Jennifer DeHaemers is Vice President of Student Recruitment and Retention at Central Michigan University. She has worked in higher education for more than 35 years, holding positions in domestic and international admissions and enrollment management at a community college and three public four-year institutions in Missouri, Illinois, and Michigan. An Interview with Jeff Selingo
David R. Johnson is an Associate Professor of Higher Education in the Department of Educational Policy Studies at Georgia State University. His research agenda examines how universities are shaped by changes in their institutional environments, especially as it relates to capitalism, religion and politics. His most recent work appears in Educational Researcher, Harvard Educational Review, and Innovative Higher Education. Departure from College: The Role of the Social Network of Students
Leah Adinolfi is the Dean of Student Engagement and Director of Assessment in the Division of Student Life & Enrollment at East Tennessee State University (ETSU). She also serves as Adjunct Faculty in the Departments of Counseling and Human Services and Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis with ETSU’s Clemmer College. Dr. Adinolfi has more than 20 years of experience in higher education and non-profit organizations managing projects, developing resources and mobilizing young people and community volunteers. Since earning her Doctorate in Educational Leadership & Policy at Vanderbilt University in 2020, her research has continued to explore factors influencing college student persistence and success, with particular focus on the effects of relationships with faculty, staff and peers for diverse student populations and campus environments.
Departure from College: The Role of the Social Network of Students
A native of the Dominican Republic, Angela Batista grew up in Brooklyn, New York. A first-generation college student and professional, she is an experienced and successful educator and leader and the former vice president of student affairs and institutional diversity and inclusion at Champlain College. Batista has worked in K–12 and higher education institutions across the United States and held senior level positions at Oregon State University, the University of Southern Indiana, and Mills College. She also worked at the University of Vermont and Lynn University, is a former marriage and family therapist, and an experienced high school teacher, counselor, and administrator. Batista founded Batista Consulting Services (BCS) in September 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. BCS is an international executive coaching, speaking, and consulting firm providing expertise and customized resources and services to individuals, teams, and organizations in higher education and in the private and non-profit sectors.
Dr. Robin Holmes-Sullivan is the 26th President of Lewis & Clark College, the first woman and person of color to serve in that role in the institution’s 155-year history. She began her tenure as president in July 2022 after serving as the college’s vice president for student life and dean of students for three years. During her time as vice president and dean of students, Holmes-Sullivan demonstrated a commitment to creative leadership, secured funding for an improved student experience and developed a comprehensive plan for the division of student life. Holmes-Sullivan came to Lewis & Clark from the University of California, where she served as vice president for student affairs with responsibilities across the 10-campus, 200,000-student system. Prior to that, she spent 25 years at the University of Oregon, ultimately serving as vice president of student life, a position she held for nine years. Holmes-Sullivan has also maintained a private clinical psychology and consulting practice for more than two decades.
Dr. Sumun L. Pendakur (Sumi) believes that we have infinite capability to imagine and enact a more just, equitable, and compassionate world. Pendakur is a scholar-practitioner, an activist-educator, a skilled facilitator, and a mom. With nearly 20 years in the field of higher education and a decade as a DEI speaker and trainer, Pendakur's work and research focuses on helping campuses, corporations, non-profits, and other organizations build capacity for social justice and racial equity by empowering individuals at all levels to be transformational agents of change in their spheres of influence. Most recently, Pendakur was the Chief Learning Officer and Director of the USC Equity Institutes at the USC Race and Equity Center, dedicated to advancing racial justice in higher education and other sectors. Prior to that position, Pendakur held roles as the assistant vice president for diversity and inclusion at Harvey Mudd College, serving on the President’s Cabinet and directing the Office of Institutional Diversity, and as the director for USC Asian Pacific American student services.
Art Coleman is Managing Partner and co-founder of EducationCounsel LLC. He provides policy, strategic, and legal counseling services to national non-profit organizations, school districts, state agencies, and postsecondary institutions throughout the country, where he addresses issues associated with:
Courtesy of a Corporation for a Skilled Workforce
Melissa Goldberg is the Director of Competencies & Credentials leading CSW’s portfolio of work focused on dramatically expanding the use of competencies and non-degree credentials within learning and talent management systems to increase economic mobility for low-wage workers and address racial disparities. Melissa will continue to position CSW as a leader in a growing national movement to advance the use of competencies as essential currency within education and labor markets through the use of tools such as CSW’s CompXchange, by building systems of incremental credentials, and ensuring competencies and nondegree credentials increase equity and worker advancement.
For more than 20 years, Melissa has advised state policy makers, industry executives and college leaders on leveraging the strengths of these sectors to improve outcomes for students, workers, and businesses. She has counseled community college workforce leaders on improving student outcomes, facilitated state and regional strategic planning efforts, authored studies of effective workforce development practices, and provided technical assistance to foundations, federal agencies, businesses, and community colleges across the country.
Prior to joining CSW, Melissa’s work has taken her to national consulting organizations, Volta Learning Group and Workforce Strategy Center, as well as higher educational institutions. At Southern New Hampshire University she leveraged her research to inform the development of College for America, a set of online, competency-based certificate and degree programs targeted to working adults. She also spent eight years leading workforce development and business outreach at community colleges in the New York metropolitan region. Melissa received her master’s degree in public policy analysis from New York University’s Wagner School for Public Service and her bachelor’s degree in international affairs and Spanish from the University of Maine.
