WHAT WE DO
Leadership exChange
Building capacity for leading change.
The Kentucky Student Success Collaborative presents a 9-month change leadership program that equips campus leaders with the skills, tools, and network to design, test, and scale initiatives that strengthen collaboration and partnership, center the student experience, and drive measurable improvement across their institutions.
“Knowledge is just a rumor until it lives in the muscle.” - NASH
Leadership exChange Vision:
- Introduce a change leadership framework and strengthen skills to drive improvement for real-time challenges through the Capstone Project.
- Support LX alumni to continue leading change initiatives on our respective campuses with Change Project Funding.
- Build a network of change leaders across Kentucky to scale high impact interventions at an accelerated pace with in-state expertise and capacity.
Key Benefits of the Program:
- Gain practical skills in collaborative leadership, improvement science, and student-centered design.
- Connect with a supportive peer network and receive ongoing coaching to accelerate impact.
- Access funding opportunities to scale future change projects.
“We can accomplish more together than any of us can achieve on our own." - CivicLab
The Kentucky Student Success Collaborative presents a 9-month change leadership program that equips mid-level leaders with the skills, tools, and network to design, test, and scale initiatives that strengthen collaboration and partnership, center the student experience, and drive measurable improvement across their institutions.
What participants will do:
- Learn from national experts through targeted content sessions.
- Problem-solve and share ideas in cohort-based communities of practice.
- Develop and implement a Capstone project that addresses a concrete student-success challenge and tests change strategies in real time.
- Present Capstone design and findings to the cohort and a panel of Kentucky leaders; the top two projects will receive grant awards ($15,000 and $10,000).
Who should apply:
- Employed at a Kentucky postsecondary institution or an organization that partners directly with Kentucky postsecondary institutions to advance student success.
- Occupying a mid-level leadership role (e.g., Director, Dean, Assistant Vice President).
- Bringing at least 7 years of professional experience leading collaborative initiatives.
- Able to secure institutional support: upon application, we will request confirmation of support from your Vice President or President.
Key Benefits:
- Practical skills in collaborative leadership, improvement science, and student-centered design.
- A supportive peer network and ongoing coaching to accelerate impact.
- Funding opportunities to scale the most promising Capstone projects.
Application & Program Timeline:
- Cohort 3 application deadline: May 15, 2026
- Applicant notifications: June 1, 2026
- Program kickoff: September 17, 2026
- Program graduation: May 13, 2027
Apply to join a cohort of Kentucky leaders advancing student success.
2026 Leadership exChange Cohort
Cheryl Akins
Campbellsville University
Assistant Director of Family Engagement & Orientation
Shanna Ballard
Owensboro Community & Technical College
Human Resources Director
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Ryan Benjamin
Transylvania University
Associate Dean of Students; Director of the Campus Center
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Jennifer Boles
Gateway Community & Technical College
Manager of Student Records
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Chris Butcher
Eastern Kentucky University
Coordinator, Faculty Center for Teaching & Learning
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James Catchen
Thomas More University
Director, Dual Credit & Transfer Pathways
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Lisa Cox
Eastern Kentucky University
Director, Articulation & Transfer Systems
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Brian Cusato
Centre College
Dean of Student Success
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Teri Daniel
Thomas More University
Director of Global Education, DSO
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Emily Jo Davis
Eastern Kentucky University
Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Student Conducts
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Kade Gambill
Murray State University
Student Activities Coordinator & Advisor to SGA
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Jordan Garner
Murray State University
Director, Center for Student Engagement and Success
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Jen Goodin
Campbellsville University
Assistant Director of Admissions
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Lori Henderson
Union Commonwealth University
Professor, Dean of Education & Kinesiology
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Ashley Hill
Transylvania University
Dean of Student Success
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Jessica Kern
Maysville Community & Technical College
Chief Enrollment and Student Services Officer
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Kevin Lambert
Southeast KY Community & Technical College
Vice President of Academic Affairs/Chief Academic Officer
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Jerisia Lamons
Elizabethtown Community & Technical College
Director of Enrichment and Engagement
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Misty Litton
Morehead State University
Assistant Director for Student Services (Disability Services)
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Jackie McNatt
Bellarmine University
