Michael McGinnis was appointed Vice President for Academic Affairs at Saint Francis University in July 2022. Dr. McGinnis has 29 years’ experience in higher education and currently in the 2025-2026 cohort of the Executive Leadership Academy sponsored by the Council of Independent Colleges. Dr. McGinnis came to Saint Francis from Norwich University, a senior military college, where he served as Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics and professor of chemistry since 2013. Prior to Norwich, he served as head of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at University of North Georgia (a sister senior military college) and the Associate Dean and Director of Preprofessional Programs at Georgia College, Georgia’s Public Liberal Arts College. VPAA McGinnis earned his ACS-certified B.S. degree in chemistry from Elizabethtown College (PA) and Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Tennessee. He completed a one-year teaching-research Postdoctoral Fellowship with the University of Tennessee; also working at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He has won awards for his undergraduate teaching and advising, participated in science outreach activities and workshops around the globe, and served at the local, regional and national level for the American Chemical Society (ACS). He is currently national chair for ACS’ International Activities Committee. McGinnis’s research, much of it involving undergraduates, presently focuses on microwave-assisted organic reactions. He is an accomplished scientist with published articles and a book.

Suzanne Benally (Navajo and Santa Clara Tewa)—Executive Director, Swift Foundation

Suzanne has worked in the higher education and the non-profit sector for 40 years. Committed to social justice, diversity, and equity, she predicates her work on transformational change. Currently serving as the executive director of the Swift Foundation she advocates for transformative practices in philanthropy that address issues of racism, equity, justice, and seeks to influence philanthropic practices in being more inclusive and in right relations with Indigenous Peoples. Formerly, Suzanne served as the Executive Director of Cultural Survival, an international Indigenous rights advocacy organization that advocates for Indigenous Peoples’ rights, self-determination, land, language, culture, and political resilience. Prior to that she held positions as a Special Assistant to the President for Diversity, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, and core Environmental Studies faculty member and department chair at Naropa University. Previously she held a long tenure at the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education working with colleges and universities in the west, and with the American Indian Science and Engineering Society in k-12 and higher education programs.

Suzanne serves a co-chair of the University Board of Trustees at Naropa University and recently served as a co-chair of the International Funders for Indigenous Peoples. She was a cohort member of the Rothko Chapel’s Spirituality and Social Justice initiative to further understanding about the relationship between spirituality and social justice. Suzanne has been a consultant, advisor to higher education initiatives and philanthropic organizations, which have included among others the Association for American Colleges and Universities National Commitments Panel, Ford Foundations Higher Education and Diversity Initiative, and the James Irving Campus Diversity Initiative.

Deeply committed to social, environmental and climate justice, her passion and interests center on relationships and interconnectedness between land, spirituality, culture, and people as reflected in narratives and stories past and present. Mostly importantly she engages work that draws on hope now and for future generations to come. Suzanne lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Mays Imad received her undergraduate training in Philosophy from the University of Michigan, focusing on Philosophy of Science and Consciousness. She earned her Ph.D. in Cellular and Clinical Neuroscience from Wayne State University in Detroit, and then completed an NIH-IRACDA post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Arizona.

Mays’s current research focuses on stress, self-awareness, advocacy, and classroom community, and how these relate to cognition, metacognition, and, ultimately, student learning and success. Through her teaching and research, she seeks to provide her students with transformative opportunities which are grounded in the aesthetics of learning, truth-seeking, and self-realization.

Valerie Shepard, PhD, CSAEd, is a student affairs scholar-practitioner who currently serves as the Senior Content and Assessment Analyst for UCLA Recreation, which is organized under Campus Life in the UCLA Division of Student Affairs. She reports to the Executive Director of UCLA Recreation. Prior to her work at UCLA Recreation, she served as the Assistant Director of the UCLA Graduate Student Resource Center. As the Senior Analyst, she supports the UCLA Recreation Executive and Communications teams by coordinating departmental assessment and collaborating on special projects and divisional and campus-wide working groups. A key component of her role is grants support: she has worked with collaborative teams to secure over $9.5M in state and federal grant funds since 2022. Dr. Shepard is also the co-editor of the recent book A Practitioner’s Guide to Supporting Graduate and Professional Students (Routledge, 2022). In 2022, she was awarded NASPA’s Administrators in Graduate and Professional Student Services (AGAPSS) Knowledge Community’s Outstanding Professional Award, along with her co-editor, Dr. April Perry. In 2024, the book was selected for the Outstanding Publication Award by NASPA’s Faculty Council.

