2025 Emerging Leaders Institute

A Hybrid Leadership Development Program

The 2025 Emerging Leaders Institute (ELI) is a distinguished leadership development program designed to empower the growth of higher education professionals. This hybrid institute comprises three virtual sessions and one in-person session, offering participants an interactive and comprehensive learning experience.

The program will culminate in an in-person session at the University of La Verne with experienced continuing education leaders, where attendees will engage in hands-on leadership workshops, networking opportunities, and collaborative discussions.

ELI is ideal for emerging leaders seeking to enhance their leadership competencies, develop strategic thinking skills, and expand their professional networks within the field of higher education.

2025 Emerging Leaders Institute (ELI) Schedule

Virtual Session Schedule

• Tuesday, May 20, 2025

  • Time: 4:00 – 6:00 PM PT | 7:00 – 9:00 PM ET

• Tuesday, August 12, 2025

  • Time: 3:00 – 5:00 PM PT | 6:00 – 8:00 PM ET

• Tuesday, September 9, 2025

  • Time: 3:00 – 4:30 PM PT | 6:00 – 7:30 PM ET

In-Person Session Schedule

• Dates: June 24 – June 27, 2025
• Location: University of La Verne 

  • 1950 3rd St. La Verne, Ca, 91750

Faculty

This year’s ELI will feature an outstanding lineup of distinguished speakers, including Dr. Susan Elkins, Dr. Brandi Huskey, Dr. Rich Whitney and Dr. Kate White. Each brings a wealth of experience and expertise that will inform, inspire, and empower attendees throughout the event.

Dr. Susan Elkins was named Chancellor of the University of South Carolina Palmetto College in February 2013. The Chancellor serves as the chief administrative officer of Palmetto College, which includes UofSC’s four associate degree-granting regional campuses – USC Lancaster, USC Salkehatchie, USC Sumter, and USC Union, along with online bachelor’s degree completion programs offered by the four senior institutions of the University of South Carolina System – USC Aiken, USC Beaufort, USC Columbia, and USC Upstate.  Dr. Elkins holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Education from Tennessee Technological University (TTU) and completed her doctoral work in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Higher Education Administration at Vanderbilt University. Since the establishment of Palmetto College in 2013, enrollment at the regional Palmetto College campuses has grown by 21% topping 5,000 for the first time in 2019 with continuing growth since that time.  The online bachelor’s degree completion programs launched in 2013 have served over 5,000 students with nearly half of those already earning a bachelor’s degree by 2021.

Brandi Huskey currently serves as the Interim Director of Off-Campus Programs for East Tennessee State University. She has over ten years of experience in distance education, serving students from all walks of life. Her expertise spans from event planning to student services to program development and facility management. She is knee-deep in writing her dissertation, focusing her research on place-based scholarships and the impact on college choice. She is the current Chair of ACHE South.  She received her BS in Sport Management in 2006 from East Tennessee State University and an MA in Religion and Leadership from Liberty University in 2013. Her professional passion focuses on controllable attributes of student success for nontraditional students.

Dr. Rich Whitney is a Professor and Assistant Dean for Faculty Affairs and Research. He previously served as the Program Director, of the Doctoral Program in Organizational Leadership at the University of La Verne in Southern California. His teaching interests include leader’s consciousness of self, brain-based learning, and program development contributions to andragogy. Previously, he was a professor in the counseling-college student development program at DePaul University in Chicago. Other higher education experience includes the University of Nevada, in his hometown of Reno, in student affairs and Assistant Director for Management and Leadership Programs for Extended Studies.

Dr. Whitney has been training, facilitating, and speaking to groups on leadership throughout his professional career. As a proponent of experiential learning theory Rich has created programs from the classroom to the leadership development program for the 50,000 participants of the 2019 World Scout Jamboree.

Dr. Kate White is the Assistant Dean for the College of Professional & Global Education at San Francisco State University. With nearly 20 years of experience in higher education, she oversees the operations of SFSU’s mission-driven Professional and Continuing Education portfolio, which includes degree completion programs, job-training initiatives, community-based education, and customized workforce training. These programs are designed to align with evolving industry needs, helping individuals gain the skills necessary to enter new careers or advance in their current fields.

FAQs

Who can register?

All continuing higher education professionals are welcome to register. The Emerging Leaders Institute is designed particularly for individuals who have been working in continuing education for 3-5 years or more and who are preparing to take on additional leadership roles.