The challenges of growing up black and female in apartheid South Africa have been the foundation of the Rev. Nontombi Naomi Tutu’s life as a motivational speaker and activist for human rights. Those experiences taught her that our whole human family loses when we accept situations of oppression, and how the teaching and preaching of hate and division injure us all.The human rights activist’s professional experience ranges from being an economist and development consultant in West Africa to being a program coordinator for programs on Race and Gender and Gender-based Violence in Education at the African Gender Institute at the University of Cape Town. In addition, the Rev. Tutu has taught at the University of Hartford, the University of Connecticut and Brevard College in North Carolina. She served as Program Coordinator for the historic Race Relations Institute at Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn., and was a part of the Institute’s delegation to the World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa.
Growing up the “daughter of Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu” has offered Naomi many opportunities and challenges in her life. Perhaps one of the greatest struggles was the call to ministry. She knew early in life that the one thing she would never be was a priest. She always said, “I have my father’s nose, I do not want his job.” It refused to be silenced, even as she carried her passion for justice into other fields. The call to preach and serve as an ordained clergyperson continued to tug at her. Finally, in her 50s, she responded and went to seminary. She is an Episcopal priest who most recently served as Associate Rector at All Saints, Beverly Hills. She currently resides in Atlanta where she is a priest associate at All Saints’ Episcopal.
As well as speaking and preaching, the Rev. Tutu has established Nozizwe Consulting. Its mission is to bring different groups together to learn from and celebrate their differences and acknowledge their shared humanity. As part of this work, she has led Truth and Reconciliation Workshops for groups dealing with different types of conflict. She is the recipient of four honorary doctorates from universities and colleges in the U.S. and Nigeria.
Brandon Busteed is the CEO of BrandEd, a family-owned education company that delivers relevant, experiential courses taught by industry experts from the world’s best brands including Sotheby’s, Conde Nast, The New York Times and City Football.
Brandon is a mission-driven education and workforce development leader who has been part of successful runs as an entrepreneur of an EdTech company and an executive at two large, well-known organizations. He is a huge champion of work-integrated, experiential learning who believes the future won’t distinguish between places of learning and places of work.
Prior to BrandEd, Busteed served as Chief Partnership Officer and Global Head of Learn-Work Innovation at Kaplan where he led all of Kaplan’s work serving universities and companies, leveraging the organization’s highly diversified, global educational offerings and insights.
Brandon has strong entrepreneurial roots as the founder and CEO of Outside The Classroom, one of the country’s first successful Ed Tech companies which was acquired by EverFi in 2011. Its flagship online courses on alcohol abuse and sexual assault prevention have been taken by more than 13 million college students.
An internationally known speaker and author on education and workforce development, he has published more than 300 articles and keynoted more than 200 conferences. He is a LinkedIn “Top Voice” and a frequent contributor to Forbes.com.
Brandon received his bachelor’s degree in public policy from Duke University where he was also a two sport Division 1 athlete. He received an honorary doctorate from Augustana College. He is a trustee emeritus of Duke and has served on the Board of Visitors of the Sanford School of Public Policy.
He serves on the board of directors for the Business-Higher Education Forum - the nation’s oldest membership organization of Fortune 500 CEOs and college and university presidents dedicated to the creation of a highly skilled future workforce. He also serves on the board of directors for the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U).
Casey Wallace began her higher education career in 2004 in admissions at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, KS. In 2014 she accepted a position at the University of Kansas in admissions with transfer students. She is currently the Assistant Vice Provost/University Registrar at KU. She has been active in regional and national professional organizations, including President of the Kansas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers, and currently serves as Treasurer. She has presented on topics such as social media, recruitment and admissions, collaboration, and state and regional organizations.
Tim Dawson is a Principal Solutions Consultant here at Ellucian, and Tim recently celebrated his 10-year anniversary with us. And before coming to Ellucian Tim sat in your seat working at universities in Enrollment and Admissions. When you talk to Tim you can immediately feel his undeniable passion for Student Success.
