Charleon has spent the last 18 years dedicated to improving and responding to issues of equity, inclusion, and justice at Penn State University. She is the inaugural Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) for Penn State’s Division Development of Alumni Relations (DDAR). In her role, she works directly with the Vice-President for DDAR in establishing and executing the Division’s strategic priorities for DE&I. Prior to joining the Division in May of 2018, Charleon spent five years as the lead diversity educator for Penn State’s faculty and staff across the Commonwealth, and 11 years of progressively more significant roles in the College of Education’s Office of Multicultural Programs. In addition, she is a member of the Penn State Presidential Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity and other University task forces. Charleon brings a deep theoretical understanding of concepts related to systemic oppression, equity, inclusion, intercultural awareness and humility, workplace culture, and change leadership. Charleon is a sought-after consultant and trainer who has worked with school districts, business leaders, non-profits, and community-based organizations. Charleon’s work is rooted in building business strategy for equity, inclusion, and belonging. Her work is aimed at diminishing the impact of, structural and systemic racism, unconscious bias, […]
Kate Harrison has built a superior portfolio of donor stewardship work over a decade in Higher Education and now with the nation’s number one cancer center. This includes launching award-winning volunteer programs, crafting bespoke donor engagements, and executing spectacular events and milestone celebrations. Kate believes that collaboration and a donor-centric mindset are the keys to success, whether it’s entertaining thousands of alumni at Rice University’s 2012 Centennial Celebration, spearheading a newly formed donor relations team at The University of Texas at Austin, or preparing for transformational comprehensive campaigns. She believes that there are many opportunities to steward donors and thank them along their giving journey, and that institutions have a golden opportunity to show the real and lasting impact of philanthropy. At the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Kate leads a team of fantastic donor relations professionals who steward endowments, recognitions and namings, impact reporting and principal/transformational gifts. Kate is an alumnus of Baylor University.
Alexis helps people maximize their potential to achieve organizational priorities. She believes people should be engaged by their work and have the opportunity for continuous growth and development. Her responsibilities include shaping the overarching strategy for talent management, coaching leaders and supervisors, and designing training and professional development programs for more than 250 staff. During her 20+ years of experience in higher education, Alexis has delivered educational experiences to hundreds of staff and students, led award-winning diversity and inclusion initiatives, and started two talent management departments. She is the founder of the Amplify Women and Gender Initiative, a professional development program for women in Advancement, and AKO Collective, a women’s leadership development company that offers training to women and girls. Alexis presents internationally on topics of gender inclusion and equity, including as a TEDx Speaker. Alexis holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational studies from the University of Michigan, a master’s degree in college student personnel from Bowling Green State University, and a certificate in organization development from Colorado State University. She is a certified StrengthsQuest Educator and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Practitioner.
Diana is a social impact consultant and agent of global change. She is a celebrated thought leader, teacher, writer, and speaker with extensive research experience. Inspired to “do more good in the world,” she builds and strengthens non-profit organizations through the transformative power of philanthropy and trains women as leaders in the realms of higher education, faith-based, and cultural organizations. Diana is credited as being a strategic thinker, maverick fundraiser, and dynamic speaker with awards in leadership, fundraising, and donor stewardship. Inspirational and innovative, Diana speaks on issues related to women in leadership, diversity and inclusion, major gifts and Giving Days. She tackles projects with a balance of grace, grit, and gravitas.
Rebecca is a well-known expert in higher education, leadership, and organizational transformation. She has coached and mentored dozens of university presidents, vice presidents, deans, and boards, helping them to realize professional, cultural, and structural change. Rebecca has served as Chancellor at the University of Denver, and as President of Swarthmore College and Colgate University. She is the co-founder of Strategic Positioning Associates. Rebecca’s administrative career began in 1998, with her appointment as Provost of Emory University, and thereafter she served as Dean of the Yale University Divinity School. She has served on the boards of the American Council of Education, the American Association of Colleges and Universities, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In addition to her consulting work, Rebecca is a popular speaker on transformation and higher education. She is a scholar of higher education and religion and change in America and is the author of seven books and more than 60 articles. She is the co-editor of Remaking College: Innovation and the Liberal Arts.
