Interim President Kathryn McClymond has announced the second cohort of the President’s Leadership Institute. Established in 2022, the PLI is a year-long professional development opportunity for Oglethorpe University faculty and staff. Participants explore the world of higher education, while gaining valuable, transferable leadership skills.

This inaugural year’s cohort is diverse, representing various disciplines, departments, offices and programs:

Heidi Barringer, Admission Counselor
Karlie Burrell, Career Development, Coordinator
Shane Desmond-Williams, Financial Aid Counselor
Colleen Donaldson, Human Resources Manager
Caitlin Douglas ’10, Director of Admission Operations
Chamyre Hynson, Reference and Instruction Librarian
Luetrell Langston, Facilities Operations Coordinator
Michelle Lyn, Director of University Counseling
Mariel Meier, Associate Professor of Physics, Division III Chair, and First Year Seminar Faculty Liaison
Gabe Mendez, Accessibility Services Coordinator
Brian Patterson, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Mathematics, Division IX Chair
Ansley Radosta, University Events Coordinator
Lauren Richardson, Assistant Director of Student Success
Renee Vary, Senior Director of University Communications
Anna Ziering, Assistant Professor of Women’s Studies

The institute will run from September through May, with the cohort meeting monthly for all-day sessions. Dr. McClymond and members of the Senior Administrative Leadership Team will lead the cohort through an exploration of personal leadership styles, analyses of trends and challenges within higher education and at Oglethorpe, and a year-long project that develops leadership skills while serving our entire community.

“I look forward to developing leaders on our campus,” McClymond said. “I hope to replicate the success of the first cohort, unpacking our core institutional values and empowering our faculty and staff to lead from their areas and disciplines. We have a lot of talented colleagues at Oglethorpe. It’s a privilege to invest in them, because it’s an investment in our future.”