After nine months of study, collaboration and training, the inaugural cohort from ‘Eagle Summit: Advancing Supervisory Leadership at UMW’ celebrated their accomplishments with a capstone presentation and recognition ceremony held at UMW’s Stafford campus last week. The event marked the culmination of a two-semester journey for 13 dedicated UMW employees from various departments across campus.

Selected through a nomination and application process, the group met in person twice monthly over nine months in sessions starting last fall that featured coaching, expert speakers and discussion of the leadership book, Think Again by Adam Grant.

“The program was grounded in competencies from UMW’s Quality Enhancement Plan,” said Director of Continuing and Professional Studies Teresa Segelken, who spearheaded the curriculum. “It encouraged self-reflection, cross-department collaboration and practical application of management principles.”

At the recognition ceremony, four teams gave capstone presentations that addressed University challenges, such as promoting employee well-being, improving campus communication strategies, streamlining systems for better process efficiency, and enhancing the student experience through a new 24/7 package delivery system.

President Troy Paino, Provost Tim O’Donnell, Associate Provost Kimberly Young and Segelken all offered remarks at the event, praising participants for their commitment and the creative solutions offered in their capstone presentations, as well as fostering conversations across departments. The group’s recommendations will be reviewed with the President’s cabinet to explore implementation options.

Certificates of recognition were presented and a celebratory reception followed. Young applauded Segelken for the Summit’s success, saying she “made this program come to life and executed it with equal vision and passion.”

The program is the product of cross-college collaboration, including University Archivist Sarah Appleby, Dean for Academic Success and Integrity Wes Hillyard and Human Resources Compensation and HRIS Analyst Deborah Burton, who served on the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) subcommittee for staff development and helped shape its direction and focus on skill-building and networking for supervisors.

“From my perspective, it was critical that the implementation of the QEP include our staff and supervisors. These are the people who shape another important part of the student experience oftentimes through student engagement and employment,” Young said. “Teresa was the right leader for this implementation team because she understands leadership development and adult learners.”

“Eagle Summit was powerful,” said participant Kristina Peck, director of clinical experiences and partnerships for the College of Education. “We got to connect with others outside our own areas in a productive, efficient and collaborative environment.” Other participants echoed this, highlighting lessons in empathetic leadership, active listening and the importance of relationship-building across campus.

2024-25 Eagle Summit Cohort:

Angie Kemp, Head of Special Collections & Digital Scholarship, Simpson Library

Michelle Crow-Dolby, Education & Communications Manager, Gari Melchers Home and Studio

Lisa Marvashti, Director of Media & Public Relations, University Communications

Jarod Kearney, Assistant Director & Curator of James Monroe Museum

Alex Ecklund, Director of Disability Resources

Angela Lynch, Associate Registrar Admin & Enroll, Registrar’s Office

Nancy Wang, Health Center Director and Physician

Timothy Saulnier, Director of Financial Aid

Kristina Peck, Director of Clinical Experiences & Partnerships, College of Education

Trish Greene, Head of Access Services & Outreach

Douglas Noble, Executive Director of Dodd Auditorium

Sarah Lindberg, Director of First Year Admissions

Trevya Zukor, Director of Talley Center for Counseling