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Sue Kindred
Sue Kindred
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Biography: Sue Kindred is the founder of SK Consulting and a business strategist who works with nonprofit organizations to strengthen leadership, strategy, and organizational impact. With more than 30 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, she is known for helping leaders clarify their mission, strengthen relationships, and translate strategic vision into practical, actionable results. Often referred to as the "nonprofit whisperer," Sue is recognized for asking thoughtful questions that help organizations uncover new opportunities and guide meaningful change.
Through SK Consulting, Sue partners with nonprofit boards and executive teams to improve strategic planning, storytelling, stakeholder engagement, and mission alignment. She also facilitates leadership development initiatives and leads Alchemy, a leadership community for nonprofit executives focused on collaboration and professional growth. Originally from Texas, Sue now lives in Richmond, Virginia, where she continues to support nonprofit leaders in expanding their impact and strengthening their organizations.
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Amy Armstrong
Amy Armstrong
Associate Dean of Faculty
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Biography: Amy J. Armstrong, Ph.D., CRC is an associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Counseling at Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Armstrong has over 20 years of experience in leadership, including serving as an Associate Dean of Faculty, and the Chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Counseling in the College of Health Professions. She recently stepped down as A.D. to pursue her interests in teaching and scholarship. She has been involved in advocacy, education and employment issues related to individuals with disabilities and service professionals for over 40 years. She has extensive experience providing national personnel training on employment and positive organizational development topics to include wellbeing, appreciative inquiry and appreciative leadership. Armstrong has held a variety of community agency positions including both direct service and management at the local, regional and national levels (including the National United Cerebral Palsy Association and the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Supported Employment/Workplace Supports). She received an M.A. in Rehabilitation Counseling from Michigan State University and a Ph.D. in Education from VCU. She also has The Appreciative Inquiry Certificate of Positive Business and Societal Change from the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University and is a certified Appreciative Inquiry Facilitator through the Appreciative Inquiry Commons.
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Genevieve Beaird
Genevieve Beaird
Clinical Associate Professor
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Biography: Dr. Genevieve Beaird, Ph.D., RNC-OB, CNE, is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Family and Community Health Nursing at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Nursing. She also serves as Assistant Director at VCU's Center for Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Care. Dr. Beaird's research focuses on inter-professional education and collaborative care models, particularly examining how care coordination impacts outcomes for patients with complex needs. In her clinical role, she works as a nurse care coordinator at the VCU Health Hub at 25th, contributing to the Mobile Health and Wellness Program. She teaches across various undergraduate nursing courses and inter-professional education programs, and has designed and led a general education course at VCU. Dr. Beaird has experience in clinical instruction in both hospital and community settings and has led online, hybrid, and classroom-based courses. She is a core faculty member on a federally funded grant supporting the VCU Mobile Health and Wellness Program . Additionally, she actively participates in university service, including roles on the undergraduate program committee, faculty senate, and general education curriculum committee.
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Michelle Beavers
Michelle Beavers
Associte Professor of Education
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Biography: Dr. Michelle Beavers, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Virginia's School of Education and Human Development, where she serves as Coordinator of the Administration & Supervision programs. Her work centers on leadership development, emotional intelligence, and school improvement, with a strong emphasis on the use of improvement science methodologies-including action research and continuous improvement cycles-to drive meaningful change in educational settings.
A certified practitioner in multiple self-assessment tools, Dr. Beavers deeply values self-discovery, reflection, and the development of leadership capacity. She ?has contributed to professional learning communities and research-practice partnerships across the United States, bridging theory and practice to support school, district and community leaders.
Most recently, she has emerged as a thought leader in the integration of artificial intelligence in education, guiding faculty and aspiring leaders in the responsible and innovative use of AI. Dr. Beavers also served as an instructor for the University of Richmond's Next Generation Leadership Academy, where she taught Emotional Intelligence, further underscoring her dedication to cultivating reflective, effective, and equity-centered educational leaders.
