Presidents Track

Monday, July 16

8:30-9:45
Attracting and Retaining a High Caliber Advancement Vice President

The vice president for advancement is one of the most important members of a president's cabinet. The relationship between these two executives must be built on a solid foundation of mutual trust and respect. With the pressure on presidents to succeed in fundraising, a partnership with the right vice president can be a key component of a successful presidency. Competition for the best senior executives is fierce, and retaining an excellent vice president should be a top priority. This session will address how to create and maintain a productive partnership with your chief advancement officer, ensuring development success both for you, and for your organization.
Speakers: James Harris, President, Widener University; Penny Hunt, Vice-Chancellor for Advancement, University of Illinois at Chicago; and Lucy A. Leske, Vice President and Co-Director, Education Practice, Witt/Kieffer

10:30-11:45
Crisis Communications

Effective and timely communication of your message, in good times and in bad, takes careful planning for which colleges and universities must be prepared. This preparation includes your president, boards, donors and senior staff to most effectively manage positive opportunities and once in a lifetime crises with your institution's best interests and reputation in mind. Case studies, shared by a fellow university president, will highlight communications and leadership best practices. This session will help campuses understand when best to put the president out front to share news but also when to defer to staff and review those times when a third party may be your strongest voice publicly. And, perhaps most importantly, discuss how to step up when your leadership is needed most.
Speakers: Jonathan Gibralter, President, Frostburg State University and Teresa Parrot, Principal, TVP Communications

2:15-3:30
Presidents and Social Media

Social media is pervasive. Not only are presidents expected to communicate with important constituents through social tools like Facebook and Twitter, but many recognize these tools as channels that allow them to amplify their messages. This session offers ideas on how presidents can maximize their use of social media-and proves why social channels are an important component of today's communications mix.
Speakers: Michael Stoner, President, mStoner; and Robert Wyatt, President, Coker College