Meet the Candidates
Jeffery Alejandro
Title: Coordinator
Institution: East Carolina University
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Candidate For: Director-At-Large
Profile: My goals for the association include growing its membership and increasing its visibility within the field. ACHE has been my family of professionals. Some of the long-time members have been my best mentors, and some of the other new professionals have been the brothers and sisters I am growing and learning with within the association. When I needed advice or wanted to vent, I have been able to turn to my colleagues within ACHE. This extended family has been wonderful. I have formed lifelong bonds with many of its members. As with any family, ACHE must grow and bring in new members. As the chair of the Inclusiveness Committee, it has been my vision to bring in members from underserved groups, such as graduate students, young professionals, minorities, community colleges, and untapped adult education agencies. ACHE is a great organization filled with practitioners from all areas of adult and continuing education. It has a long history of service and leadership to the profession. I feel that due to recent events in our nation and higher education, ACHE can poise itself to better educate and serve higher education professionals. Now is the time to become the continuing higher education association of choice. Membership in ACHE has done a lot for me as a professional and as a person, such as making me a better educator, administrator, leader, and student advocate. I would like the opportunity to continue serving ACHE and its members.
Service to ACHE National:
- Committee on Inclusiveness Chair 2008, 2009
- Minority Affairs Network Chair 2007
- Program Committee 2007, 2008, 2009
- Program Committee Co-Chair 2011 (announced 4/2/09)
- Nominations Committee 2008
- Member since 2001
Service to ACHE Mid-Atlantic Region
- Chair 2008-2009
- Past Chair 2009-2010
- Program Committee 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
Title: Director, Office of Academic and Professional Development
Institution: Eastern Illinois University
Region: Great Lakes
Candidate For: Director at Large
Profile: Pam Collins began her career in continuing education at Eastern Illinois University in 1994 and has received a variety of position promotions. Initially, she served as the director of non-credit programs, and shortly thereafter became the director of off-campus and contract credit programs. Pam now serves as the director of the Office of Academic and Professional Development for the School of Continuing Education and is responsible for all off-campus credit and non-credit programs, including study abroad and distance learning activities. In 1996, Pam attended her first ACHE Annual Meeting; she has been a very active member and supports the goals of ACHE. In addition to attending annual and regional meetings, Pam is currently serving as the chair of the Great Lakes Region and is a member of the research committee. She has also served as the chair of the Crystal Marketing Awards committee and as a representative on the national program planning committee on several occasions since 1999. ACHE provides such invaluable resources for the continuing education practitioner who greatly benefits by participating in the many offerings of this organization. Benefits include opportunities for sharing ideas, networking, professional development, and being rewarded for their successes and hard work as continuing educators. The association also provides a place where continuing educators can share their challenges and successes in an ever-changing and demanding society. Pam’s goal is to promote ACHE as a place where we can learn and grow together and where we can face the challenges of today as a unified group; and in following ACHE’s mission, represent continuing education and the continuing education professional to local, state and national constituencies.
Title: Dean of Lifelong Learning
Institution: University of Tulsa
Region: Great Plains
Candidate For: Director-at-Large
Profile: I arrived in the United States in September of 2009 and became a member of ACHE in 2000. ACHE very quickly became an important professional resource. Just as quickly, members of the association became friends and colleagues willing to go out of their way to make someone from “across the pond” welcome. I am honored to ask for your support to serve as Director-at-Large. I have more than 16 years experience of working in continuing higher education. Since joining ACHE, I have served at the regional level as Secretary, Chair-Elect, and Chair. I have presented at both regional and national conferences. At the national level, I have served as the Network Leader for Professional Development and chaired the awards committee for the Wayne Whelan Scholarship. This year, I am serving as the Joint Chair for Exhibitor Relations for the 2009 Conference in Philadelphia. Over the past several years, the Great Plains Region has increased its membership. My goals for the Association include continuing to grow membership and to encourage more Community Colleges to become actively engaged in ACHE, both within the region and nationally. Another goal is to see increased opportunities for ACHE members to serve the Association in a leadership capacity. There are some terrific people in our Association doing some great things for ACHE. Personally, I do not believe that they should be excluded from leadership opportunities on the basis of not having had the opportunity to serve as a regional officer. When you attend our national and regional meetings and look around, you will notice an absence of younger continuing education professionals. In order to survive and continue to succeed we have to explore ways to address this. We know that Generation Y tend not to join organizations and so a further goal would be to look for new and innovative ways of encouraging new/younger professionals to join ACHE. ACHE has a long and successful history of being the voice of our profession by striving to increase access and opportunity to those who are underserved. These are challenging but exciting times for continuing higher education. We have a new President and an administration willing to discuss with other professionals how best to address the need for the United States to compete globally in the new knowledge economy. I would like to see ACHE have a place at the table as these discussions progress.
Jane LeClair
Title: Program Director, Technology Programs
Institution: Excelsior College
Region: Northeast
Candidate For: Director-at-Large
Profile: Jane LeClair has been an active member of ACHE for over ten years. Jane has held a number of positions in the organization including Vice Chair and Treasurer, and has been Chair of ACHE Northeast since 2007. ACHE Northeast has been a very active group under her leadership, with an expanding membership and sponsoring biannual workshops that draw an impressive number of attendees. Among the workshops offered by the group were:
- Professional Development for Presenters
- Transitioning Students with Disabilities to College
- Serving Today’s Non-Traditional Students
- Building Corporate and Community Partnerships
- Administration, Technology and Unlocking the Barriers to Successful Distance Learning
The Northeast treasury has grown 1000% as a result of these workshops during her tenure as Chair. Jane has also made presentations at ACHE conferences in:
- Roanoke, Virginia (2007)
- Transitioning Students with Learning Disabilities to Post Secondary Education
- Adult Education Graduate Programs- Where Art Thou.