Ean Freels is a Senior Solutions Consultant for Ellucian where he focuses heavily on financial aid and accounts receivable. He began working in the higher education industry in 2004 and has overseen the administration of student aid at both large and small institutions. He is a NASFAA Certified Financial Aid Administrator® and is proud to have facilitated several training opportunities to help others obtain NASFAA Credentials. Ean lives in Iowa with his wife, dogs, and banjos.
Kristin McDonald-Willey has over fifteen years of experience in higher education. She currently serves as the Director of Admissions and Registrar at Amarillo College. Kristin has previous experience with residential living, test proctoring, institutional effectiveness/program assessment, curriculum, teaching, and state reporting, but over a decade of her full-time professional responsibilities have been focused in enrollment management areas. Kristin holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master’s Degree in Instructional Technology and Design from West Texas A&M University. Kristin is also an active TACRAO member who has previously served as the TACRAO secretary and currently serves as the Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS) committee chair.
Capstone:
Amarillo College Administrative Drop Retention Study
LinkedIn Profile:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinmcdonaldwilley/
Motivated by a desire to transcend his agricultural roots, he embarked on an educational journey that led him from the fields to the classrooms of Boise State University. Having earned his bachelor's degree, Caloca gained five years of professional experience before returning to his alma mater for a master's degree, showcasing his unwavering commitment to education. This commitment has become the cornerstone of his career, dedicated to facilitating access to higher education for others.
In November 2003, Caloca initiated his career in higher education at Boise State University. Later, in July 2008, he played a pivotal role as a founding staff member of the College of Western Idaho (CWI) before the institution enrolled its first students. Currently, he holds a role overseeing Admissions and One Stop Student Services. Caloca is an active participant in various professional associations, including the Pacific Northwest Association for College Admission Counseling, National Association for College Admission Counseling, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, and Idaho Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers, where he served as President in 2012. Beyond his professional commitments, Caloca is deeply engaged in the community. He has served as a board member for the Idaho Latino Scholarship Foundation and the University of Idaho President’s Latino Advisory Council. Currently, he acts as the State Advisor for the Future Hispanic Leaders of America, a high school organization he co-founded in 1997. Caloca is also a board member for the Idaho Hispanic Business Association and an ambassador for the Idaho Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He serves on the Nampa Schools Foundation board and is a member of the Healthy Impact Nampa Coalition, reflecting his dedication to the city he proudly calls home.
Literature review on data-informed cultures in community colleges
LinkedIn Link:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/luiscaloca/
Nehlsen has an extensive background spanning over 20 years in higher education, with various roles within the registrar’s office, enrollment management, admissions and recruitment, and international education. She was recognized as a recipient of the NISOD Excellence Award in 2022 and previously served as president of the Illinois Consortium for International Studies and Programs for two terms. Nehlsen has presented at several national, regional, and state conferences and symposiums, covering diverse topics such international education enrollment management, best practices in study abroad, and addressing challenges encountered by community college practitioners. Nehlsen holds a B.A. from Truman State University, an M.A. from the University of Westminster, and a Ph.D. from Illinois State University. Her global perspective and commitment to cultural diversity is enriched by living in countries such as Australia, Russia, England, and Canada, coupled with travel experiences to more than 25 countries.
Navigating the Enrollment Funnel: Analyzing Barriers to Student Enrollment at Elgin Community College
https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenknehlsen/
When Michael Sorrell was selected to serve as the president of Paul Quinn College in 2007, it marked the beginning of a transformative and innovative era for the school. Dr. Sorrell has spearheaded one of the great turnaround stories of our time — leading Paul Quinn’s evolution from a failing institution to a higher education powerhouse. As the longest-tenured president in the college’s history, Dr. Sorrell has led the implementation of purpose-driven programs and initiatives that have improved graduation rates exponentially, reduced average student loan debt dramatically, and instilled a “WE Over Me” mentality in students, faculty, and the community at large. Dr. Sorrell has been revered throughout his historic tenure for his ability to reimagine organizations to better serve the needs of the people that depend on them. He is a testament to the power of purpose and vision.
Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau, Dr. Sorrell’s talks center on why the simplest approach to leadership is often the most effective one. As he engages the audience with the experiences that led him to Paul Quinn College, and the turnaround that followed, he introduces audiences to his values-based leadership formula. Dr. Sorrell emphasizes the importance of being authentic and establishing a vision as a leader and demonstrates how leaders can unite people around a shared mission. Sorrell is a polished storyteller who captures the audience’s attention from his first word and keeps it until the very end. His story of forgoing the opportunity to be part of an ownership group looking to purchase the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies — and serve as the team’s president — is one of sacrificing personal interest in order to serve and elevate others.
Prior to Dr. Sorrell’s tenure as president, Paul Quinn College was on the verge of permanent closure. He brought a vision for rebuilding the 151-year-old HBCU on foundations of problem-solving, entrepreneurship, and academic excellence. Dr. Sorrell’s revitalization plan began with rebranding the campus and partnering with PepsiCo to transform the college’s unused football field into the “WE Over Me Farm.” These initiatives were part of his broader mission to create a new urban college model and address the food desert in the surrounding community. Under Dr. Sorrell’s leadership, Paul Quinn College revamped its admissions policy to include the families of incoming students, established partnerships to increase academic offerings, and modernized operations leading to budget surpluses. By 2011, Paul Quinn had gone from struggling small college to being named the “HBCU of the Year.”
Among his most notable awards and recognitions, Dr. Sorrell has been named one of the “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” by Fortune Magazine, received the George W. Bush Presidential Center’s Bush Institute Trailblazer Citation, and is the only three-time recipient of the HBCU Male President of the Year Award. Dr. Sorrell has also been named by TIME Magazine as one of the “31 People Changing the South” and one of “America’s 10 Most Innovative College Presidents” by the Washington Monthly. Among his numerous board appointments, Dr. Sorrell has served as the chair of the Board of Governors for the Dallas Foundation and co-chair for the Aspen Prize. He has also been a trustee for the American Council of Education.
Before becoming president at Paul Quinn College, Dr. Sorrell served as a Special Assistant in the Executive Office of the President during the Clinton Administration, opened his own business, worked as a public affairs consultant, and practiced law.
Soledad O’Brien was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of fame in May 2023. She is an award-winning documentarian, journalist, speaker, author, and philanthropist, and founder of Soledad O’Brien Productions, a media production company dedicated to telling empowering and authentic stories on a range of social issues. She anchors and produces Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien, a Hearst political magazine program seen in 95% of the country. She is a correspondent for HBO Real Sports.
Soledad has a national impact through her speeches and books, including her critically acclaimed memoir The Next Big Story and Latino in America, and her 1.3 million Twitter followers.
Soledad O’Brien Productions’ most recent projects include the Peabody-Award winning documentary, The Rebellious Life of Rosa Parks, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and streams on Peacock, and the multi-part series Black and Missing, which won the Independent Spirit and NAACP awards, and streams on HBO. Other productions have appeared on Discovery Plus, CNN, BET, PBS, and others. She also works with major foundations, like Ford, to produce impactful documentaries on topics like hunger, race and public health.
She has a presence on the op-ed pages of places like the New York Times and Huffington Post, and gave Congressional testimony on media disinformation. She has anchored shows on CNN, MSNBC, and NBC, and CBS.
O’Brien’s work has been recognized with four Emmy awards, three times with the George Foster Peabody Award, four times with the Gracie Award, which honors women in media, twice with Cine Awards for her work in documentary films and with an Alfred I. DuPont Award.
She founded the PowHerful foundation in 2011 which has helped dozens of young women get to and through college and connects with thousands of others through regional mentoring conferences.
Dr. Leslie Quinn has served as a leader in higher education for more than 20 years and is dedicated to the mission of helping students achieve their educational goals. She holds a doctorate in Higher Education Leadership, a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and licensure as a professional counselor. She has served as the Registrar and Director of Enrollment Services for two colleges including Johnson County Community College and Louisiana State University at Alexandria. Through her leadership in both university and community college environments, she has led multiple areas of enrollment services including the Records Office, Veteran Services, Student Development Specialists, Admissions, Recruitment, Testing, and Orientation. With deep experience in the functions of enrollment management, she has facilitated implementation of best practices that support enrollment and build effective pathways to completion for students. She specializes in leveraging technology, removing barriers, bringing clarity to complex issues, and uniting teams to achieve greater results.