Phoebe, a nationally known leader in issues related to access and equity, served as chancellor of Rutgers University-Camden from July 2014 through 2020. She was dean of the University of Maryland School of Law from (2009-2014) and secured a $30million gift for the Law School; at the time this was the largest gift to a public law school, leading to its being named Francis King Carey School of Law. Under her leadership at Rutgers University-Camden the institution was able to widen affordable access to students through its landmark Bridging the Gap program, which provides full or significant tuition coverage for New Jersey’s poor and working families. She also amplified Rutgers-University’s role as an anchor institution in Camden and in the Delaware Valley by expanding the university’s nationally recognized civic engagement program. She continues her affiliation with Rutgers as Chancellor Emerita and University Professor of Rutgers Law School. Among other awards and recognitions, Phoebe has received the 2019 Ruth Bader Ginsburg Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of American Law Schools and the 2019 Smith College Medal. In 2015, she received the Trailblazer’s Award from the New Jersey Women Lawyer’s Association. In 2014, she was an invited speaker at the American […]
Kristine is an experienced leader in higher education, both as a faculty member and as an academic administrator. Specializing in the innovative, strategic administrative leadership of small, private institutions, Kristine has worked in diverse organizations, including multiple women’s colleges. At Columbia College in Columbia, South Carolina, which went co-ed in 2020, she oversees all aspects of faculty affairs, student support services, and the curriculum for traditional day and evening college students, as well as a growing online program. Kristine also serves as a dissertation chair and faculty member in Bay Path University’s Higher Education Leadership and Organizational Studies (HELOS) online doctoral program, teaching a variety of courses that include research methods, communities of practice, and dissertation completion support. Prior to joining Columbia College in 2022, she served in roles of increasing influence, including as a consultant in Academic Affairs at Bristol Community College in Fall River, Massachusetts. At Bristol, her focus was on developing departmental infrastructure, designing program review protocols as well as tools and training to support senior-level leaders. From 2010 through 2021, Kristine had several administrative roles at Bay Path University in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, serving as a leader in both Academic Affairs and Student Life. She joined Bay […]
Todd Rinehart is the Vice Chancellor for Enrollment at the University of Denver (CO). In his 24th year at Denver, Rinehart has helped elevate the University’s undergraduate reputation with unprecedented growth in enrollment, academic quality, and diversity. Rinehart previously worked at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette (La) and Bowling Green State University (OH). BGSU is also where Rinehart earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education. Rinehart is a noted speaker at local, regional, and national conferences, covering key issues related to enrollment management, college admission, and ethical practices. He currently serves as the President for the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), and will serve on that board through 2022. In 2017, Rinehart completed a two-year term as chair of NACAC’s Steering Committee on Admission Practices, a committee that wrote a new code of ethics for admission professionals, aligning emerging practices with the values and principles of the association. Prior to that, Rinehart chaired the national Admission Practices Committee, where his team monitored and enforced compliance with NACAC’s Code of Ethics.
Brittany has spent the last decade empowering campus connection in clinical and outreach/prevention efforts at the Counseling Centers of the University of Michigan, The University of Texas at Austin, and most recently as the Outreach & Prevention Coordinator at the University of Colorado Denver’s Student & Community Counseling Center. Brittany thrives on creating bespoke mental health trainings and unique programming, and recently was awarded a SAMHSA GLS Grant for these outreach endeavors. She presents interactive trainings for faculty & staff on countless mental health topics and presents at national conferences, such as AUCCCO and the like. Following clinical and research consultation in the Middle East and East Africa, Brittany continues to work with Arab and/or Muslim refugees in her Denver private practice, as well as clients with other intersecting marginalized identities, specializing in clinical work with these professionals around enoughness, trauma, relationships, and grief. Nationally, Brittany serves as an expert source for media outlets including the HuffPost and Oprah Magazine. She is the Chair of the NASW-Colorado PPG Committee.
Kellie is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Education Leadership at Capella University. She holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Regis University in Denver, Colorado, and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from State University of New York at Oneonta. She served as the Special Assistant to the President for Diversity from 2018-2020 and is the advisor to the MTU chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers. Before assuming her current role as Director in 2020, she was the Director at the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, where she led programming for the Center’s Social Justice Lecture Series, Cultural Competency Training, and Heritage and History month programming. Kellie has been working in higher ed for 16 years, with previous roles in Academic Support and Learning Center management.