Dr. Shepard has also been an editorial board member of the NASPA Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice (JSARP) since 2016, and a member of the editorial committee of the NASPA Annual Knowledge Communities publication since 2014. She advocates for graduate and professional student success as a member of the AGAPSS leadership team. She also served as an invited humanities expert and content creator throughout the initial 2014-2018 development of ImaginePhD, a web-based career exploration and planning tool for those who have advanced degrees in the humanities and social sciences. ImaginePhD is a collaborative project of the Graduate Career Consortium (GCC), and Dr. Shepard continues to be a GCC member as well.

Prior to her work in Student Affairs, Dr. Shepard completed her PhD in English Literature at UCLA. She also currently serves as the volunteer grants director for the Chromosome 18 Registry and Research Society.

As an academic leader and author, J. David Arnold has focused on learning communities, first-year programs, strategic planning with faculty and promoting the “teacher-scholar” model of faculty professional development at liberal arts institutions. Dr. Arnold's dedication earned him recognition as a National Learning Community Project Fellow. He attributes much of his success to the influence of great mentors throughout his life, which fueled his passion for higher education and student advocacy

Dr. Arnold served as the 26th President of Eureka College in Eureka, Ill. for 11 years. He retired from Eureka as President Emeritus in 2016 and subsequently served as Interim Provost at Salve Regina University and Keystone College.

His Eureka presidential tenure has been some of the strongest and most successful years in the College’s history. Under Arnold’s leadership, the college achieved: 1) record enrollment including graduates who represent over 30% of living alumni; 2) balanced budgets; 3) $35 million in private donor support; 4) more than 30 new endowed scholarships; 5) nearly doubled the College endowment from $12 to over $20 million; and 6) more than $30 million in campus improvements, including the construction of a new residence hall, a new Sanders classroom/laboratory building, a new fitness center, Shenkman Reagan Research Center in the library, and the transformation of the Reagan gym into the Christine Bonati Bollwinkle arena and convocation center. Other achievements include the creation of visiting scholar, artist and executive programs.

The College campus was designated a National Historic District in 2010 for its importance in American history—Eureka has graduated 42 college presidents, seven governors and members of Congress, and the 40th President of the United States. Building on the legacy of creating servant leaders, a Reagan Forward initiative was launched in 2008 to focus on leadership and service—related events include a 2011 national academic conference on “Reagan and the Midwest,” and campus lectures by dozens of Reagan authors. An Honorary Reagan Fellow Award component of the Reagan Leadership Program was created that featured notable participants, such as Mikhail Gorbachev and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, and hosted national events with former Secretaries of State George Shultz and James Baker.

In honor of Dr. and Mrs. Arnold, the Eureka Board of Trustees renamed the newest residence hall Arnold Hall and established the J. David and Katherine Arnold Leadership Fund.

Arnold formerly was vice president for academic and student affairs at Missouri Western State University. He also served as provost at St. John Fisher College and as a dean and grants officer at Clarion University. He started his academic career as a professor teaching psychology and writing at St. Lawrence University.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Dr. Arnold has been actively involved in various civic organizations. He has served on the school improvement council at Fountain Inn High School and the board of advisors for the PRISMA YMCA of Greenville. He is a past board member of Academic Search and has chaired the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities under the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and was an academic trustee with the Lincoln Academy of Illinois.

A native of Lancaster, Pa., and the first in his family to graduate from college, Arnold completed his undergraduate degree with honors at Bloomsburg University, graduate degrees at the University of New Hampshire and post-doctoral study at the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University.

A self-described movie buff and nature enthusiast, Arnold and his wife Katherine have three grown children and three granddaughters.

Dr. Lisa Lambert was appointed Interim President at Chatham University in 2025. After joining Chatham in 1985 as a faculty member in biology, she was promoted to Professor of Biology in 2012. While at Chatham, Dr. Lambert has served as Chair of the Science Department, founding Program Director for MS Biology, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Assistant Vice President of Undergraduate Learning, and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. While serving as Provost, Dr. Lambert participated in the Gardner Institute’s CAO Innovation Community project. She has done sabbaticals at the University of Pittsburgh, Duke University, and Harvard University School of Public Health while pursuing her research interests in the molecular evolution of iron homeostasis. Dr. Lambert earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Furman University, where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and a Ph.D. in Genetics from Indiana University-Bloomington.

Dr. Jody S. Fournier, a developmental psychologist and professor of psychology with over 25-years of higher education experience, previously served as provost and vice president of learning at Capital University, where his responsibilities encompassed the roles of chief academic officer, chief student affairs officer, and recently - chief enrollment officer. Dr. Fournier will serve as the president of Baker University beginning July 1, 2025.

