Professional Title: Assistant Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students, North Carolina Central University

What does serving on the SACSA Executive Council mean to you at this point in your professional journey?
Serving on the SACSA Executive Council at this point in my professional journey represents both stewardship and service. SACSA has been a professional home that shaped my growth, challenged my thinking, and connected me to a community that values integrity, leadership, and care for the work we do. Now, with years of experience and a clear sense of purpose, serving on the Executive Council allows me to give back in meaningful and strategic ways. It is an opportunity to help guide the association forward while honoring the legacy that made my own development possible. I see this role as a responsibility to uplift others, strengthen our collective vision, and ensure SACSA continues to thrive for future generations of professionals.

As you step into this role, what is one priority or outcome you are most excited to advance for SACSA members this year?
I am particularly energized by advancing intentional, high-impact spaces where newer professionals find meaningful mentorship, experienced leaders deepen their leadership capacity, and our collective work continues to build on the strong foundation of our Strategic Plan. This focus positions SACSA as a premier professional home that supports growth at every career stage while challenging members to lead with clarity, purpose, and sustained impact.

What is your most fond SACSA member to date?
One of my most fond SACSA memories began after seeing Dr. Joelle Davis Carter speak on behalf of the Foundation, when I approached her to ask if we could connect over coffee or lunch. Her sincerity, openness, and immediate desire to get me engaged in the association made a lasting impression. That genuine sense of welcome and intentional mentorship has stayed with me over the years and truly reflects the essence of my SACSA experience.

Fun: If you had to give a 10-minute TED Talk with zero prep, what would it be about
The impact and power of growing up as the eldest sister.

Professional Title:   Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Associate Dean of Students, University of Louisville

What does serving on the SACSA Executive Council mean to you at this point in your professional journey?
SACSA's mission is grounded in inclusion, professionalism, and collegiality—values I deeply believe in. I am honored to serve as a member of the SACSA Executive Council, and I see this role as an important opportunity in my professional journey to actively live out the mission through our work and the decisions we make on behalf of the organization.

As you step into this role, what is one priority or outcome you are most excited to advance for SACSA members this year?
I am excited to see how we continue to expand professional development opportunities for our members. Having served as a faculty member for the past four years—two years with MMI and two years with NPI—I know firsthand that our members are actively seeking opportunities to enhance their leadership skills. The SACSA Executive Council has already begun discussions around increasing growth and development opportunities for our members, and I am eager to see those efforts come to fruition.

What is your most fond SACSA member to date?
My fondest part of being a SACSA member is the people I get to interact with and learn from through this community.

Fun: What is a random skill you picked up and never lost?
Saying my ABC's backwards very fast!

Professional Title: Associate Vice President of Campus Life and Dean of Students

What does serving on the SACSA Executive Council mean to you at this point in your professional journey?
SACSA has long been my professional home, and it has poured into me personally and in my work. I have gained insight, broadened my network, developed skills, and built friendships through my involvement in SACSA. I've long believed that as long as you're getting as much or more from an organization as you're putting in, you should stick around. SACSA has given me so much so it's my turn to give back to SACSA and the other members on the EC who are the future of this organization.

As you step into this role, what is one priority or outcome you are most excited to advance for SACSA members this year?
One of the most important roles for the Past President is to shepherd the nominations process. SACSA depends on its people, and I am excited to work with the nominating committee to bring forward a group of leaders to sustain and build on our momentum.

What is your most fond SACSA member to date?
Watching Dr. Lindsey Woods, our 2025 conference chair, shine alongside her team was a wonderful memory. To be in her presence as she brought something to life was very invigorating.

Fun: What is a random skill you picked up and never lost?
I learned how to do a "coach's whistle" in 8th grade.

Professional Title: Alumni Distinguished Professor of Student Affairs and Higher Education, Clemson University

What does serving on the SACSA Executive Council mean to you at this point in your professional journey?
Each year I get to work with outstanding SACSA leaders. They love SACSA, and it is an honor to work along with them. SACSA has been my professional home for over forty years, and it has provided me with a family.

As you step into this role, what is one priority or outcome you are most excited to advance for SACSA members this year?
To ensure we remain fiscal sound and responsible

What is your most fond SACSA member to date?
As you can imagine in forty years, I have so many memories it is hard to narrow down but those that move to the top include getting to serve as President, watching former students become leaders (i.e. Presidents, Conference and Local Arrangement Chairs), celebrating Joe Buck, and our 75th Anniversary celebration.