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Allison Fisher
Allison Fisher
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Biography: Allison Fisher, MHA, is the Executive Director of Planning & Business Development at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin. In this role, she plays a pivotal part in shaping the future of healthcare in Austin through her leadership in the development of the University of Texas at Austin Medical Center and the UT Health Austin provider group. This ambitious project aims to establish a cutting-edge academic medical center that integrates advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital health, and data science to transform patient care. Fisher brings a wealth of experience in strategy and business development within the hospital and healthcare industry. Her professional journey includes significant contributions at VCU Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia, where she was involved in strategic planning, partnership and service line development, and acquisitions. An alumna of Virginia Commonwealth University, she holds a Master of Health Administration degree and is also a proud University of Richmond graduate. Fisher's career reflects a deep commitment to healthcare innovation and strategic growth in academic medical settings.
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Ashley Gibson
Ashley Gibson
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Biography: Ashley Gibson is a therapist, consultant, and speaker who works at the intersection of psychology and organizational life. Her work focuses on helping leaders and teams better understand the human dynamics that shape workplace culture, particularly in mission-driven environments where burnout, emotional labor, and misalignment between organizational values and lived experience can undermine both wellbeing and effectiveness. She works with organizations to explore how leadership practices, communication, and culture influence resilience, engagement, and sustainable performance.
Ashley is a practicing therapist at Westhampton Family Psychologists in Richmond, Virginia, where she specializes in trauma, burnout, and the psychological impact of high-responsibility work. She holds a Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the College of William & Mary and is a National Certified Counselor and Resident in Counseling trained in EMDR. Prior to her clinical career, Ashley spent more than a decade in senior leadership roles across the nonprofit, arts, and corporate sectors, including serving as Regional Marketing Director overseeing Broadway touring markets across the Mid-Atlantic. Her work bridges clinical insight and organizational leadership, helping individuals and institutions build healthier, more sustainable approaches to leadership and care.
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Jalana McCasland
Jalana McCasland
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Biography: Jalana L. McCasland, FACHE, DSL is a seasoned healthcare executive with over twenty-five years of progressive healthcare leadership experience. Her expertise encompasses ambulatory management, strategic planning, business development, financial acumen, regulatory compliance and fostering a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. Dr. McCasland received her doctorate in strategic leadership with a focus on strategic foresight and also holds masters in organizational leadership and learning and public administration. Additionally, Dr. McCasland is a board-certified coach dedicated to developing healthcare leaders and enhancing organizational performance through effective change management and team engagement strategies.
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Audrey Roberson
Audrey Roberson
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Biography: Dr. Audrey R. Roberson, Ph.D., RN, CPAN, NPD-BC, is an Assistant Professor at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Nursing, where she leads the Nursing Leadership and Organizational Science concentration within the Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) program. With over 30 years of nursing experience, Dr. Roberson has served in diverse roles, including bedside nurse in general trauma, cardiac surgery, transplant, critical care, and post-anesthesia care units, as well as nurse educator and nurse manager in a large academic medical center. She holds certifications as a Certified Post-Anesthesia Nurse (CPAN) and a Nursing Professional Development Specialist (NPD-BC). Dr. Roberson's clinical interests focus on leadership and professional development. Her research has included work on the mobility of critically ill adult patients on mechanical ventilation, and she was a co-investigator evaluating the impact of pulmonary-focused verticalization therapy on adults experiencing respiratory failure. She has published and presented on a range of topics, including patient mobility, workplace violence prevention, and supporting team member wellness. In her teaching role, Dr. Roberson instructs graduate courses that emphasize evidence-based practice, leadership, organizational and improvement science, quality improvement, and safety. She is actively involved in professional service, holding memberships in organizations such as the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), the American Nurses Association, and Sigma Theta Tau. She also contributes as a reviewer for peer-reviewed journals and serves on AACN's Board of Directors for 2025-2028.
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