- Nashville, Tennessee (2008)
- Responding to the Changing Characteristics of Adult Learners in Today’s Continuing Education Environment
- Hyannis, Massachusetts (2008)
- Tomorrow’s Leader’s in Continuing Education
- No Adult Left Behind Using Community Resources to Assist ALL Adults with Special Needs
Jane feels that ACHE, like all successful organizations, has been built on a firm foundation of dedicated leadership and involved members eager to share their knowledge. Her vision for ACHE is to grow the organization through diversity efforts, networking, publicity and a continuation of the efforts that have led ACHE to its current well deserved status in the realm of higher education. Since receiving her Doctorate in Adult Education from Syracuse University, Jane has been on the faculty and staff of numerous colleges and currently teaches in the Masters in Adult Education Program at Elmira College. She is currently the Program Director for Technology Programs at Excelsior College. Jane is also lending her expertise to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as President of "ALC Consulting."
David Grebel
Title: Director of Extended Education
Institution: Texas Christian University
Region: South
Candidate For: Vice President
Profile: Bob Dylan was right: “The Times They Are A-Changin’.” “Changin’” times bring great opportunity. For ACHE, the opportunity is to focus on our meaning to higher education and the public we serve. To bring greater meaning, it is my desire to identify and offer significant services to our members, build on our current relationships by inviting our colleagues in the field to partner with us, and continue to strengthen ACHE’s voice in shaping the national narrative for continuing higher education. With our open and participatory approach to leadership, we can continue to create opportunities for our members to develop their professional potential and to contribute to the relationships that magnify our impact. As we share our stories with each other, we will build our learning communities and begin to better understand our role in a greater context. As we become more inclusive, we will reflect the communities that we serve. Our work as good stewards of our resources we will afford greater opportunities to respond to the changing times. Meaning matters. My twelve years with ACHE have taught me that our work has meaning for ourselves, our universities and the public. We are the collaborators, the investors in human capital, the front line engaging our universities with the public. I am thankful for the opportunity to serve ACHE in the following ways:
- Member, Board of Directors, 2007 to present
- Program Chair, 2007 Annual Meeting in Roanoke, Virginia
- Member, ACHE Program Committee
- 2006 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles
- 2009 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia
- 2010 Annual Meeting in Albuquerque
- ACHE South (formerly Region 7)
- Chair, Awards Committee - 1999
- Executive committee, 2003-2004
- Secretary, 2003-2004
- Chair-elect, 2004-2005
- Chair, Program Committee - 2005
- Chair, 2005-2006
- Past Chair, 2006-2007
- Chair, Local Arrangements Committee - 2006
- Presenter at several ACHE annual and regional meetings
Title: Dean, Continuing Education & Outreach
Institution: Eastern Kentucky University
Region: South
Candidate For: Vice President
Profile: I have been a member of the Association since 2000, and have been continuously active in that time in two regions and on the national level serving on committees, in networks, and as a national board member throughout my membership. I have served as moderator, presider, day chair, convener, and presenter at numerous ACHE regional and international conferences.
Involvement in ACHE:
- ACHE Board, Member at Large, 2006 to present
- Board Liaison, Resolutions Committee, 2006 to present
- Call for Proposals Selection Team Member
- Board Committee, Strategic Planning Revision, 2008
- Day Chair, International Conferences, 2005, 2006
- Convener, Professional Development Network, 2002--2006
- Member, Membership Development and Services Committee
- ACHE Regional Secretary, Region 8 (now Great Plains)
- Vice-Chair, Region 8 (now Great Plains)
- Chair, Region 8 (now Great Plains)
- Program Committee Chair, annual Regional Conference
Other:
- COLLO Delegate, Kentucky Association for Continuing Higher Education
Statement of goals:
As an active member of ACHE, I am encouraged by our corporate strengths. The phenomenal networking that takes place at our regional and international conferences characterizes the value that we clearly place--as individuals and as an organization--in our professional relationships. I continue to be impressed by the quality and relevance of conference programming that occurs regionally and nationally; the expertise exhibited by our members as they present at these events and the relevance of the topics chosen obviously demonstrate that we practice what we preach. Finally, I have the greatest respect for the quality of leadership and the dedication to ACHE so clearly demonstrated by my colleagues on the Board of Directors, our Executive Officers, and the home office staff. I believe that the principal issues that we face as an organization arise from the need to maintain and enhance the Association's relevancy to the membership and from the necessity to serve as an advocate for our profession in the academic community. To remain a viable organization, ACHE must take the lead in helping each of us at our individual institutions adapt, adjust, and succeed in a rapidly evolving, continuously challenging workplace environment. To accomplish this, I suggest several measures: 1. Increase our advocacy role at the local, state, and national level. We, as an association, must become more aware of legislation and regulatory practices that impact our profession, and we must be more active in influencing that legislation and practice. 2. Advance the interests of ACHE through the proactive development of partnerships with related associations, organizations, and institutions to develop policies and programs beneficial to our common interests. 3. Promote best practices in our profession by fostering research into relevant topics of professional interest and ensuring the dissemination of information discovered in that research to the membership in a timely manner. 4. Apply the most effective, cost-efficient means of communications technology in our professional development activities and information sharing among the membership.| Web site Design/Development: Bonny K. Million University of Oklahoma Outreach Marketing & Communications |
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