AACRAO Elections Position Statement (2024-2025 Nominations & Elections Committee)
If I'm elected to the Nominations and Elections Committee, I will use it as an opportunity to learn, network, and provide my experience and resources to the mission of the committee. My goal as a committee member is to increase access to information and resources and be a steward to the association. With this opportunity I hope to expand my knowledge, learn new things and network with other higher education professionals.
AACRAO Bio
Tashana Curtis’s twenty plus career in higher education has included work in various administrative and registrar roles in academic and student services at different institutions, and most recently the University of Maryland Baltimore where she is currently serves as the Associate Registrar for Enrollment Administration. Throughout her career, she has assisted in implementing student information systems and other programs to ensure student success. Tashana is student centered and focuses on student success. Tashana holds a bachelor's degree in Social Science from Troy University, and she is currently completing her master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Maryland Global Campus.
Ingrid Nuttall is the Deputy Registrar at Northeastern University. In this role, she works with all things records, student systems, and data. Ingrid is also co-founder of Just Education, a University of Minnesota research and outreach collaborative exploring how to reverse the ripple effect of incarceration in the state. She holds a bachelor's degree in history, a master’s degree in Mass Communication, and is currently finishing her master’s degree in public affairs (all at the University of Minnesota).
Michel Frendian is a consultant with Spelman Johnson. Based in Chicago, Michel leads searches across a range of institutional types and administrative functions, with a particular depth of practice in enrollment management, graduate and professional education, and student affairs.
Michel joined Spelman Johnson after 30 years in higher education. He most recently served as dean of enrollment management at the Erikson Institute in Chicago. Previously, he served as vice president for enrollment management and student affairs at San Francisco Art Institute, as director of international affairs at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and in residential life positions at DePaul University, Elmhurst College, and Occidental College.
Motivated by a deep belief that education and social impact organizations serve the greater public good, Michel is passionate about helping organizations recruit exceptional leaders. He develops close and effective working relationships with his clients to ensure that he thoroughly understands their mission, strategy, and culture. He is creative and meticulous in crafting searches, building deep candidate pools, and recruiting best-in-class leaders who add great value to their organizations. Clients appreciate his integrity, thoughtful counsel, and attentiveness throughout the search process.
Michel’s most recent board service includes two years with the National Deans and Directors of Social Work Admissions and six years with Positive Parenting DuPage, a regional collaboration that addresses the needs of young children and their families. He has held leadership roles with numerous professional associations, including the Association of University Housing Officers-International, American College Personnel Association, and NASPA—Student Affairs Administrators in Higher
Ellen Heffernan is president of Spelman Johnson, a premier executive search firm committed to serving education, advocacy associations, and social impact organizations. Ellen provides strategic and operational leadership of the firm and oversees its presidential/CEO search practice. Under her direction, Spelman Johnson has emerged as one of the nation’s most respected executive search firms. Over the course of its 30-year history, Spelman Johnson has conducted more than 1,700 searches in partnership with institutions of higher education, independent schools, professional associations, and non-profit agencies across the country. All of the firm’s consultants have significant experience in education and non-profit administration and executive search, which enables them to understand the strategic challenges and cultures of their client organizations, deliver robust and diverse candidate pools, and provide an unrivaled level of client engagement.
In addition to leading Spelman Johnson and working directly with clients on search assignments, Ellen serves on the faculty of several leadership development programs, including the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education (AABHE) Leadership and Mentoring Institute, NASPA—Senior Student
Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, and College Board Middle State’s Mid-Level Institute professional development institutes. Ellen has published numerous articles and is valued for her thought leadership on talent acquisition, building organizational capacity, and issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. She serves as an adviser to governing boards, presidents and chancellors, and other campus and system leaders and policymakers.
Ellen joined Spelman Johnson in 1996, after a 10-year career in higher education that included positions at Smith College and the University of Massachu setts Amherst. A recipient of NASPA’s Pillar of the Profession Award, given for sustained professional distinction in higher education, Ellen has received many honors and awards, including the AABHE’s President’s Award and the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International’s Parthenon Award and S. Earl Thompson Award, to name a few. She currently serves on the board of the National Association of Executive Recruiters and is a member of the American Council on Education
Wil Perkins is Graduate Registrar and Coordinator of Graduate and Professional Support at Harding University. His career in higher education began in 2010, and he has worked in academic affairs, institutional research, and the registrar’s office. At Harding University, he provides strategic leadership and partnership to graduate and professional programs.
He is a member of ArkACRAO, SACRAO, and AACRAO and has presented at their annual conferences. His 2021 SEM AACRAO presentation won the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center Award. He also serves on the Client Advisory Board for CollegeSource and is a frequent presenter at their user conferences.
Dr. Perkins earned his B.S. from Freed-Hardeman University, his M.A. from Lipscomb University, his M.Ed. from Abilene Christian University, and his Ed.D. from Harding University.