Fun: What is a random skill you picked up and never lost?
I play a mean game of ping pong

Professional Title: Associate Director of Residential Life and Student Conduct, University of New Orleans

What does serving on the SACSA Executive Council mean to you at this point in your professional journey?
Serving on the SACSA Executive Council means continuing to invest in the association that has consistently poured into my growth as a student affairs professional. At this stage of my journey, it represents both gratitude and responsibility. I have benefited from SACSA's mentorship, community, and professional development opportunities, and now I am excited to help shape how we tell our story, elevate member voices, and expand access to the resources that make SACSA such a powerful professional home.

As you step into this role, what is one priority or outcome you are most excited to advance for SACSA members this year?
One priority I am most excited to advance is strengthening brand alignment and member engagement across SACSA’s platforms and experiences. This includes improving website onboarding and CRM use, reimagining how members connect with committees, and ensuring SACSA News clearly reflects the value, voice, and impact of our association. My goal is for members to experience SACSA as cohesive, accessible, and people-centered at every point of engagement.

What is your most fond SACSA member to date?
One of my most meaningful SACSA experiences was serving as Conference Chair. It was a moment that required adaptability, collaboration, and trust as we navigated challenges together and delivered an experience that centered learning, care, and community. That role reinforced for me that SACSA is not just about programs or events, but about people showing up for one another and doing hard things with intention and heart.

Fun: What is a random skill you picked up and never lost?
Websign from MySpace

Professional Title: Program Coordinator & Associate Professor, Higher Education Leadership, Mississippi State University

What does serving on the SACSA Executive Council mean to you at this point in your professional journey?
So many SACSA friends and colleagues have poured into my well-being, development, and success in the 13 years I have been affiliated with the association. With no ulterior motives or even known payoffs, they extended their warmth and care selflessly and abundantly.  My role on the EC allows a platform to pay such generosity back and to pay it forward at the same time. I cherish the opportunity to actively shape the organization, safeguard its values, and perpetuate the association's good will for generations of southern student affairs leaders for years to come especially in the context of these rapidly changing and challenging times.

As you step into this role, what is one priority or outcome you are most excited to advance for SACSA members this year?
Continuing to strengthen the Joe Buck Travel Award program as an incentive for new and emerging professionals to join our annual conference and establish their professional homes in SACSA.

What is your most fond SACSA member to date?
I can vividly remember the first I saw Joelle Davis Carter take to the stage at my first SACSA conference in 2013. The energy, enthusiasm, and commitment she channeled through the declaration, "It's SACSA Time!", was both celebratory and infections such that it inspires me to action and engagement in this community through to today.

Fun: What is a random skill you picked up and never lost?
Most assuredly musical theatre!

Professional Title:  University Assistant Director - Multicultural Student Affairs, North Carolina State University

What does serving on the SACSA Executive Council mean to you at this point in your professional journey?
Being able to serve in this inaugural role is a special moment for me! Picturing that little boy that attended his first SACSA as a graduate student. Fast forward to now being on the executive council means that no matter the point in my life, people have seen the quality of my work and trust that I can get the job done effectively and efficiently. I feel supported and I am thankful for my SACSA mentors who continuously encourage me and motivate, while holding me accountable to push for even better and greater success.

As you step into this role, what is one priority or outcome you are most excited to advance for SACSA members this year?
One of my main priorities I am excited for while in this role is developing innovative and strategic ways to grow our membership especially surrounding emerging professionals and new professionals.

What is your most fond SACSA member to date?
My fondest SACSA memory to date would have to be my first SACSA in Raleigh 2019, it was the MAC Excursion at the Trap Sip and Paint off site. As a graduate student being around such infectious positive and upbeat energy solidified in my mind, I was in the right place and found my forever professional home. Everyone was so kind and the energy felt warm and special.

Fun: If you had to give a 10-minute TED Talk with zero prep, what would it be about
Why a trip to the Caribbean would solve all your problems.

Professional Title: Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development, George Mason University

What does serving on the SACSA Executive Council mean to you at this point in your professional journey?
Serving on the SACSA Executive Council represents an incredible moment of growth and reflection in my professional journey. As a little Black boy from Brooklyn, New York, I never imagined the opportunities that would one day be in front of me, and this role reminds me of what is possible. Being part of this council has shown me the power of community, having people who not only support you, but also challenge you to strive for excellence. When I attended my first SACSA conference in 2013 in Norfolk, Virginia, I never would have believed I’d be viewed as a leader, mentor, or friend within this organization. This experience affirms my responsibility to uplift others and create pathways for those coming behind me. As Dawn Staley says, this journey has truly been one of “Uncommon Favor.”