As part of a national partnership project to Transform the Foundational Post-Secondary Experience to improve student outcomes, Dr. Fournier designed a Student Success Initiative, which realigned strategic planning, academic practices, and business operations to improve student retention and persistence. As part of this initiative, using collaborative, data-informed decision-making, and he integrated Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Enrollment Management into a single divisional unit, and implemented numerous action items to raise first-to-second year retention from a low of 71.5% to 79.1%, and fall-to-spring retention to a record 92.5%. Implementation realized record four-year graduation rates, improved transfer student enrollment and success, and neutralization of first generation, Pell Grant recipient, and underserved/underrepresented statuses as predictors of attrition. New enrollment strategies and tactics led to a 23% increase in first-time in college student enrollment.

His work, especially in conjunction with the Gardner Institute and the Ohio Department of Higher Education, serves as an example of the thought leadership needed to inspire educational access and forge collaborative relationships across all sectors – public and private, large and small, two- and four-year.

In collaboration with faculty governance, Dr. Fournier led a cross-divisional strategic enrollment initiative that revised existing academic programs and the development of new degree programs in Law, School Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Social Work, Public Health, Applied Behavioral Analysis, Chemical Dependency Counseling, Sport Business, Art Therapy, Data Analytics, and Nursing. This work involved partnerships with businesses and agencies in the community to provide customized employee-based education. Using an advisory board model, community leaders worked with the University team to tailor curricula to meet their workforce needs. This led to new lines of students, new sources of expert instructors, new emphases on career development, and new advancement opportunities.

A recipient of the Praestantia (excellence in teaching) and Cotterman (excellence in service to students) awards, Dr. Fournier earned his Bachelor of Arts in psychology, Master of Science in child development, and Ph.D. in developmental psychology from The Ohio State University. He and his wife, Debbie, have three children and enjoy attending campus and community events.

Paul Mabrey is Director of Student Success Analytics and Associate Professor in Communication Studies at James Madison University. His work bridges holistic student success, data analytics, communication education, and civic engagement to improve the transformative impacts of higher education. At JMU, he leads the Early Student Success Quality Enhancement Plan and campus-wide student success & retention efforts, collaborating on campus-wide initiatives that integrate academic, well-being, basic needs, and co-curricular data to close success gaps and improve outcomes.

A scholar of debate pedagogy and democratic engagement, Paul has collaborated and published on how debate-based pedagogy can improve student learning, student success, and contribute to the civic mission of higher education. He has received grants and led projects supporting debate across the curriculum, data-informed student success, civic learning, and the integration of high-impact practices. Paul regularly presents nationally on student success, analytics, engaged pedagogy, and institutional transformation.

Dr. Michael “Mike” Davis began his tenure as the 27th President of Fairmont State University in July of 2023 and immediately committed himself to positioning Fairmont State as the best regional university in West Virginia.

Using the insights he gathered from listening to countless constituents ranging from students to faculty and staff, community members, business partners, international partners, and state legislators, he guided the creation of a robust Strategic Vision. This vision — for the University to become a Great Place to Learn, to Work, and to Call Home — will guide Fairmont State throughout the next decade as it seeks to educate engaged citizens in a community distinguished by opportunity, growth, and achievement, and delivers transformational impact for West Virginia and beyond.

Dr. G. Duncan Harris has had an illustrious 30-year career in higher education, most recently serving as the CEO of the Capital Campus of Connecticut State Community College (formerly Capital Community College) in Hartford, CT, from 2018 to 2025 where he was responsible for the strategic direction and daily operations of the campus. The Capital campus hosts CT State’s largest nursing program, a number of innovative higher education partnerships with companies like Accenture, Travelers, and Pursuit Aerospace, and is known for its success in providing access to careers that disrupt cycles of poverty and equity gaps for its students, 70% of whom are Black and Hispanic. Dr. Harris is recognized as an expert in student success and retention, community college collaboration with non-profit and corporate entities, and takes pride in his role as a mentor/coach to many community college professionals. Prior to his tenure at CT State Capital, he served in a number of roles including – chief academic officer, chief student affairs officer, counselor, coordinator of advising and was the founding executive director of the CSCU Kresge Student Success Center. Prior to his work in higher education, he had a career in banking and finance.

He has served on a number of boards during his tenure including the New England Board of Higher Education, the American Association of Community Colleges Economic Development and Workforce Commission, the National Council on Black American Affairs, Windsor Federal Bank, and the Wadsworth Athenaeum. He has received many awards for his contributions to the community, including the CT African American Affairs Man of the Year and the NAACP 100 Most Influential Blacks in CT Award.

He holds a Doctorate of Education from Nova Southeastern University, a Master of Science degree in counseling from Central CT State University, a Bachelor of Arts in economics from UConn, and a certificate in Management and Leadership from Harvard University. He is an proud, active, lifetime member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He resides in Windsor with his lovely wife of 24 years, Garcia, and two children, Grant, a junior, and Grayson, a freshman, both attending Hampton University.