The Diversity Committee developed the NACADA Emerging Leaders Program to encourage members from diverse backgrounds to get involved in leadership opportunities within the organization, outfit participants with the skills and tools necessary to pursue elected and appointed leadership positions, increase the number of leaders from diverse groups, and encourage and assist members of underrepresented populations to attend state, regional, or annual conferences.

Diversity, as defined by the NACADA Board of Directors, includes ethnicity, gender, gender identity, disabilities, and sexual orientation as well as diversity in regard to institutional type, size, and employment position. Involvement in the association also is viewed broadly, including leadership at many levels (within the division units, at the division level, at the Council level, at the Board of Directors level, and with the various work groups, ad hoc committees, advisory boards, and task forces; serving in the consultants and speakers service; writing for the NACADA Journal, Academic Advising Today, and the Clearinghouse of Academic Advising Resources; or presenting at state, allied member, regional, and national conferences.

Each year, 10 Emerging Leaders and 10 Mentors are selected for the two-year program in which the Leaders and Mentors work closely to connect the Leaders to the areas of the association they are interested in and develop a plan for continued involvement and growth in the association. Leaders selected receive a $1,500 stipend to assist them with travel to NACADA conferences, institutes, and seminars.

With the program now entering its seventh year, many members of the Emerging Leaders classes have served in elected and appointed positions as chairs of NACADA regions, commissions, interest groups, committees, advisory boards, and task forces.  One Emerging Leader initiated the Interest Group for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.  A number of Emerging Leaders have presented (some with their Mentors) at regional, annual, and international conferences, and several have served on region, C/IG or conference steering committees. Emerging Leaders have served as chairs or co-chairs of regional conferences, and one chaired our 2010 Annual Conference in Orlando.  Emerging Leaders have written for Academic Advising Today and NACADA books, taken part in Webinar broadcast presentations, and been awarded NACADA Research Grants. Four Emerging Leaders have moved on to become Mentors in the program.  Emerging Leaders also report that they have become more involved at their home institutions.  One said, “We’ve taken what we’ve learned through the program back to our home school. This program has not only made an impact on NACADA, but also on the institutions where the NACADA ELP participants work.”  To learn more about the contributions of our ELP Classes, visit the Accomplishments webpage.

The 2011-2013 Emerging Leaders and Mentors (pictured above), who began work at the 2011 Annual Conference in Denver, have been diligently pursuing their goals over the past two years and look forward to receiving their Certificates of Completion at this year's conference in Salt Lake City, where they will be recognized at the Awards Ceremony.

Emerging Leaders Program Advisory Board Chair Carol Pollard (University of North Texas) is pleased to announce the 2013-2015 NACADA Emerging Leaders and Mentors. 

Emerging Leaders

Amanda Hodges (College of The Albemarle)
Ashley Racine (Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing) 
Autumn Parker (University of Arkansas)
Brooke Whiting (Washington State University)   
Brian Koslowski (Brandeis University) 
Craig McGill (Florida International University) 
Dina Bartoloni (Chapman University)
Henrietta Genfi (Bentley University) 
Michelle Ware (University of Notre Dame) 
Rachel Kirk (Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi) 

Mentors

Anita Carter (Wayne State University)
Barbara Mohrle (Southern Methodist University)
Heather Doyle (Dalhousie University)
Jennifer Hodges (University of North Texas)
Jennifer Joslin (University of Oregon)
Kathy Stockwell (retired, Fox Valley Technical College)
Les Riding-In (University of Texas-Arlington)
Patricia Griffin (Fort Hays State University)
Patty Pedersen (Carbon County Higher Education Center)
Vince Kloskowski (St. Joseph’s College of Maine) 

New Emerging Leaders and Mentors will meet at the Annual Conference in Salt Lake City to create partnerships and begin development, conversation, and group-building. Partners will develop goals pertaining to leadership in NACADA over the next six months and continue their work together over the two-year program.

Visit the Emerging Leaders Program website for more information.