As you step into this role, what is one priority or outcome you are most excited to advance for SACSA members this year?
Strengthening professional development programming with innovative offerings

What is your most fond SACSA member to date?

My fondest memory as a SACSA member has to be the Ellen Neufeldt Conference in Norfolk, Virginia in 2013. All I will say is, you just had to be there. It was truly a time had by all who attended, and since then, I have not missed a SACSA conference.

Fun: What is a random skill you picked up and never lost?
A random skill I picked up and never lost is the ability to identify almost any breed of dog and many wild animals.

Professional Title: Director of Student Development Support & Engagement, Midlands Technical College

What does serving on the SACSA Executive Council mean to you at this point in your professional journey?
It is a deep honor to contribute to the leadership of the organization that has nurtured me for the entirety of my career in student affairs-from graduate student to present.  Because of the variety of professional experiences and the relationships I have developed during my journey, I feel that I can relate to every membership category from graduate student to SSAO.  My hope is to pour into our membership what has consistently helped keep “my cup” full over the years.

As you step into this role, what is one priority or outcome you are most excited to advance for SACSA members this year?
I hope to cultivate and strengthen the sense of community across the association.   I plan to help identify and fortify the existing opportunities for members to develop relationships with members from institutions that may or may not be like their own.   I strongly believe that the strength of SACSA is its appreciation of diversity-diversity of individuals, roles and responsibilities and types of institutions.

What is your most fond SACSA member to date?
There are honestly so many fond memories, but the Multicultural Issues Gospel Cruise at the 2002 Annual Conference in Biloxi, MS deserves mention.  The reason it is such a great memory is because it felt like the totality of the SACSA membership was in community aboard that boat--executive council, past presidents,  and members from graduate students to SSAOs were present.  If someone from the cruise saw another cruise attendee during the conference or even years later, there was immediate camaraderie over the shared experience. 

Fun: If you had to give a 10-minute TED Talk with zero prep, what would it be about? 
The Inherent Value of watching Hallmark Movies

Professional Title: Associate Professor of Higher Education Leadership, Mississippi State University

What does serving on the SACSA Executive Council mean to you at this point in your professional journey?
Serving on SACSA’s Executive Council at this stage in my career is incredibly meaningful to me. From the moment I volunteered at my first SACSA conference in 2015 in Greenville, South Carolina, I knew I had found my professional home. I never could have imagined that experience would one day lead me to serve on the organization’s leadership team. SACSA has been central to my professional growth and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to give back to an organization that has given me so much.

As you step into this role, what is one priority or outcome you are most excited to advance for SACSA members this year?
One priority I am particularly excited to advance in my role is elevating the transformative and impactful scholarship produced by our SACSA members. Scholars and practitioners across the Southeast are conducting world-class research, and it is my goal to ensure this work is widely visible, valued, and celebrated within our membership.

What is your most fond SACSA member to date?One of my most cherished SACSA memories is receiving the Bobby E. Leach Award at the 2017 Annual Conference in Chattanooga. At a particularly challenging moment in my career, that recognition reaffirmed my commitment to the field and reminded me why this work matters so much to me.

Fun: What is a random skill you picked up and never lost?
I can recite all the capital cities of South American countries. Also, I can recite the 50 states in alphabetical order.

Professional Title: Graduate Assistant for Experiential Education, University of South Carolina

What does serving on the SACSA Executive Council mean to you at this point in your professional journey?
As a first-year student affairs master's student, I am honored to be stepping into the Presidential Scholar role. I look forward to engaging with the Executive Council and learning from their collective experiences. To work alongside and receive mentorship from SACSA leadership this early in my career will be invaluable for my professional development.

As you step into this role, what is one priority or outcome you are most excited to advance for SACSA members this year?

One of my priorities in the next year is to develop strategies to better engage student affairs graduate students on my own campus and across the SACSA region. By making professional development opportunities accessible for graduate students, we can support the next generation of practitioners while building the SACSA member base. I also look forward to attending my first SACSA conference in October 2026!

What is your most fond SACSA member to date?
My most fond SACSA member to date is Dr. Tina Brooks.

Fun: If you had to give a 10-minute TED Talk with zero prep, what would it be about
International Travel on a Budget