Grace Bjorkman serves as the Assistant Director of Admissions for Staff Development and Recruitment Strategies at Westmont College. She has spent five years recruiting a key territory of students, and additionally helps manage the counseling staff. She has served as a liaison between Salesforce development teams and admissions to ensure the system is best designed to help counselors in their interactions with prospective students, along with in their management of prospect pools. She has her BA in Communication Studies from Westmont College.
Douglas Little serves as the AVP for Enterprise Systems for Georgetown University. Prior to joining UIS, Doug served in a variety of roles across functional areas including serving as the Director of First Year Experience & Student Resource Center at Rollins College, the Director of Orientation & Family Programs and at George Mason University, and the Senior Assistant Dean for the Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies, where he helped launch the university's first online degree program. Within these roles Doug has provided organizational leadership in the areas of technology innovation, advising, enrollment services, admissions, leadership development, and international service learning. Doug presently leads the Student Systems, Educational Technology, BI, HR/Finance, and the Georgetown360 Salesforce implementation teams.
Maggie Smith is a manager of the COVID 19 response team at Georgetown University. Prior to working with the Public Health team, Maggie worked in a number of roles in the Sports Medicine sphere including working with Georgetown University athletics, clinical instructor for collegiate and graduate students at West Virginia University and Salisbury University, clinical specialist at Fusion Physical Therapy and Sports Performance, and head athletic trainer at Morgantown High School. Within these roles, Maggie has written and modified policies to implement use of electronic medical records, sports medicine management of COVID 19, and Public Health response to COVID 19 at the University level. Maggie received her Doctorate in Athletic Training from Temple University where she worked specifically with the use of online platforms in higher education as well as the incidence of mental health disorder following concussion.
Sarah Shohet serves as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the School of Health at Georgetown University. Prior to joining Academic Affairs, Sarah was the Director of Admissions for the School of Nursing & Health Studies at Georgetown, and previously worked in admissions and career placement at Boston University and MIT. Sarah's passion in higher education lies with helping undergraduates navigate the complexities of being a college student in the 21st century. Sarah was intricately involved in the recent split of Georgetown's School of Nursing & Health Studies into two schools: Georgetown School of Health and Georgetown School of Nursing. In this capacity, Sarah interfaced with professionals from all over the Georgetown campus, including UIS, the Registrar's Office, Admissions, Alumni Relations, and Student Affairs. Sarah now leads the Academic Affairs team in the newly launched School of Health.
Zak Landrum serves as Director of CRM and Data Services at Westmont College, and is a former member of the Salesforce Higher Ed Advisory Council (2020-2021). He also manages the Center for Applied Technology, a program designed to train students on the Salesforce platform by building practical solutions for the college. Zak has ten years experience in higher education systems management, ranging from gift processing, to prospect research, to reporting and analysis. He is a certified Salesforce Admin. He received his Master of Nonprofit Management degree from the University of San Francisco, and his BA in Theatre Arts from Westmont College.
Korbin Breeden serves as Data and Communications Analyst at Westmont College, and is a former Admissions Counselor as well. He also manages the new Admissions Development Representative (ADR) team at the Center for Applied Technology, a program designed to train students on the Salesforce platform by building practical solutions for the college. Korbin is in his third year working in higher education systems management, ranging from admissions enablement to Marketing Cloud Administration to reporting and analysis. He received his BA in Political Science from Westmont College.
Dr. Leming currently serves as the Vice Chancellor for Student Success at the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR). In her role at TBR, she works closely with the student affairs operations at 13 community colleges and 27 Technical Colleges and serves as the System level advocate to other state agencies and the legislature on student related issues. During the past eight years at TBR, she has been instrumental in advancing student affairs and student success initiatives related to accessibility, high impact practices, and support for low-income and minority student populations. Dr. Leming also serves as an instructor in the East Tennessee State University Community College Leadership graduate program.
She has over 20 years of experience in student affairs at institutions in Tennessee, Virginia, New York, and Georgia and 11 years of combined service in the State of Tennessee. In 2019, Dr. Leming was the recipient of the NASPA Region III Outstanding Senior Student Affairs Officer award. Dr. Leming received her PhD from the Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia, her MA Ed. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Virginia Tech, and her B.S. in Mass Communications from Moorhead State University.
Request Dr. Mike Simmons as a speaker
AboutMike Simmons, Ph.D. is the Associate Executive Director of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships at AACRAO, where he manages a portfolio of external grants and special projects, with a particular focus on Comprehensive Learner Records (CLRs).
He retired from the University of North Texas, where he served as the Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs in the Provost’s Office of Curricular Innovation and Academic Partnerships. He led a number of academic innovation projects, including the development of the Career Connect Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR/LER). Before joining the UNT team, Dr. Simmons was the Assistant Vice President for Lifelong Learning at Texas Woman’s University. He also previously served as the founding director of the Marshall Technology Institute.
He holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration and Urban Affairs from the University of Texas at Arlington and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His Bachelor of Arts degree in History is from King College in Bristol, Tennessee.
Dr. Simmons is responsible for leading the consulting, corporate partnerships and grants teams in creating and maintaining valuable strategic relationships and creating resource opportunities that allow AACRAO to meet strategic goals and serve our members.
Board & Governance Division Tiffany graduated from Marymount University with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Fashion Merchandising and Marketing. She spent several years working as a stylist and personal shopper for various retailers before joining AACRAO. In 2013, Tiffany joined AACRAO as an Assistant Director for Marketing in the International Department (formerly AACRAO International Education Services). She spent a number of years planning and coordinating the various international workshops and institutes. In March 2020, Tiffany transitioned roles to become the Associate Director for Board Services and began working closely with the AACRAO Board of Directors.
Tiffany facilitates the coordination of scheduling and the communication between the Executive Team and board members.
Jonathan Lord, Ed.D., is Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at the College of Southern Idaho (CSI) where he oversees student affairs and enrollment services, reporting directly to the president and sitting on the president's cabinet. A highly accomplished and dedicated education professional, he has been recognized for his extensive contributions to educational leadership, strategic enrollment management, and community engagement. Since 2015, he has held pivotal roles, leaving a lasting impact on education in Idaho. These include serving as assistant dean of teacher education at Idaho State University as well as the chair of the education department, assistant dean of early college, and dean of student access at CSI.
Dr. Lord is an active contributor to the field, with notable presentations at conferences such as RCCA, AACRAO, NISOD, and NACEP. He holds a doctorate in higher education leadership from Idaho State University.
Capstone:
Lord's capstone was writing a Strategic Enrollment Management and Retention Plan for the College of Southern Idaho.Review of: The Price You Pay for College
Review of: Direct Admissions Report
Christopher Buonocore is currently the Director of Student Success Initiatives at CUNY Lehman College. Chris graduated with a BA in Psychology from Queens College and an MSEd in Higher Education Administration from Baruch College.
Tracey has over 32 years of experience in higher education, having previously worked at the University of Maryland, University of Baltimore, University of Maryland School of Nursing and American Intercontinental University. With AACRAO, she has served on various committees and task forces, including a term as Vice President for Admissions and Enrollment Management on the Board of Directors and a former chair of AACRAO’s Nominations and Elections Committee. She sits on or has served on various committees within Maryland, including the State Transfer Advisory Council, the Maryland College Commission for Student Veterans, and the State Advisory Board for Future Business Leaders of America. Tracey is a 1997 graduate of Leadership Howard County. She holds a B.A. from the University of Maryland and an M.A. from the University of Baltimore. Currently, she is a doctoral student at Marymount University where her research is focused on post-legislation trends on dual enrollment, persistence and graduation.
Michael Flanigan is the Associate Vice President - Strategic Initiatives and Project Management, Division of Strategic Enrollment Management & Student Success, Virginia Commonwealth University.
Earl Bowen Jr. received his Ph.D. in the School of Human Service Professions from Widener University and MSW from the School of Social Administration at Temple University. He currently leads Cheyney University’s counseling and psychological services for its students. His former experience includes work as a Behavioral Therapist in the Office of Student Affairs at Lincoln University and as a Lecturer at Bryn Mawr College in the Graduate School of Social Work & Social Research. In 2018 he worked at Gratz College as Instructor of the course, Historical Origins and Developmental Patterns of African American Jewry and in January 2016, he was appointed as an Affiliate Professor at the University of Haifa.
Dr. Bowen’s research background focus addresses the psychosocial implications of prostate cancer among African American men and helping students handle the stresses of college life. In January 2015, his work on prostate cancer survivorship among this population was published in The Journal of Research and Development and subsequently in the International Journal of Neurorehabilitation. He is a former member of the University of Pennsylvania’s Prostate Cancer Academy, and current member of the African Caribbean Cancer Consortium’s prostate cancer initiative in Philadelphia and has worked with the HEAL PA initiative in response to making the Commonwealth a trauma-informed and responsive state. His research findings on community-based approaches that address prostate cancer health disparities, health care access, and the influence of culture on health behaviors have been presented at the 2018 Science of Global Prostate Cancer Disparities in Black Men Conference at the University of Llorin in Llorin, Nigeria and the National Association of Social Work Oncologists annual meeting in San Diego, California. Most recently, he served as the Co-PI on a research grant with the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities and continues his work to advance solutions for the mental health and wellness of postsecondary students. You can tune into his Mental Health Monday Mornings sessions on 102.6 The Situation Internet radio.
