Memorable Leadership Traits of Colleagues and Friends Lessons

Memorable Leadership Traits of Colleagues and Friends: Lessons to Guide Us Russ Hodges, Ed. D. Texas State University-San Marcos CRLA 2010

Leaders Establish Relationships & Weave Real Connections “Connections are made slowly, sometimes they grow underground. You cannot tell always by looking at what is happening. More than half a tree is spread out in the soil under your feet. ” --Marge Piercy, “The Seven of Pentacles” Photo: http: //www. arborcentre. co. uk/images/roots. jpg

Lesson #1: Love What You’re Doing Kathy Carpenter v CLADEA Fellow v President and Treasurer of CRLA v Organized and served as the first president of the Heartland Chapter of CRLA v Director of the LAC / Faculty at University of Nebraska Kearney v Prolific Scholar “And who in the Heartland Chapter wasn't strong armed by Kathy to get more involved, to take a leadership position, and to get busy and work for CRLA? Even her presidential address was a call to service. ” --Karen Agee, Reading and Learning Coordinator Emerita, University of North Iowa

Lesson # 2: Expect the Best Karen Smith “Karen was fierce and tenacious when it came to promoting the cause of helping students succeed academically. ” --Emily Miller Payne, Associate Professor, Texas State “There are not enough words to adequately describe my relationship with Dr. Karen G. Smith. She really believed in me. I don’t know what she saw but, when she said I could do anything—I believed her! --Valerie Smith Stephens, Asst. Dean/Director Educational Opportunity Fund, Rutgers University v Founding Fellow, CLADEA v CRLA Past President, New Mexico State Director, Recipient Long and Outstanding Service Award v International Reading Assoc. member and New Mexico Chapter State President in 1977 v Consulted widely with other colleges and universities for over 20 years v Designed, developed and directed learning assistance centers at Rutgers University, Tulane University, and New Mexico State University.

Lesson # 3: Inspire the Leader Within Martha Maxwell v Envisioned CLADEA Fellows & Founding Fellow v Pioneer in the field of learning assistance and developmental education v University of California at Berkeley Faculty v She was a Counselor, teacher, academic advisor, reading/learning disabilities specialist, researcher, administrator, and perennial student. v Mentored hundreds of professionals and students v. Prolific scholar including her classic, Improving Student Learning Skills “I wish that Martha could know the impact she has had on so many lives—not just on those like mine that she touched on a very personal level, but the butterfly effect, the enduring impact of operationalizing what it means to be truly student-centered. ” --Jeanne Higbee, Professor and Senior Advisor of Research, University of Minnesota

Lesson # 4: Lead by Example Dr. William White “Albert Einstein once said, ‘Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another; it is the only means. ’ I believe Dr. William (Bill) G. White, Jr. knew this to be true as he sought, through his example, to inspire his students to fulfill their own unique potential. ” --Russ Hodges, Associate Professor, Texas State University v CLADEA Fellow v Professor, Grambling State University v Held Two Doctorates v Award Winning and Prolific Scholar v Was major professor and currently working with 18 doctoral- and 7 master-level students at the time of his death "Let Bill's reverence and tenacity serve as beacons in our life's journey. " --Willie Daniel, Student

Lesson #6: Guide with a Gentle Hand Dr. Gene Kerstiens “If I were to sum up Gene's professional life, a life of over 40 active years, I would use the following words: collegial, intellectually challenging, mentor, author, editor, administrator, researcher, critic, and above all a colleague--for many in developmental education and learning assistance, a caring friend. ” --Frank L. Christ, Co-founder of CRLA v Co-founder and Fifth President of CRLA v CLADEA Founding Fellow v Director of Andragogy Associates v Co-author of the Study Behavior Inventory v Professor of English/Reading and Associate Dean of Instruction at El Camino College, CA v CRLA’s Board Special Recognition Award (Jade Award 35 th Anniversary Award) in 2002, Long and Outstanding Service Award v Editor of the Review of Research in Developmental Education, Journal of College Reading and Learning, and Advisory Editor of the Journal of Reading

Lesson # 7: Nurture the Potential Dr. Cindy Peterson “Cindy was a true scholar, and she embodied what it meant to be a professor. As a result of our collaboration, she taught me how to look critically at my own classes and formulate research questions that would better inform my practice and contribute to the larger body of professional knowledge…. v Associate Professor, Texas State University v CRLA’s Karen G. Smith Special Recognition Award v Editor, Journal of College Reading and Learning v Co-Founder of the Technology Institute for Developmental Educators (TIDE) v Prolific Scholar …Rather than co-presenting the session, she encouraged me to present our work by myself. As the more experienced professor, she could have easily taken center stage, but as a mentor she wanted me to have the experience of sharing the information in front of all these scholars. …I remember her sitting on the front row beaming like a proud parent” --Nathan Bond, Associate Professor, Texas State

We need men [and women] who can dream of things that never were. --John F. Kennedy, speech in Dublin, Ireland, June 28, 1963