She brings a diverse background of experience in professional counseling, academic counseling, and more than two decades of leadership in enrollment services. She has led her teams through significant changes including transitioning from a two-year to a four-year university, implementation of a new student information system, development and execution of strategic plans, implementation of degree audit technology, and creation of programs that support student success. She has also assisted the broader campus community with adaptive challenges such as the creation of a Staff Council to support shared governance, development of the first Administrative Program Assessment Peer Review Committee, and implementation of a new Policy Review Committee.
In addition, Leslie has served on the National Student Clearinghouse Advisory Committee, the Credit for Prior Learning Taskforce for the Kansas Board of Regents, and multiple leadership roles for the Kansas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (KACRAO).
Pete also championed the establishment of a reduced tuition rate for students on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metro, supported a guaranteed scholarship for local high school students, launched the college’s foray in to Guided Pathways, and developed an admission portal to provide applicants up to the second status requirements.
Pete has a passion for process improvement. His ideas have led to the transformation of the boards of Kansas ACRAO and his Rotary club. Seeing the need for change to JCCC’s Concurrent Enrollment process, JCCC became one of the first colleges to require students to enroll themselves.
In addition to enrollment management related work, Pete taught Career/Life Planning for nearly ten years. He has also served on numerous civic committees.
Pete holds a B.A. degree in marketing and management from Missouri Southern State University and a M.A. degree in higher education administration from University of Missouri at Kansas City.
Request Dr. John Haller as a speaker
Vice President of Enrollment Management and New Student Strategies, University of Miami
AboutDr. John Haller is the Vice President of Enrollment Management and New Student Strategies at the University of Miami. Over the course of his career, he transformed two enrollment management areas taking a student success outcomes driven approach. During his time at Miami, he led the movement from a largely merit-based to a hybrid merit- and need-based financial aid strategy where 100% of financial need is met. He also implemented a test-optional holistic admission review approach. The institution realized a 60%+ increase in applications and a 50%+ increase in yield. The institution also realized a $10,000 decrease in student indebtedness upon graduation and the highest freshman retention and six-year graduation rates in university history.
Prior to Miami, John served as the Associate Provost for Enrollment Management at Saint Joseph’s University. At Saint Joseph’s, the University attained the highest first-year persistence rate in university history. First year enrollment also grew by 24% as did entering student credentials and student of color enrollment. Student indebtedness at graduation also declined by $6,000. John also held positions in student success at Drexel University, MBA Admission at Vanderbilt University, and Undergraduate Admission at Denison University.
Dr. Haller is an honors graduate in economics and statistics from the University of Michigan, received master’s degrees in business and higher education, and received his Ed.D. in higher education from the University of Pennsylvania.
Program Associate, Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, Axelle Nassirou is the Project Associate for the Refugee Students Initiative with the Presidents’ Alliance. She is an attorney with global experience advising public institutions and private organizations, notably in public international law. While she has gained expertise in U.S. immigration law doing pro bono work for several nonprofits in D.C., her interest in immigration stems from her experience as an immigrant and her dedication to social justice. She has previously founded a social venture EdTech, which aims at improving African students’ global mobility and access to Higher Education. She holds an LL.M. from the George Washington University Law School and a MA in Gender and Development from the Australian National University.
Christina is a Placement Advisor at the Institute of International Education. She has advised students in the Middle East seeking undergraduate and graduate degrees in the arts and humanities. Currently, she is working on the Welcome Corps on Campus program to place refugee students located in Kenya and Jordan in U.S. institutions for undergraduate degrees. Christina holds a PhD in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology from Bryn Mawr College.
Laura Wagner, Director, Refugee Student Initiatives, Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, Laura Wagner is the Director of Refugee Access. Most recently, Laura was the Senior Program Officer for Integration at Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) where she worked with a national network of refugee resettlement agencies to develop innovative and client-centered programs for refugee integration. Laura’s expertise includes refugee resettlement, education, and integration, program development, and project and grants management. Laura graduated from Bucknell University and earned her master’s in International Education Development from Teachers’ College, Columbia University.