Rakin “Rock” Hall is the Vice President of Enrollment Management at Ithaca College. Being a higher education professional with experience working at 5 different institutions frames Rock’s thinking around building teams and student cohorts. Working within executive leadership at R1 institutions, medium size state schools, and now a small university allows him to pull from a breadth of experiences in order to narrow gaps and create stronger fidelity between systems. Rock is passionate about inclusion and plurality. Diversity is a key part of any successful equation.
Request President Randy Weber as a speaker
President, Rogue Community College
AboutPresident Randy Weber took the leadership reigns of Rogue Community College in July 2022. His focus since then has been on elevating the college’s strengths, supporting his strong faculty and staff and developing postsecondary pathways for residents of the Rogue Valley. He strongly believes his success will be driven by engaging faculty and staff as active collaborators and front-line experts with rich contributions to be cultivated.
President Weber works to inspire his colleagues toward innovative problem-solving – seeking new pathways to: increase student enrollment; ease access; reduce barriers; and ensure high student completion rates for whatever program, course or certificate students pursue. He also prioritizes the creation of strong partnerships with the larger community that lead to higher paying jobs and a stronger regional workforce.
President Weber is guided in his leadership through his significant experience in strategic planning, institutional research, budgeting, facilities, accreditation, enrollment management and student affairs. He is an advocate of ongoing training for faculty and staff in teaching technologies and student engagement strategies. In his leadership role, President Weber inspires his team to put the student experience first when approaching a new idea or solution to a challenge.
As to his journey before RCC, President Weber is a first-generation community college graduate himself, and an alum of the well-respected Aspen Presidential Fellowship Program for Community College Excellence. He received his Doctorate in Education from Baker University in Overland Park, Kansas. He holds both a master’s and bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, and began his education by completing his Associate of Science degree with Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kansas. Prior to his presidency at RCC, President Weber served in cabinet level positions for 14 years at three distinctly different schools.
President Weber and his wife, Sasha, enjoy mountain and beach hikes with their dog throughout the Rogue Valley and along the Oregon coast. Their adult son lives and works in the city of Denver. They are excited to call Southern Oregon home.
Deedre Daniel wanted a more exciting life, and she knew she needed to be more interesting to get it. She changed her life by becoming the founder of two businesses: The Big Fat Tip, 501(c)(3), and The Interesting Conversations Company®. Deedre is on a mission to push positivity into the world and help people think creatively, LAUGH, and build stronger bonds with others. Being in a rut feels like being stuck in a vat of peanut butter, and she expertly shows you how to set yourself free.
Before starting these organizations, she spent nearly two decades at GEICO, where she rose through the ranks from call center sales associate to head of the Affinity Marketing division. Her division was responsible for the relationship management of 800 corporate partners, which generated over $6 Billion a year in written auto premium. (No, she didn't get a commission on that.) For 11 years, the primary function of her job was a paid professional schmoozer - attending multiple networking events nearly every week for those organizations. Most people struggled to connect at these gatherings, and she had to find an effective way to create memorable moments with potential customers. After a decade of turning boring conversations into fascinating ones, Deedre was inspired to create a keynote and training course called, How to be More Interesting Than a Cell Phone®. She invented The Very Interesting Game™ to accompany it, which she turned into an online game show when COVID-19 demolished her newly-launched speaking business.
Every week, she writes new game cards for virtual game shows for various themes. She often weaves corporate facts seamlessly into the game for sponsors, a unique way for customers to interact with brands. Deedre has a book coming out this year, an app in development, and a new "Very Interesting Person" certificate program. Her husband, Rob, and their dog, Spartacus, live in Lakeland, Florida, with her active imagination.
Dr. David L. Graham is currently a senior-level administrator at The Ohio State University, serving as the Assistant Vice Provost for Student Academic Success. He joined Ohio State in January 2006 as the Director of Student Athlete Support Services. In 2011, he was promoted to Assistant Provost for Student Athlete Success, and in 2018 he was promoted to Assistant Vice-Provost for Student Academic Success. In this role, he assists the Vice Provost for Student Academic Success with the management of administrative functions and planning strategic initiatives that support undergraduate student success. He also provides direction to a number of university-wide programs that serve undergraduate students and develops, implements, monitors, and revises policies and procedures related to student success.
Dr. Graham serves as a liaison to the Strategic Enrollment Planning Office, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Division of Student Life, and the Department of Athletics. He has been recognized for his ability to develop and implement strategic plans to achieve student success goals and increase student engagement. His research is focused on various issues concerning the administration of intercollegiate athletics in higher education (e.g., academic integrity and achievement, gender, racial and ethnic diversity, Title IX, corporate sponsorship, learning disabilities, and fiscal responsibility), and the effects of college on student athlete development and learning outcomes.