Director, Career Development Center
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Kausha Miller
Bluegrass Community & Technical College
Associate Dean of Success & Retention
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Jane Mostue
Spalding University
Director of Academic Advising & Student Success
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Anita Nelums
Bluegrass Community & Technical College
Director of Counseling Services
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Darryl Parker
Council on Postsecondary Education
Senior Fellow
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David Potter
KY Office of Adult Education
Senior Coordinator: Education Transition Strategist
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Shane Redmond
Eastern Kentucky University
Professor, Mathematics and Statistics
Rachel Rogers
Morehead State University
Visiting Assistant Professor of Research/CRAFT QEP
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Tamara Russell
Jefferson Community & Technical College
Assistant Vice President
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MacKenzie Scroggy
KHEAA
Southern KY Senior Outreach Counselor
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Leonard Thomas
Jefferson Community & Technical College
Associate Professor
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Brandon Thompson
Northern Kentucky University
Vice President of Student Affairs
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David Travis
Southcentral KY Community & Technical College
Acting Associate Vice President of Student Affairs
Hannah White
University of Louisville
Assistant Director of Adult Services
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Fallon Willoughby
Southcentral KY Community & Technical College
Assistant Professor, First Year Experience
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Leadership exChange Panel Speakers
Beth Ann Collins
Teach for America
Senior Director, Innovation and Collective Impact
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Jack Hess
Civic Lab
President, Co-Founder
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Jack Hess is the President and co-founder of CivicLab, a nonprofit institute dedicated to advancing the practice of community collaboration. He has partnered with hundreds of communities across the country, teaching collaborative teams how to better approach complex social problems by redesigning the way they work together. Prior to his work with the CivicLab, he was the President of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce. Within two years of implementing its new strategic plan, the Columbus Chamber was named the Indiana Chamber of the Year. One year later, the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) presented the Columbus Chamber with the National Chamber of the Year Award.
Lilly Massa-McKinley
The Kentucky Student Success Collaborative
Executive Director
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Lilly is the Executive Director of the Kentucky Student Success Collaborative, a statewide program backed by CPE in supporting greater degree completion and successful transition into early career attainment. Lilly has over 15 years of experience in higher education, working in crisis counseling, community engagement, access support, career development, and strategic partnerships. She led collaborative action networks for the 55,000 Degrees Initiative in Louisville, KY, enhancing systems coordination for student access and completion. At Bellarmine University, she served as Assistant Vice President for Career Development and Strategic Partnerships, focusing on collaboration and student success. Lilly holds a bachelor’s from Wake Forest, a master’s from Indiana University, and a doctorate from Vanderbilt University.
Nicole McWhirter
SOVA
Principal
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Stephanie Cheung
Kentucky Student Success Collaborative
Associate Director
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Dana Jackson is the CEO of Dana Jackson Consulting, a Louisville-based firm specializing in results-based leadership and urban engagement strategies. Formerly, she was Executive Director of the Network Center for Community Change (NC3), where she expanded the organization to a nationally respected non-profit. With over 32 years of experience, Dana has held various state roles, including Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Community Based Services. Her firm consults for major organizations like the Annie E. Casey Foundation and StriveTogether. Dana holds degrees from California State University, Northridge, and Spalding University. She is married to Dr. Eliot Thompson and has three sons.
Juliette Price
Institute for Systems Innovation and Improvement at NASH
Senior Improvement Science Coach
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Juliette is the Senior Improvement Science Coach at the Institute for Systems Innovation and Improvement at NASH. She designed the NASH Improvement Model to integrate improvement science into higher education, enhancing economic mobility and democracy. Juliette believes in systems thinking, collaborative problem solving, and data-informed solutions. She has experience in health care, higher education, and social care, and trains teams in the IHI’s Breakthrough Improvement Model. Previously, she led The Albany Promise, a collective impact partnership improving economic mobility in New York. Juliette was awarded the White House Champion of Change award in 2016 for her work. She has also worked on statewide education initiatives with the SUNY Chancellor and Governor Andrew Cuomo’s New NY Education Reform Commission.