Six faculty, staff selected for 2020-21 cohort of CU’s Excellence in Leadership Program

Headshots of six individuals on campus

Six UCCS employees, split evenly between faculty and staff, will spend the academic year learning how to become more effective leaders who can successfully address the key challenges of a dynamic university as members of the 2020-21 cohort of the CU Excellence in Leadership Program.

The 2020-21 cohort includes:

  • Joanna Bean, director of Alumni Relations and the Annual Fund. Bean oversees programming, communications and events that cultivate engagement and support from among the university’s 45,000 alumni. She also oversees the campus component of the University of Colorado’s annual giving program, which raises money for vital UCCS scholarships and programs from alumni, university friends, community members, parents, faculty, staff and students.
  • Chad Garland, interim senior director of the University Center and Ent Center for the Arts. Garland joined UCCS in 2015 and oversees the home for several student service areas and, in a normal year, an event services team that coordinates more than 17,000 events. He is currently providing interim leadership of the Ent Center for the Arts, the five-venue arts complex that opened in January 2018.
  • Farida Khan, professor and chair of the Department of Economics in the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Khan’s research background is in International trade policy, numerical general equilibrium models, and she works on economic development in South Asia, primarily on Bangladesh. She has written on topics related to capital goods, micro-credit, gender, and more recently environmental issues as they connect to indigenous peoples in India and Bangladesh. Her writing also includes topics on the US economy.
  • Nick Lockwood, director of Orientation and New Student Outreach. Lockwood built an orientation program that accounts for the entire first-year experience for new students and was a member of the team that won a CU Innovation and Efficiency Award for an orientation mobile app. He was recognized as the UCCS Employee of the Quarter for the fourth quarter of 2019.
  • Joel Tonyan, assistant professor of systems and user experience library for the Kraemer Family Library. Tonyan is chair of the Faculty Assembly Sustainability Committee and a recipient of the Campus Sustainability Award. His research is focused on information-seeking behavior and social media analytics, and spearheaded the 2018 Will Eisner Graphic Novel Growth Grant to support creative workshops and materials for veterans at the library through the American Library Association and Will and Ann Eisner Family Foundation.
  • Patty Witkowsky, assistant professor and program coordinator for Student Affairs in Higher Education in the Department of Leadership, Research and Foundations for the College of Education. Witkowsky’s research focuses on the experience of graduate students in student affairs graduate preparation programs, as well as student transitions and the experiences of student affairs professionals. She is involved in ACPA: College Student Educators International as the Faculty-in-Residence for the Commission for the Global Dimensions of Student Development and in NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education as the co-Faculty Representative for the Orientation, Transition, and Retention Knowledge Community.

The program, now in its 20th year, brings together employees from each of the four CU campuses and the system office for monthly workshops on topics like communications, fiscal management and strategic thinking. UCCS members participate in additional monthly meetings with cabinet members and propose a new project for the university to undertake. Andrea Cordova, chief of staff, Chancellor’s Office, serves as the liaison for the program with CU.

UCCS Excellence in Leadership program alumni:

  • Ann Amicucci, 2016-2017
  • David Anderson, 2009-2010
  • Julie Armentrout, 2003-2004
  • Greg Augspurger, 2011-2012
  • Tracy Barber, 2012-2013
  • Brad Bayer, 2010-2011
  • Joanna Bean, 2020-2021
  • Tim Behrens, 2012-2013
  • Chris Beiswanger, 2013-2014
  • Megan Bell, 2017-2018
  • Charles “Chip” Benight, 2002-2003
  • Jackie Berning, 2006-2007
  • Robert Block, 2014-2015
  • Jill Bradley-Geist, 2017-2018
  • Julie Brewster, 2006-2007
  • Suzanne Byerley, 2006-2007
  • Jonathan “Jon” Caudill, 2017-2018
  • Tim Chamillard, 2006-2007
  • Edward Chow, 2008-2009
  • Tom Christensen, 2001-2002
  • Minnette Church, 2012-2013
  • Wendi Clouse, 2013-2014
  • Andrea Cordova, 2010-2011
  • Anthony Cordova, 2007-2008
  • Mary Coussons-Read, 2004-2005
  • Mathew Cox, 2015-2016
  • Lindy Crawford, 2005-2006
  • Stephen Cucchiara, 2018-2019
  • Mary Ann Cutter, 2009-2010
  • Andrew Czaplewski, 2007-2008
  • Jeff Davis, 2005-2006
  • Randy DePry, 2001-2002
  • Deb Dew, 2006-2007
  • Ida Dilwood, 2009-2010
  • Rebecca Duray, 2003-2004
  • Steve Ellis, 2003-2004
  • Tabatha Farney, 2014-2015
  • Abby Ferber, 2002-2003
  • Jennifer Fisher, 2006-2007
  • Megan Fisher, 2012-2013
  • Carla Fleury, 2006-2007
  • Stephannie Fortune, 2003-04
  • Barbara Frye, 2008-2009
  • Brett Fugate, 2014-2015
  • Barbara Gaddis, 2001-2002
  • Matt Gaden, 2009-2010
  • Carlos Garcia, 2016-2017
  • Jamie McMullen Garcia, 2015-2016
  • Chad Garland, 2020-2021
  • Jacqueline Gatlin, 2018-2019
  • Nathan Gibson, 2010-2011
  • Ralph Giese, 2019-20
  • Peter Gorder, 2002-2003
  • Mike Hackman, 2003-2004
  • Jeremy Haefner, 2001-2002
  • Melinda Hagemann, 2019-20
  • Stephanie Hanenberg, 2010-2011
  • Corinne Harmon, 2009-2010
  • Margaret Harris, 2018-2019
  • Andrea Herrera, 2004-2005
  • Ann Hickey, 2005-2006
  • Amy (Kirlin) Hill, 2005-2006
  • Rita Hug, 2003-2004
  • Andrea Hutchins, 2014-2015
  • Christina Jimenez, 2007-2008
  • Katie Kaukinen, 2009-2010
  • Catherine Kelly, 2007-2008
  • Andrew Ketsdever, 2013-2014
  • Martin Key, 2019-20
  • Farida Khan, 2020-2021
  • Steve Kirkham, 2005-2006
  • Michael Kisley, 2015-2016
  • Kelli Klebe, 2004-2005
  • Don Klingner, 2002-2003
  • Linda Kogan, 2008-2009
  • Rebecca Laroche, 2010-2011
  • Kathleen LaSala, 2002-2003
  • Ken Lauderbaugh (Saunders), 2003-2004
  • Steve Linhart, 2012-2013
  • Nick Lockwood, 2020-2021
  • Suzanne MacAulay, 2008-2009
  • Robyn Marschke, 2007-2008
  • Nick Martinez, 2015-2016
  • Roger Martinez, 2018-2019
  • Ben Martz, 2004-2005
  • Norah Mazel, 2017-2018
  • Patrick “Pat” McGuire, 2016-2017
  • Sue Mitchell, 2008-2009
  • Jeffrey Montez de Oca, 2015-2016
  • Kirk Moore, 2009-2010
  • Tamara Moore, 2004-2005
  • Phillip Morris, 2014-2015
  • Jennifer (Hane) Mortensen, 2008-2009
  • Michelle Neely, 2018-2019
  • Eric Olson, 2005-2006
  • Janel Owens, 2016-2017
  • Jesse Perez, 2017-2018
  • Kerry Peterson, 2015-2016
  • Travis Peterson, 2008-2009
  • Edwardo Portillos, 2011-2012
  • Radha Pyati, 2005-2006
  • Venkat Reddy, 2002-2003
  • Carley Ries, 2011-2012
  • Jevita Rogers, 2016-2017
  • Carolyn Rupp, 2014-2015
  • Michael Sanderson, 2019-20
  • Terry Schwartz, 2007-2008
  • Gayanne Scott, 2004-2005
  • Suzanne Scott, 2012-2013
  • Daniel Segal, 2001-2002
  • Sudhanshu “SK” Semwal, 2018-2019
  • Amy Silva-Smith, 2011-2012
  • Emily Skop, 2019-20
  • Jim Spice, 2011-2012
  • Jeff Spicher, 2010-2011
  • Susan Szpyrka, 2004-2005
  • Susan Taylor, 2001-2002
  • Joel Tonyan, 2020-2021
  • Scott Trimboli, 2010-2011
  • Marti Venn, 2004-2005
  • Jared Verner, 2016-2017
  • Kee Warner, 2003-2004
  • David Weiss, 2011-2012
  • Robert “Rex” Welshon, 2001-2002
  • Glen Whitehead, 2013-2014
  • Sabrina Wienholtz, 2013-2014
  • Greg Williams, 2017-2018
  • Regina Winters, 2019-2020
  • Patty Witkowsky, 2020-2021
  • Robert Wonnett, 2002-2003
  • Jessica Wood-Atkins, 2007-2008
  • Sandy Wurtele, 2013-2014
  • Xiaobo “Charles” Zhou, 2012-2013