Request Dr. Dannette Beane as a speaker
Dr. Beane has 18 years of experience working with students from pre-K to doctoral education. Her research focuses on advocacy for underrepresented and marginalized students including special focus on the Movement for Black Lives and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients. Dr. Beane is a licensed school counselor and published author on career development, mentoring, self-care, and advocacy.
In her current role, she serves as the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Strategic Communications at Radford University. During her time at Virginia Tech she has also served as an academic advisor, director of recruitment and diversity, inclusion coordinator, and adjunct professor in the School of Education. Her service to the university includes advising student groups like Queer People of Color, the Graduate Student Assembly Professional Development committee, and serves on the Hispanic/Latinx Faculty and Staff Caucus. Prior to Virginia Tech, Dr. Beane worked for AmeriCorps College Summit, Total Action for Progress, Roanoke City Public Schools and Hollins University.
Dr. Beane completed her doctorate in Counselor Education from Virginia Tech where she also completed her Master of Counselor Education and a certificate in Higher Education Administration. Her undergraduate degree in Communication Studies and Spanish from Hollins University.
Maggie J. Winnicki, MPH is currently Director of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs in the College of Allied Health Professions (CAHP) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).
Her twenty-year career in higher education spans roles in distance education, academic counseling, student services and affairs, and admissions. She holds a Master of Public Health degree from UNMC, with an emphasis in administration, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree from Knox College (IL).
She has extensive experience in student services for military personnel, including coordinating the student service functions for the U.S. military Interservice Physician Assistant Program (IPAP) at Joint Base San Antonio in Texas.
Ms. Winnicki directs admissions and recruitment for the fourteen health professions programs in the College of Allied Health Professions. In this role, she was instrumental in developing marketing, recruitment and admission best practices for the college’s holistic admissions initiative.
Ms. Winnicki is a member of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), and the Nebraska Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (NACRAO).
Kyle P. Meyer, Ph.D., M.S., PT, FASAHP is the Founding Dean of the College of Allied Health Professions (CAHP) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). His career in higher education administration spans almost thirty years.
He began his career in health care, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in physical therapy and a Master of Science degree in anatomy, both from the UNMC. He practiced in pediatric physical therapy for over twenty years. He holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Dr. Meyer began his academic career as the Director of Clinical Education in the Division of Physical Therapy Education at UNMC and subsequently served as Associate Dean and Senior Associate Dean in the School of Allied Health Professions, before assuming his current position.
He was elected as a Fellow in the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions (ASAHP) in 2016, in recognition of his record of leadership and significant contributions in allied health.
Dr. Meyer provided the vision and initial planning guidance for the College of Allied Health Professions’ holistic admissions initiative, which began in 2015.
Kathryn Verkerk has 20 years of experience working in higher education and is currently the Associate Registrar, Student Recruitment and Admissions at Simon Fraser University (SFU). Over 12 years, Mrs. Verkerk has worked in numerous areas at SFU including admissions, student recruitment, financial aid and awards, strategic enrollment management, academic and faculty advising, research services, and co-operative education. Highlights of her time at SFU include developing an institution wide, undergraduate, strategic enrollment management plan; supporting the review and leading the implementation of a new undergraduate admission model, including holistic admission for the new Sustainable Energy Engineering program; and integrating the offices of undergraduate admissions and student recruitment into one department. Prior to SFU, Kathryn worked at The University of British Columbia (UBC) for eight years in Student Recruitment and Advising managing national recruitment in Eastern Canada.
Kathryn is currently completing her Doctor of Education degree in Higher Education Leadership at Western University and graduated with a Master of Education degree in Higher Education from UBC in 2016. Her undergraduate degree in Criminology was awarded in 2004 from Simon Fraser University.
Dr. Connie Tingson Gatuz developed a heightened awareness of the impact of leadership and mentorship while growing up in a struggling multigenerational extended family, who emigrated from the Philippines. As Vice President for Student Affairs and Mission Integration for over a decade, she is the first Person of Color and currently the only woman to serve on the Executive Council at Madonna University. Under her leadership, she pioneered the university’s largest and longest running Study Abroad and Service-Learning program to-date. To advance student enrollment and retention, Dr. Gatuz conceptualized and executed a university Strategic Enrollment Plan priority through a multicultural student academy focused on leadership for an inclusive world; ushered a nationally awarded Black Male Initiative; and procured several international enrollment agreements abroad.
