and founding director of diversity studies at Mount Mercy University, where she also served as Dr. Thomas R. Feld Chair for Teaching Excellence and Deputy Title IX Coordinator. She is AtIXa trained in Title IX and Civil Rights investigation and coordination. Eden has worked as an educator at violence prevention centers and as a victim’s advocate for sexual assault response teams. She regularly publishes and lectures on how we can respond to one another across differences and in times of crisis. Her book, Reading Testimony, Witnessing Trauma: Confronting Race, Gender, and Violence in American Literature (UP Mississippi 2020) was awarded the Eudora Welty Prize for contributing a new approach to understanding literature and culture, especially through the experiences of women of color. Because of her advocacy for women and children of color, Eden was a finalist for the 2016 United State of Women’s White House Summit Award and 2018 Big of the Year through Big Brothers Big Sisters. In 2017, she was named Woman of the Year by the Women’s Equality Coalition.
Karen serves as Vice President and Dean for Graduate Education and holds academic appointments as tenured Professor in the Departments of Sociology and Department of Human Nutrition, Foods & Exercise at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. Since her arrival at Virginia Tech, her major accomplishments include success in building a strong, diverse and inclusive graduate community; establishing the national award-winning innovative Graduate Life Center (GLC); and implementing the signature academic initiative known as Transformative Graduate Education (TGE), including the global perspectives and preparing the future professoriate programs. She also has been recognized nationally as a leader in the innovative use of technology in graduate education.
Ava is a faculty and leadership coach with more than 25 years of experience in higher education. Drawing upon nearly a decade of experience as an on-air television news reporter, she brings a keen awareness of communication and presentation skills. She helps clients work through major transitions in their professional and personal lives by focusing on the little things that lead to big successes. Ava believes it’s important to minimize distractions to maximize YOUR agenda. She earned her coaching certification through Coach Training EDU. Ava leads a faculty mentorship program at Northwestern University. She is particularly adept at addressing the unique challenges and opportunities facing women and faculty of color. Ava is author of Ladies Leading: The Black Women Who Control Television News; and director of “Mandela in Chicago,” a documentary film about the city’s anti-apartheid movement. She is currently working on another film about the history and experiences of Black Women Faculty at Northwestern. In addition to teaching, she has held several administrative posts including associate dean for curriculum, department chair, co-curator for the nationally recognized Ida B. Wells award and co-director of the South Africa Journalism Residency Program. Ava holds both a Ph.D. in African American Studies and […]
Nick is a mission-driven, innovative, and supportive leader who promotes collaboration, teamwork, achievement, and success. Proficient in building teams by developing people, processes, and systems to drive efficiencies and results. Nick has over ten years of experience working with individual, corporate, and foundation donors. And an additional six years of experience within the music industry, leading a team that identified, created, and produced a spectrum of events from live performances, festivals, marketing activations, and hospitality events on a global scale. Nick currently serves as the Executive Director of Colleges and Schools at The University of Alabama, where he is responsible for establishing best practices, strategic direction, vision, and leadership for the fundraising and constituent engagement for six of the eleven colleges and schools at UA. He’s also the co-architect of a strategic approach to fundraising that has seen the University re-shape its approach to developing and sustaining fundraising success. Nick earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wolverhampton in England and has held fundraising positions at The University of Virginia and The University of Southern Mississippi.
Through an eclectic approach to leadership, Hawken prioritizes context, culture, and ethics. He channels the power of authentic relationships to align tools and talent in a manner that transforms goals into realities. He is the co-architect of a strategic approach to fundraising that is based in tried and true fundraising best practices. This holistic approach to fundraising is bolstered by dynamic analytics, intuitive tools, optimized portfolios, streamlined processes, transparent expectations, and robust coaching—all of which have contributed to professional competency building and improved fundraising performance at The University of Alabama. Hawken has provided strategic leadership for annual/regular giving, major giving strategies, parent/family philanthropy, prospect development, and records maintenance. Prior to a career shift to higher education philanthropy, he served in various counseling, student life/services, and instructor roles at Clemson University and The University of Alabama. These prior experiences shaped his understanding of the pivotal role philanthropy plays in forming the ideal conditions that allow students, faculty, and staff to flourish. Hawken earned his PhD from The University of Alabama, his master’s from Clemson University, and his bachelor’s degree from Mississippi State University.
Wendi develops and delivers innovative, relevant, and sustained programs designed to maximize individual and institutional effectiveness. She recently served as the Director of Columbus State University’s Center for Servant Leadership, which houses the undergraduate Servant Leadership Program, as well as the Internal Leadership Development department. Wendi holds a Doctor of Education Degree from Columbus State University, an Educational Specialist Degree in Instructional Technology from the University of West Georgia, a Master’s Degree in Secondary Education and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Secondary Education/English from Columbus State University.
Sarah oversees the Marquette University Alumni Association National Board of Directors and assists in alumni communication efforts on behalf of the university. Most recently, Sarah led the launch of Beyond MU virtual life-long learning programing to engage alumni, parents, and friends. In her role, she manages a team of alumni engagement professionals who educate alumni on ways to become advocates and ambassadors, inspire a culture of philanthropy, mobilize alumni for networking, recruitment, and volunteerism. They also organize in-person and virtual events that result in meaningful connections and philanthropic support, as well as coordinate college, regional, and affinity group programs that help expand Marquette’s engagement footprint. For Sarah, the most inspiring part about her work are the opportunities that emerge from the engagement team’s work in relationship building, cultivation, and stewardship with alumni, parents, and friends, which sustain connections to Marquette and ultimately result in philanthropic support. Sarah previously served on the Donor Relations team at Marquette and transitioned to the corporate world for a few years before returning to Marquette in 2016. She earned both her bachelor’s and MBA degrees from Marquette University.
