Wright Leader Academy to kick off with new cohort of emerging university leaders

Back row, from left: Lindsay Wight, Tracey Kramer, Brittany Erwin, Todd Pavlack, Mike Wiehe, Lisa Duke, Sheryl Kent, Molly Mellon, Jeannette Horwitz, Jennifer Attenweiler and Javan Conley. Front row, from left: Mary Jean Henry, Michelle Schultz and Jennie Buckwalter.

A new crop of talented faculty and administrators at Wright State University has been named to the Wright Leader Academy, which is designed to help them grow their leadership skills, enhance their internal networks and advance the mission, vision and values of Wright State.

The academy is in its third year. The full-day, once-a-month leadership sessions begin in September and conclude in May.

“This program has been instrumental in shaping the future leaders of Wright State University,” said President Cheryl B. Schrader. “These are the people who will help blaze the university’s trail as it continues to realize its potential.”

Launched in 2016 by Human Resources, Wright Leader is designed to facilitate leadership development opportunities for employees that can often be difficult to find in higher education.

“We continue to have strong interest for this program and it remains as part of our success to have participants from a cross-section of the university using a cohort learning model,” said Shari Mickey-Boggs, associate vice president and chief HR officer. “For me, a key outcome is to see strangers come together, learn from one another over the year and exit the program having bonded and made new colleagues to support their and Wright State’s future.”

Participants in the 2018-19 cohort include:

• Jennifer Attenweiler, associate director, Residence Life and Housing
• Jennie Buckwalter, senior lecturer and assistant dean, College of Liberal Arts
• Javan Conley, construction administrator, Facilities Management and Services
• Lisa Duke, assistant director and career counselor, Career Services
• Brittany Erwin, assistant director, University Academic Advising
• Mary Jean Henry, director, Foundation and Corporate Relations
• Jeannette Horwitz, senior lecturer and director, Learning English for Academic and Professional Purposes (LEAP)
• Sheryl Kent, director, Brandeberry Career Development Center, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Tracey Kramer, senior lecturer and director, Office of Partnerships and Field Experience, College of Education and Human Services
• Molly Mellon, clinical instructor and director, Nursing Learning Resource Center
• Todd Pavlack, manager, Distance Learning and Instructional Designer, Center for Teaching and Learning
• Michelle Schultz, associate professor and director, Clinical Training, School of Professional Psychology
• Mike Wiehe, director, Applied Policy Research Institute
• Lindsay Wight, director, Equity and Inclusion

Cohort participants must apply and interview to participate in the program. They are selected because they have demonstrated an ability to contribute and lead change at Wright State and are poised to take the next step in their careers.

“Wright Leader is helping us nurture our homegrown talent,” said Emily Hamman, director of talent management and staff labor relations. “We will have leaders that are prepared, leaders that are trained, leaders that are thinking holistically about the institution.”

Leadership sessions typically start with presentations by outside subject-matter experts. Then leaders from various Wright State functions visit the cohort to share information about their leadership styles and how their areas connect to the mission of the university and trends facing higher education.

Wright Leader is sponsored by the Wright State University Foundation.

For more information visit wright.edu/human-resources/professional-development/the-wright-leader-academy.