She co-engineered the university’s comprehensive Strategic Planning process; co-created the Madonna Higher Education Administration Master’s program, established in 2013; and crafted the mentorship elements of a student leadership program for North America including the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Previously, Dr. Gatuz championed several national and regionally- recognized student retention initiatives while at Michigan State University and the University of Michigan- Ann Arbor. For over a dozen years, she was a lead consultant for the Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholarship Program as well as a grassroots national college leadership program, based in Washington, DC. Spanning a twenty-eight-year career in higher education, she is a recipient of the National Association for Student Personnel Administrators API Knowledge Community Outstanding Mentor Award, the National OCA Pioneer Community Educator Award, the International Mentoring Association Outstanding Dissertation of the Year Award, and the Republic of the Philippines’ Outstanding Educator Recognition. In 2020, she mentored women aspiring to executive leadership at the national NASPA Alice Manicur Symposium.
Dr. Gatuz is a contributing author in Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Higher Education: Research and Perspectives on Identity, Leadership, and Success and A Mission Officer Handbook: Collaborating with Partners. She received a doctorate in Higher Education Administration, a master’s degree in College and University Administration, and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, all from Michigan State University. She and her husband, Ryan, reside in Livonia, Michigan.
Dr. William Sedlacek (Sed) is a Professor Emeritus of Education at the University of Maryland, College Park. He earned Bachelors’ and Masters’ degrees from Iowa State University and a Ph. D. from Kansas State University.
He is senior author of Racism in American education: A model for change (with Brooks), and a measure of racial attitudes, The Situational Attitude Scale (SAS). He authored Beyond the big test: Noncognitive assessment in higher education and has published extensively in professional journals on a wide range of topics including racism, sexism, college admissions, advising, and employee selection.
He has served as editor of Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development. Also, he has consulted with more than 300 different organizations, colleges, and universities on interracial and intercultural issues, and has served as an expert witness in race and sex discrimination cases. In 1992, he received the Ralph F. Berdie Memorial Research Award “for research affecting directional changes in the field of counseling and college student personnel work” which was presented by the American Counseling Association (ACA). In 1993, he received the John B. Muir Editor’s Award from the National Association for College Admission Counseling for his article entitled “Employing noncognitive variables in the admission and retention of nontraditional students.”
In 1997, he received the research award from ACA for his article entitled “An empirical method of determining nontraditional group status” published in Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development. In 1998, he was named a Senior Scholar by the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) and became a Diplomate in 2003.
In 2002, he was recognized by ACPA as a Diamond Honoree, for his service and research in student affairs and in 2004 he received the Contribution to Knowledge Award from ACPA for "outstanding contributions to the profession’s body of knowledge through publications, films, speeches, instructions, tapes, and other forms of communication."
In 2005, he received the Campus Model of Excellence Award for “affecting the lives of African Americans”, from the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Education at the University of Maryland.
In 2010, he was made a Fellow of the American Counseling Association for "significant and unique contributions to scientific achievement in the counseling profession."
In 2011, he received the William R. “Bud” Thomas Mentoring Award, for excellence in sustained, developmental mentoring of graduate college student personnel students, from the College Student Personnel Program- College of Education at the University of Maryland.
Strategy & Planning Division
Quintina is a change-maker and connector committed to access and equitable outcomes.
Quintina has a long history of bringing the right people together to build communities dedicated to various social causes, including privacy and data, program integrity, access and equal opportunity, veterans issues, immigration policy, and international policy — all as it relates to higher education.
Quintina traveled the world as a child, regularly changing classrooms, countries, and cultures as an “Army Brat.” As the daughter of a mother raised in poverty in Mississippi and an immigrant from Panamá, she is a first-generation college graduate who discovered a love for ethnography through her undergraduate work in Sociology and qualitative research through her graduate work in Communication Strategy. She developed a true understanding of the challenges of student success through her volunteer work as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) and Vice President of the CASA DC Professionals Council where she worked with Washington, D.C. foster youth to improve their access to resources, structure their home environment, and ensure they understand positive outcomes are achievable.
