2025 Board Professionals Conference: Schedule

College and university presidents are under intense public scrutiny, which has contributed to the shrinking timelines of higher education presidencies—from an average of a decade a few years ago to an average of six years today. In this environment, board professionals must be adept at navigating and facilitating transitions at the top of the organization. Key to the success of such transitions is clear communication among stakeholders, at the center of which board professionals often find themselves. Takeaways from this session include:

• The importance of collaboration with communicators across the institution
• The effectiveness of determining the appropriate spokesperson(s) at each stage of the transition
• The value of understanding and advancing the board chair’s role, voice, and communication strategy

Speakers:
Frances M. Davis, board secretary and associate vice president for strategic communication, University of Miami
Mary Osako, vice chancellor for strategic communications, University of California, Los Angeles

Navigating the complex landscape of board relations can be daunting, especially when faced with controversial topics, high-stakes gift acceptance, and unexpected crises. This session will explore the most challenging scenarios that board professionals might encounter, offering practical strategies for mitigating risks and maintaining strong, effective governance. Attendees will gain insights into anticipating potential pitfalls, developing proactive measures, and fostering resilient relationships within their boards.

Speakers:
Lauren Ferguson, principal consultant, Sylver Solutions
Jennifer Cerasa, vice president and general counsel, legal counsel and secretary, University of Illinois Foundation Board of Directors
Richard Welsh, senior associate general counsel, University of Central Florida

During this session, participants will review the basics and get answers to all the questions they were afraid to ask. Although board professionals do not serve as parliamentarians, they are expected to know and understand basic rules, motions, and procedures, which in turn helps boards run orderly and efficient meetings. This session will be interactive, encouraging discussions and questions from participants.

Speaker:
Jason Langworthy, associate secretary, University of Minnesota Board of Regents

When you’re hiring a new president or chancellor, everyone has an opinion about how it should be done or whom you should hire. Learn how the University of Minnesota System leaned into the expectation for full transparency by designing and executing a fully open presidential search that culminated in three public finalists traveling around the state to engage with the university community at each of its five campuses.

Speakers:
Brian Steeves, executive director and corporate secretary, University of Minnesota System Board of Regents
Marlo Welshons, assistant executive director, University of Minnesota System Board of Regents

Whether board membership is a volunteer, appointed, or hired role, success for both the board member who is serving and the institution they serve requires clear guidelines on the expectations of the individual and check-ins between meetings throughout the individual’s tenure. As the board professional, gaining leadership buy-in for these guidelines and their participation in these routine check-ins is paramount for successful individual board member engagement. Join us for a brief conversation about how the University of New Mexico Foundation Board of Trustees conducts its individual board engagement plans and how you can easily translate this framework to fit your institution’s own board.

Speaker:
Nicole Reeves, executive officer for trustee relations, University of New Mexico Foundation

Speaker:
Joshua Cameron, executive liaison officer, Western University of Health Sciences

Having a robust annual planning process helps to enable a board to be informed, transparent, engaged, and effective in exercising its responsibilities. This session will offer a framework for how the University of Minnesota System develops and uses clear priorities, quality agendas, thoughtful outreach, a robust policy review process, and attention to potential gaps in board oversight or understanding to achieve this objective. The presentation will include examples and helpful takeaways for board professionals to help implement an annual planning process for board and committee meetings.

Speakers:
Brian Steeves, executive director and corporate secretary, University of Minnesota System Board of Regents
Maggie Marchesani, committee and policy coordinator, University of Minnesota System Board of Regents

Speakers:
Edward Cullinane, special assistant to the president, governance, Babson College
Joshua Cameron, executive liaison officer, Western University of Health Sciences

When governance is at the core, it can feel as if board engagement is just gravy. However, we all know that engaged board members better serve their institution. This session will share perspectives from a public institution and a private institution on their varied approaches to fostering an appetite for engagement following a global pandemic.

Creating an engaging board meeting experience is thread through every aspect of the meeting. From content to logistics and everything in between, each component of the meeting must be intentional. An engaging board meeting also impacts the board member experience, and has further implications for satisfaction, retention, and succession planning. This session will explore the board meeting planning process, including content, logistics, marketing and communications, design elements, student engagement, campus partners, and more. The speakers then will examine how to execute the board meeting so that engagement is at the core of the experience. The session will feature an example of board meeting engagement from the University of Maryland College Park Foundation.

Speakers:
Kristen Coffey, program manager, board operations, University of Maryland College Park Foundation
Krista Overby, communications and engagement manager, University of Minnesota System Board of Regents

At any institution, board professionals and general counsel are two of the most prominent positions that are characterized by dual responsibilities. Both are responsible for reporting to and being accountable to the administrative and board leadership of the institution and the institution more broadly. Thus, the importance of developing a relationship of mutual trust, respect, and confidence between you and your general counsel is absolutely critical for your institution to be at its very best. Join us for some strategies, techniques, and approaches to create and sustain a “best-in-show” collaborative and productive relationship between you and your institution’s lawyer.

Speakers:
Richard Uchida, vice president, general counsel, and secretary of the college, Colby College
Gayle Horwitz, senior vice chancellor and secretary of the board, City University of New York
Kevin Reilly, president emeritus, University of Wisconsin System; former secretary of the university, State University of New York System; AGB Senior Fellow

We’ll cover six timely topics in 60 minutes. The feedback from our session in 2024 was very positive. We may cover some of the same topics, but we’ll probably add new topics, given whatever the current landscape is.

Speakers:
Katie Herschede, vice president for strategic initiatives and chief of staff, Widener University
Denise Nelson Nash, vice president and secretary of the board of trustees, Scripps College

Times of transition can be fraught—for the president, for senior leadership, for the board, and for the board professional. In this session, speakers will suggest some approaches to help everyone be prepared for the future in order to keep the productive practices while remaining open to new ideas and approaches.

Speakers:
Bett Schumacher, chief of staff and secretary of the college, Mount Holyoke College
Marianne Cooley, assistant vice president and secretary of the board of trustees, Wellesley College

A good mystery novel requires certain ingredients: the setting, the plot, the protagonist, the good people and the bad people, the victories, the red herrings, the clues that may elude us, the heart-pounding tensions, and finally the resolution—that “aha moment” of clarity. An institution can easily embrace these elements in setting its strategy. Gather those clues, involve the constituents, embrace the victories, avoid the pitfalls and misdirection, and provide a strong resolution or plan to make the strategy a success.

Speaker:
Dorothy Marinucci, university secretary and secretary to the board of trustees, Fordham University