AFIT Higher Ed (Alliance for Innovation & Transformation)

?? Congratulations to our newest CEOs and Reps on who received their AFIT pins last week at the CEO Forum and Reps meeting! CEOs: ??Bonnie Baerwald, Moraine Park T ??Jim Genandt, Manhattan Area Technical College ??Todd Hernandez, Northwest State Community College ??Deborah Kish Stephan, Brandon Campus-Hillsborough Community College ??Christine Hammond, College of DuPage Reps: ?? Donna Hanks, Western Dakota Technical College ??Laura Wario, Moraine Park Technical College ??Bobbi Fields, EdD, Nicolet College ??Toya Webb, Ed.D., Waubonsee Community College ??Mindy Watson, Collaborative for Higher Education Shared Services ??Amy Koehler EdD, MSN, RN, St. Charles Community College P.S. Did we miss tagging anyone? If so, please let us know!

What an incredible kickoff to this year's learning theme: Leading at the Speed of Change. ?? Highlights from Day 1 of CFRM 2025! ?? Tim Ziakas from the Center for Creative Leadership shared valuable strategies on Leading Transformational Change in Higher Education. Stephen Shedletzky from Simon Sinek's The Optimism Company inspired us with his session on How to Lead with an Infinite Mindset. Liz Wallace led a thoughtful reflection and insight exchange, encouraging collaboration and sharing of ideas. Stephen Shields from Gallup guided us on Leveraging Your Strengths for Transformational Leadership, followed by a second session to reinforce these concepts. ?? Plus a sneak peek at the future of transportation: autonomous shuttles!?Special thank you to Florida State College at Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Beep, Inc., and John Avendano. So grateful for the insights shared and the connections made. Excited for what Day 2 will bring! ?? #AFITHigherEd #HigherEducationLeadership

?? We are delighted to welcome Cathy Mitchell of New Mexico Junior College (NMJC) in Hobbs, New Mexico, to our collaborative community of innovators. Kathy succeeds Derek Moore, who recently resigned from the College. Derek joined AFIT in 2023, and now the NMJC team will continue their participation in the AFIT community under Cathy’s leadership. After serving NMJC as vice president since July 2017, Cathy is the institution’s first female president to lead the College. In her welcome letter on NMJC’s website, Cathy notes that NMJC is?“passionate about creating an environment where students can excel, develop critical skills, and prepare for the future—whether that means transferring to a university, advancing in a career, or engaging in lifelong learning.” Larchinee Turner, Ed.D., dean of workforce training and professional studies?will continue serving as the College’s AFIT Rep. Please join us in welcoming Cathy to the AFIT community!?

?? Please join us in giving a warm AFIT welcome to Christine Hammond, interim president of College of DuPage, to our vibrant community of higher education innovators.??? With over 40 years of experience in #HigherEdLeadership, Christine was previously an AFIT member when she served as the president of Mid Michigan College, retiring in 2020.? Located in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, College of DuPage exemplifies innovation in action. Their business incubator and accelerator, Innovation DuPage, has supported more than 325 companies and distributed over $700,000 in scholarships. ? ? The College's forward-thinking programs include Project Hire-Ed, an impactful apprenticeship initiative, and their Virtual Learning Lab, which integrates augmented and virtual reality into instruction. Christine views AFIT membership as a catalyst for institutional transformation. As a member of our collaborative community, she aims to break down silos and align innovative initiatives across College of DuPage as they develop their new strategic plan and prepare to position the institution as an Illinois flagship institution. ?? ?????????????? ??????? ???????????????????? ???????? ???????????? ???? (?????????????????, 2024).

?? Gallup is a Lead Learning Partner! Our third learning partner is really?strengthening??? our 2025 Learning Partner lineup. Stephen Shields is a senior consultant at Gallup with over 16 years of experience helping organizations optimize human capital. An experienced CliftonStrengths coach, Steven will teach us how to apply a strengths-based approach to transformative leadership. Participants will discover how to harness their unique strengths to unlock hidden potential, enhance team dynamics, foster resilience, drive meaningful change, and cultivate a positive, thriving organizational culture.

Our second Lead Learning Partner is ... With a spark of?creativity???, we're adding to our?stellar group of Learning Partners for 2025 to inspire bold changes in higher education. Tim Ziakas, Center for Creative Leadership Tim is passionate about helping organizations create equitable, diverse, and inclusive cultures. As an AFIT learning partner, he will shift mindsets from operational to transformational, equipping attendees with tools and actionable insights for leading sustainable change. Please join us in giving him a warm AFIT welcome!

As the year winds down, we're ramping up the innovation at AFIT! One more big welcome to the newest CEO members who joined us this fall: ?? Tiffany Hernandez, president of Glendale Community College ?? Todd Hernandez, President/CEO at Northwest State Community College ?? Kathy Ulibarri, CEO of the Collaborative for Higher Education Shared Services, Inc. ?? Eric Heiser, Ph.D., President and CEO of Coconino Community College, AZ We're excited to collaborate with these leaders and their teams in 2025 — and beyond! ??

Meet this year’s lead Learning Partner! We’re?optimistic??? that we're cultivating a stellar group of Learning Partners for 2025 to help our members lead the radical renewal of higher education. ? Stephen Shedletzky of Simon Sinek's The Optimism Company ? Stephen Shedletzky—or “Shed” to his friends—helps leaders listen and nurture the voice of others.?A sought-after speaker, coach, and advisor, Shed has led hundreds of keynote presentations, workshops, and leadership development programs around the world. As a thought-leader on psychological safety in the workplace, he works with leaders in all industries where human beings work. He is the author of the book,?Speak-Up Culture: When Leaders Truly Listen, People Step Up?(Page Two, 2023). AFIT's 2025 learning theme "Leading at the Speed of Change" empowers higher education leaders like you to drive meaningful change and lead with confidence, even in uncertainty. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/eG6t8b2N

?? Announcing our 2025 learning theme! Organizations today face a critical leadership gap, threatening growth and hindering potential. In these rapidly changing times, future-ready organizations aren't just aware of this gap—they're actively addressing it. AFIT's 2025 learning theme "Leading at the Speed of Change" empowers higher education leaders like you to drive meaningful change and lead with confidence, even in uncertainty. We hope you'll join us on this important leg of our learning journey!

?? We are thrilled to welcome Eric Heiser, Ph.D., President & CEO of Coconino Community College (CCC) in Flagstaff, Arizona, to the AFIT community. Eric brings over two decades of experience in higher education, starting as faculty and progressing to senior leadership. He was recently named a 2024-2025 Aspen Presidents Fellow and holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership from Colorado State University. Under Eric's leadership, CCC is currently undertaking several innovative practices. They are reinventing the academic calendar with flexible learning modalities such as competency-based education, 5-week courses, subscription models, and accelerated bachelor's degrees. CCC is also focusing on student retention and completion using the Franklin Covey 4Dx model and data-driven decision-making. His expertise and the CCC team's innovative initiatives make them valuable additions to the AFIT community. We look forward to collaborating with Eric and learning from CCC's transformation efforts to further enhance student success across higher education.??