Quintina also maintains a commitment to veterans. For three years she served as the Event Director for the GI Film Festival in Washington, D.C. managing over twenty-five separate events over the span of a week, including film screenings, trainings, workshops, receptions, concerts, awards shows, and celebrity meet-and-greets dedicated to supporting the continued education of veterans and ensuring an accurate portrayal of servicemembers in film and television.
Quintina holds an MS in Mass Communication – Communication Strategy from Virginia Commonwealth University, a BS in Business Administration and Sociology & Anthropology from Washington & Lee University as well as a Digital Marketing certification from Georgetown University. She lives and works in Washington, D.C., the lands of the Nacotchtank (Anacostan), where she enjoys practicing Kung Fu and biking with her husband and children.
Quintina is the executive lead responsible for AACRAO's position in the field of higher education administrators. She synchronizes all association staff, activities, and offerings to fulfill AACRAO's five strategic goals.
Sarri Gilman is a psychotherapist with 35 years of experience. Her specialty is teaching people how to develop boundaries and recover from overwhelm. She is the author of three books; The Mystery of Knowing Journal, a guided journal on self-care and boundaries (2020), Naming and Taming Overwhelm for Healthcare and Human Services (2017), and Transform Your Boundaries (2014)Her TEDx talk Good Boundaries Free You: https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLdeGoCZHsqlM17-a2SvTUjoYd1mVokF8a&v=rtsHUeKnkC8Learn more: www.sarrigilman.com (edited)
Co-Founder & Program Director, Shanti Generation
Abby Wills, MA leads an experienced cadre of instructors who facilitate ACEI’s Mindfulness Training Program. Abby has dedicated over twenty years to integrating mindful practices for social emotional health into a wide diversity of school settings through direct service to learners and educators throughout the U.S. and internationally. She brings her expertise in developmental education as well as extensive studies in yoga and mindfulness to her work as a teacher and writer. She has contributed to dozens of online and print publications including Edutopia, Mind Body Green, and LA Yoga Magazine and her work has been featured in various platforms including PBS and Yoga Journal.Abby is Co-Founder and Program Director of Shanti Generation, a digital media company specializing in mindful yoga for early adolescents. She has written, directed, and produced top-selling teen programs including Yoga Skills for Youth Peacemakers. Currently, Abby leads the mindful practice program of Project Silver Lining for Barnsdall Arts, a Los Angeles based non-profit. She serves as Movement, Mindfulness + Social Emotional Development Specialist for Full Circle Consulting Systems, Inc. for whom she facilitates professional development to early childhood educators, supervisors, and continuing education coaches. Abby’s approach is informed by academic studies in social justice, trauma informed interventions and non-violent communication. She holds a Master’s Degree in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College.
Nicole spent the first 21 years of her career in schools and this chapter confirmed for her the importance of meeting people where they are. Mentoring, supporting, and guiding students and colleagues along the path of figuring out who they are, learning from the successes and the struggles, and charting a path towards becoming their best self was an incredible honor. Nicole’s 17 years of school leadership experience created a first-hand perspective on the power of organizational cultures in fostering wellness or encouraging self-sacrifice, how burnout creeps into our lives, and how we get stuck in a pattern of neglecting ourselves to serve others. She is committed to transforming schools by facilitating a conversation about the connection between employee morale, turnover, and school culture by including burnout in this equation. Our most powerful blindspot is ourselves and, oftentimes, we are last on any priority list if we show up on it at all. Nicole is grateful to use those lesson-filled years in her work as a burnout prevention coach to partner with educators and school leaders flirting with burnout learn ways to nourish themselves so they lead within and beyond the classroom and across campus. Nicole’s clients are committed to playing big with an open heart, living their purpose, and striving to live full, vibrant lives. Let's flip the script on this so that what we offer to families, colleagues, and the communities we serve is the best version of ourselves rather than the exhausted and depleted one.Nicole is the founder of Root to Rise Coaching, an avid reader, yogi, cat-lover, and adventurous home cook who relocated to Eugene, Oregon summer of 2020.
Todd Audyatis is the Associate Dean of Admission at Bridgewater State University. He serves as an intrapreneur, collaborating across university silos in the development, implementation and leadership of innovative data-driven outreach to prospective undergraduates and their families, high school counselors, non-profit partners and alumni. Todd has more than two decades of public higher education experience in admission, advancement and as an aspiring academic.
