2026 South Conference

Amy Denise Johnson grew up along the banks of the New River in a small, unincorporated community known as Ripplemead, VA. Ripplemead was so close to the West Virginia boarder you could spit across the state line. Therefore, Amy spent half her formative years on her family farm in West Virginia and the other half in Southwest Virginia growing up in the home where her mother was raised. She is firmly rooted in the value of family and she strives to keep her small community values alive in her work with students and faculty. She is a first-generation college student who matriculated to the College of William in Mary. Upon earning her diploma, presented in Latin, she was proclaimed upright and well-born, neither of which seem very true. She has more than 24 years of teaching and administrative experience. She served as the founding director of East Tennessee State University’s Center for Teaching Excellence and has pioneered new roles at the university including Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs. Amy is currently serving in an inaugural role as the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the Quillen College of Medicine at ETSU where she works to help faculty grow in both their leadership and teaching skills. While she went on to earn advanced degrees from ETSU, her family helps her stay grounded in the mission of her work - lifelong learning, teaching, and helping others grow. Her family often reminds her that the values of hard work, resilience, community, and resourcefulness are skills she learned in the mountains at the elbows of her family – she considers it her duty to use those blessings to support the success of others.

Encouragement for Teaching and Leadership

Effective teams don't happen by accident—they are cultivated through intentional leadership practices that foster trust, collaboration, and shared purpose. This session explores five evidence-based strategies essential for developing high-functioning teams in any context, from classrooms to boardrooms.

Participants will examine how creating genuine belonging establishes the foundation for meaningful collaboration, allowing team members to contribute authentically without fear of judgment. The session demonstrates how powerful inquiry techniques stimulate reflection, surface underlying assumptions, and invite innovative thinking. Clarity—in purpose, expectations, and communication—emerges as critical for aligning individual efforts with collective goals and motivating sustained engagement.

The session also addresses the delicate balance of maintaining accountability while responding productively to mistakes and setbacks. Participants will explore how to reframe failure as an essential component of learning and growth rather than something to be avoided. Finally, the practice of expressing sincere appreciation is examined as a cornerstone of building resilient, enthusiastic teams.

Drawing on contemporary research in organizational psychology and educational leadership, this session provides practical frameworks and actionable strategies that participants can immediately apply in their own contexts. Whether leading a classroom, managing a department, or guiding an organization, attendees will gain insights into creating environments where innovation flourishes, relationships deepen, and meaningful work becomes the norm. Through discussion and reflection, participants will uncover concrete approaches for building strong communities dedicated to excellence and continuous improvement.

Dianna Rust is grateful to be an alumnus of Middle Tennessee State University and Tennessee State University, where she earned her doctorate. She is also grateful to be a Professor in University Studies, where she has the pleasure of working with faculty and staff who feel like family. She is thankful to get the chance to work with students inside the classroom and see their growth. She enjoys working with students outside the classroom through MTSU’s Relay for Life, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, and volunteering at nonprofits with students.

She is most grateful for her husband and two children: Edie, who is 19, and Luke, who is 16. Other blessings include her Short Mountain, Tennessee, and Albany, New York family, countless friends and mentors, her home in Lascassas, and her cat, Comet.

Gratitude as a Way to Promote a Culture of Wellness

This keynote explores the science of gratitude and why it is essential in today’s personal, professional, and academic environments. Drawing on research and real-world examples, participants will discover how gratitude strengthens relationships—including faculty–student connections—enhances workplace culture, and fuels effective leadership. Central to this discussion is “Encourage the Heart,” one of Kouzes and Posner’s Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership.

Attendees will leave with practical strategies to cultivate gratitude and an actionable plan they can implement immediately within their own organizations. At a time when burnout is escalating across higher education, this keynote offers a timely, research-informed pathway for faculty and leaders to foster well-being, resilience, and a thriving campus culture through everyday practices of gratitude.

Julie Shankle is proud to serve as ACHE President for the 2025-2026 year. Julie has served on various regional and international conference planning committees since 2010. She held South Region officer positions from 2013 – 2017 and served as the ACHE annual conference co-chair in 2020 and 2021. Juliereceived the ACHE South Region Continuing Education Leadership Award and the ACHE Meritorious Service Award in 2022. 

Julie has over 18 years of experience serving remote and adult learners through periods of significant organizational change and innovation. She is currently the Executive Director of Continuing Education at the University of Central Florida, which offers programs for up-skilling, re-skilling, micro-credentialing, training, professional advancement, and personal growth. She currently serves on the advisory board for the Higher Education Coaching Academy.

Prior to UCF, Julie spent over 15 years at Florida Institute of Technology, her final three years there as Vice President of Online and Off-Campus Education. Julie is recipient of the Joan Bixby Award, which recognizes those who enhance the climate for women's participation and development on Florida Tech's campus; the Florida Tech Most Valuable Panther Award; and the Florida Tech President's Award. She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Omicron Delta Kappa honor societies. Julie earned a Bachelor of Arts from Centre College in Kentucky, where she majored in English and Dramatic Arts, and a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Management from Florida State University. 

Leading from the Middle: Courage, Dignity, and the Future of Higher Education

This talk explores how middle managers, who are often tasked with implementing change they didn’t choose, hold the key to organizational health, employee well-being, and the future relevance of our institutions. Learn practical strategies for navigating difficult transitions, advocating upward, and modeling the values we promise our learners. Join us to reimagine leadership, foster trust, and build cultures where transformation is both humane and effective.