01.

Regional Higher Education

Leading at a regional public university means navigating challenges most leadership books don't address. You might find yourself chairing a department with no formal training, managing colleagues who used to supervise you, or trying to innovate within systems that resist change. You're making career decisions that will shape the next decade of your life, often without anyone to talk through the options with you.I've spent 15+ years in these environments - as Student Media Advisor, academic program coordinator, Department Chair, Director of Global Learning, and Assistant Vice Provost for International Affairs. I understand the unique dynamics of RPUs: limited resources, heavy teaching loads, complex community relationships, and the reality that great faculty don't automatically become great leaders just because they earned tenure.Whether you're a new department chair figuring out how to lead former peers, an assistant professor weighing whether administration is right for you, a student media advisor navigating campus politics, or someone who just needs an outside perspective from someone who's been there, I can help you think through the challenges, make strategic decisions, and lead in ways that align with your values.

02.

Civic Life

Community service is leadership. Whether you're running a Rotary club, leading a nonprofit, or building a civic initiative, you're developing the same skills that define effective leadership anywhere: bringing people together, creating shared purpose, and making things happen with limited resources.But service organizations are facing real challenges right now. Membership is aging. Volunteer burnout is common. Younger people want to serve differently than previous generations did. And measuring impact - let alone communicating it - often feels like an afterthought when you're just trying to keep programs running.I've served as District Governor of Rotary District 6860, worked on municipal task forces strengthening Town-Gown relationships, and spent three decades in journalism - a field I've always seen as public service. I understand how community organizations work, why they matter, and what it takes to sustain them.Whether you're trying to grow your organization's impact, navigate leadership transitions, engage a new generation of members, or simply figure out how to lead volunteers effectively, I can help you think strategically about the challenges and build sustainable solutions.

03.

Town and Gown Leadership

Regional universities and their communities need each other, but that doesn't mean they always work well together. Tensions over student behavior, parking, or land use can overshadow genuine partnership opportunities. Universities talk about community engagement while communities feel unheard. Economic development conversations happen in parallel rather than collaboration. Trust erodes slowly, then suddenly.Building productive Town-Gown relationships requires leaders who understand both worlds - the pace and politics of municipal governance, and the culture and constraints of higher education. Someone who can translate between institutional languages, navigate competing priorities, and help both sides see partnership as strategy rather than obligation.I serve on the Florence-University of North Alabama Town and Gown Task Force and have worked in higher education for 15+ years while staying deeply engaged in civic leadership through Rotary and community boards. I understand what makes these partnerships succeed and what causes them to stall, and I know that the best outcomes happen when leaders on both sides approach collaboration with genuine curiosity and mutual respect.Whether you're a university leader trying to repair or strengthen community relationships, a municipal official wanting your regional university to be a better partner, or anyone working at the intersection of campus and community, I can help you build the bridges that benefit everyone.

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