SEM-EP Capstone Project - The College Choice Criteria of African American Students is a literature review that examines research into the criteria used by African American students when selecting which college to attend. These articles were selected because they speak to the debate of whether admissions should recruit prospective African American students as a separate segment or as part of a mainstream enrollment effort.
AACRAO Connect Article: " Understanding the college choice process among underrepresented students"
C&U Article: The College Choice Criteria of African American Students: A Literature Review
Ryan started his career at his alma mater in the Florida State University Office of Admissions a little over 20 years ago. After 3 recruiting cycles and a brief stint in the FSU University Registrar’s Office he assumed an Assistant Registrar role at the University of Virginia in 2007 where he managed athletics eligibility certification and FERPA compliance. Ryan moved on to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2013 and is currently the Associate Registrar for Educational Planning where he oversees undergraduate degree conferral and commencement, athletics eligibility certification, FERPA compliance and the publication of the Undergraduate Catalog. Ryan earned a B.S. in Political Science, an M.S. in Sport Administration and an Ed.S. in Higher Education from Florida State University.
V.P. for Leadership and Management Development, AACRAO Board of Directors
Born in NYC, raised in the Bronx, and an avid NY Yankee fan. He received his undergraduate degree from Lehman College and graduate degree from Columbia University. Jerry has been active with AACRAO for over 35 years as committee members, chair of committees and groups, annual meeting, and writing articles/chapters in AACRAO publications. Jerry has also been active with his state and regionals during these years.
Further, he has continually presented at AACRAO national conferences and developed friendships with so many AACRAOn’s as well as vendors. He is a current member of the AACRAO BOD.
Jerry is also an avid LSU fan as his wife of 30 years is from Baton Rouge. He is also a father of twins who live in NYC and Denver.
Jerry says, “40 years of AACRAO. Committee chair, presenter, LAC Chair, BOD member, wrote chapters in various AACRAO publications and made tons of friends…..”
Hope Reynolds is the Senior Director for Enrollment Management & Associate Registrar at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine in Roanoke, Virginia. Hope began her career in higher education as the Assistant Registrar at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia where she maintained that role for ten years before moving to VTCSOM in 2010. Since working at a brand new medical school Hope has been involved with such projects as creating an institutional academic seal and transcript, assisting admissions by participating in a holistic admissions process, organizing the commencement ceremony for the charter class, and finally serving on various integration committees as VTCSOM formally integrated with Virginia Tech University in 2018. In 2012, Hope served as the president of the Virginia Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (VACRAO), the state association for Virginia. She currently serves as the 2020 Local Arrangements Committee Chair (LAC) for the Southern Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (SACRAO).
Julie Fell is the Assistant Provost and University Registrar at the University of Iowa. She holds a Bachelor of Liberal Studies from the University of Iowa and a Master of Higher Education Administration from Upper Iowa University.
If You Build It, They Will Come: The University of Iowa’s FERPA Team
AACRAO Bio
Prior to being the Vice President, she was the Registrar and Director of Enrollment Services as well as the Associate Director, Enrollment Services and has been serving in higher education as an administrator for twenty-five years in various Admissions, Advising, Registrar Service areas at her previous institutions - Alma College, Davenport University and Siena Heights University.
In her current role, her portfolio of oversight includes the areas of Admissions & Outreach, Athletics, Career Services, Counseling & Academic Advising, Dean of Student Success, International Students, K-12 Relations, Records & Registration, Special Services, Student Support Services, and Veteran & Military Services.
Dr. Jeffers serves on the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) Higher Education Advisory Board and is active in the MACRAO (Michigan Associate of Collegiate Registrars & Admission Officers) as well as AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars & Admission Officers) organizations having held several leadership roles in both organizations. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Music Education from Alma College, a Master of Arts in Adult Education from Central Michigan University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Education with a concentration in Leadership for Higher Education from Capella University.
Capstone Project - A literature review on nontraditional students and student persistence.
AACRAO Role: Vice President at Large - Board of Directors
Steven is the University Registrar at Adelphi University on New York’s Long Island. Steve began as the evening transcript clerk at the community college in his West Virginia hometown and over the next twenty-six years has served as a registrar at institutions in New Jersey, Maryland, and New York. In addition to the registrar’s office, Steve has also overseen admissions, financial aid, academic advising, testing, and student accounts. He holds an M.B.A. from West Virginia University. In 2012, Steve was the founding president of the Chesapeake and Potomac Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (CAPACRAO), the state association for Maryland and the District of Columbia.
