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  3. Leadership Development Programs

Leadership Development Programs

Vanderbilt Leadership Academy (VLA)

Established in 2011, the Vanderbilt Leadership Academy (VLA) is a nine-month learning journey for high performing leaders in both academic and administrative areas that build their knowledge, capability and passion for leading the institution. Each year, approximately 25 Participants are nominated by the chancellor and vice chancellors. Over 200 leaders have completed the program since it began. View news articles about VLA.

Objectives

VLA sessions feature speakers from both internal and external Vanderbilt, roundtable lunches with senior leaders, and case studies. The program is designed to: 

  • Sharpen awareness of personal performance as a leader demonstrating the ability to receive feedback and self-adjust.
  • Promote behaviors that reflect learning and leading agility.
  • Demonstrate composure and presence, both internally and externally.
  • Consider stakeholders’ interests, core values, and data in decision-making.

Common threads tie the sessions together and include a focus on:

  • Self- Who I am as a leader,
  • Others- How I effectively interact with others, and
  • Institution- How I prepare to lead the organization of the future.

Nomination Process

The Vanderbilt Leadership Academy participants are directly chosen through a Summer nomination selection process held by the chancellor and vice chancellors.

Class 12 (2022-2023)

  • Lauren Belisle, Senior Associate Athletic Director of Fan Experience and Sales, Athletics
  • Michael Briggs, Director of Mobility & Transportation
  • LaTonnsya Burney, Associate General Counsel, Office of the General Counsel
  • Veleashia (Vee) Byrd, Associate Director, Black Cultural Center
  • Shane Callahan, Chief Information Security Officer, Information Technology
  • Sean Carroll, Senior Director, Marketing and Auxiliary Operations, Finance
  • Daniel Culbreath, Assistant Vice Chancellor for State Government Relations, Government and Community Relations
  • Christina Cunningham, Senior Director, Administration- Undergraduate Affairs and Residential Faculty, Office of the Provost
  • Brandon Eicher, Executive Director, Office of the Chancellor
  • Kelli Fager, Senior Director, Purchasing & Payment Services
  • Alyssa Hasty, Associate Dean for Faculty in the School of Medicine- Basic Sciences
  • Tamarya (Tammy) Hoyt, Associate Professor, Clinical Radiology & Radiological Sciences/Faculty Senate Vice Chair-elect   
  • Pam Jeffries, Dean, School of Nursing
  • Pam Jones, Associate Vice Chancellor, Health and Wellness/Associate Professor, School of Nursing
  • Erik Kahill, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer, Development & Alumni Relations
  • Ben Khouri, Director of Executive Communications
  • Andrea McArthur Capizzi, Associate Professor of the Practice/Director of Undergraduate Studies, Special Education/Faculty Senate Chair-elect
  • Teea Moore, Director, HR Administration, Public Safety
  • Kate Paradis, Assistant Director of Marketing Technology, Communications and Marketing
  • Claudia Paz, Chief Business Officer, School of Medicine Basic Sciences
  • Maria Portelli, Senior Director of Campus Dining
  • Joanne Rong Wang, Assistant Dean, Professional and External Education Programs in the School of Engineering
  • Mary Roy, Director, Title IX and Title IX Coordinator
  • Kamal Saggi, Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professor of Economics
  • Alex Sevilla, Vice Provost for Career Advancement and Engagement & Evans Family Executive Director of the Career Center
  • Roy Yum, Head of Private Investments, Office of Investments 

Vanderbilt Leadership Enrichment (VLE)

Established in 2019, Vanderbilt Leadership Enrichment (VLE) is designed to develop key leadership skills and competencies for staff who are managers or operational leaders demonstrating high potential, and whose leadership position is between front-line supervisor and director.

This university-wide program consists of eight full-day sessions, offered monthly from September through April. The program aims to help participants enhance their leadership self-awareness and increase their institutional knowledge. VLE will help develop their ability to work effectively with a team, lead during times of change, manage both complex and simple projects, deal with conflict, and set departmental goals and direction.

“At Vanderbilt, we are always looking to develop our leaders, pushing them to new heights,” said Eric Kopstain, vice chancellor for administration. “VLE was crafted in collaboration with the Office of the Provost and the Divisions of Administration, Information Technology, and Finance. The program will serve as a valuable resource for managers across campus to enhance their leadership styles and increase their emotional intelligence to make better, more informed decisions not only for their teams, but for Vanderbilt as a whole.”

VLE was developed with significant input from Kopstain, Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Relations John Lutz and Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and Finance and Chief Financial Officer Brett Sweet. The program was established to serve and connect staff leaders from academic areas, departments and divisions across the university.

Class 04 (2022-2023)

  • Kevin Borgic, Catering Operations Manager, Campus Dining, Auxiliary Services  
  • Lindsey Bunt, Assistant Director of Administrative Operations, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Administration, Division of Administration  
  • Hannah Clark, Assistant Director, Student Care Coordination, Student Affairs  
  • Kristen Ann Clark, Police Captain, Public Safety - Police Department
  • Jacqueline Collins, Assistant Director of Student-Athlete Development, Vanderbilt Athletics
  • Christina Fogg, Senior Financial Unit Manager, Facilities - Plant Operations
  • Tiffany Lawrence Givens, Director of Human Resources, Dean's Office, Basic Sciences, School of Medicine
  • Krista Gyarmati, Senior Administrative Manager, Office of Health Sciences Education, School of Medicine
  • Kevin Hooper, Program Coordinator, Earth & Environmental Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences
  • Randy Hurt, Campus Engineer, Facilities, Administration
  • Laura Kramer, Manager of Financial & Administrative Operations, LAPOP, Office of the Dean
  • Feylyn Lewis, Program Manager, Clinical and Community Health (Students for Health Equity )
  • Gabriel Luis, Director of Graduate Recruiting and Assistant Dean for Graduate Education, School of Engineering
  • Adam McKeever-Burgett, Assistant Dean for Academic Services, School of Engineering; Vice President, University Staff Advisory Council
  • Brook J. Meissner, Director of Specialized Masters Career Coaching - Career Management Center, Owen Graduate School of Management
  • Sheteka Phillips, Manager/ Site Director, Child & Family Center, Division of Administration
  • Kristin Marie Geddis Stone, Senior Assistant University Registrar, Office of the University Registrar, University Enrollment Affairs
  • Samantha Sullivan, Assistant Director, Student Financial Aid & Scholarships
  • Anna Thomas, Director, Events and Communications, The Graduate School
  • Kimberly D. Turner, Assistant Dean of Administrative Operations, School of Medicine - Basic Sciences, Office of the Dean
  • Glenna Underhill, Director of Creative Production and Operations, Creative, Communications and Marketing
  • Jeffrey Weissinger, Assistant Director – Residential College/Commissary/Child Care, Campus Dining
  • Laine Walters Young, Assistant Director of the Cal Turner Program for Moral Leadership in the Professions, Vanderbilt Divinity School 

 Please direct all inquiries to ele@vanderbilt.edu.