On why Steven joined the LGBTQIA+ Caucus: "AACRAO's LGBTQIA+ Caucus holds a very special place in my heart. I spent my early years in the closet and at my first Annual Meeting, I walked past the Caucus meeting three times but couldn't gather the courage to walk in. I timidly took that step at my second conference and my life changed forever; attending that Caucus meeting was the first public thing I ever did as a gay person. The people I met that day are now some of the best friends I have, in fact, years later one of them flew half-way across the country to attend my wedding! Joining the Caucus gave me the courage to come out at home and work. It has connected me with some fabulous colleagues whom I contact regularly by phone, email, and social media. It has informed me about many issues that I thought I knew well, but realized I had more to learn. The three-year stint that I served as chair is one of my fondest memories. The LGBTQIA Caucus has been an important part of my life and I encourage those who identify with any of those letters (including the "A" allies!) to be a part of this important group."
Naomi Porper is the Assistant Director of Communications for the Office of the Registrar at the University of Colorado Boulder. In her role, Naomi leads the annual publication cycle for the university catalog in coordination with academic departments and business units across campus. She also oversees the Office of the Registrar communications team in refining its outreach strategy to students and campus stakeholders through email campaigns, internal and campus-wide newsletters, website updates, portal notifications and other channels. User experience and digital accessibility are key considerations across all content development, and her team supports the department in producing consistent and accessible content through direct review and providing related resources for staff. She has previously worked in graduate admissions as well as youth development and education nonprofits. She has a BA in Economics from Brandeis University.
Ellen Clark serves as the Communications Specialist for the Office of the Registrar at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Ellen graduated from UW-Madison with a Bachelor’s of Science in Life Science Communication with an emphasis in strategic communication and minor in digital studies. Since starting her position in the Spring of 2019, Ellen has worked to create email communications, improve website user experience, publish communication-related reports and plans, develop graphic elements/logos, and more for the office and Division of Enrollment Management. Her passion for digital accessibility started young, as her sister uses a screen reader and other adaptive technology, and grew as she progressed in earning her degree.
Committed to making Delaware State University the most diverse, contemporary HBCU in America, Tony Allen became the University’s 12th President on January 1, 2020.
“Delaware State University is one of the most important institutions in the country,” Tony says regularly. “Few universities specialize in providing a four-year, comprehensive education to students who lack every advantage except sheer determination to succeed for themselves and their families.”
Tony served as the University’s Executive Vice President and Provost since July 2017, leading a faculty of 220 professors in 18 academic departments, serving 5,000 graduates and undergraduates. He reorganized the University’s academic colleges and professional advising unit; developed impact-oriented organizations including the Center for Neighborhood Revitalization and Research and the Center for Global Africa; and expanded global partnerships in China, Poland, Jamaica, and Africa.
The University’s funded research increased from $19 - $23 million, and the institution’s chartered Early College High School sent 52% of its first two graduating classes to Delaware State University with an average 40+ college credits already earned.
He has built or expanded partnerships with the City of Wilmington, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Executive Leadership Council, JPMorgan Chase; Corteva, Exelon, Apple, FMC Corporation, and others.
Previously, Tony led Bank of America’s corporate reputation group, and was responsible for developing programming to influential media elites, national social justice advocates, academics and elected officials. He started his financial services career as an Executive Vice President at MBNA America.
Tony’s career has been characterized by commitment to public service, including as the Founding President of both the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League and Public Allies Delaware. He has received the National Urban League’s highest honor, the Whitney M. Young Award for Advancing Racial Equality.
Within public policy and education in Delaware, Tony chaired the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission, while also serving on the Board of Directors for the Rodel Foundation. He currently co-chairs the Greater Kent County Workforce Education and Skills Development Group.
He holds a 1993 BA in Political Science from the University of Delaware, and a 1998 MA in Public Administration from the Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, Baruch College (CUNY). He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Delaware’s Joseph R. Biden Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration in 2001. Tony is an active scholar and lecturer on urban public policy and educational reform.