Plenary Sessions
Toggle Sunday, June 14 Information
Sunday, June 14
Connection Before Content: The New Rules for Networking in 2026 - Mimi brown
Toggle Monday, June 15 Information
Monday, June 15
Lead at Full Volume: The Beats to Elevate, Ascend and Transform Your World – Mimi
Brown
MI-ACE Public Policy Plenary: The Importance of Voter Education and Engagement in
Michigan – Eric Lupher
Making Your NetWORK – Kimberly Hurns, D.M.
Toggle Tuesday, June 16 Information
Tuesday, June 16
Lead From Where You Are: The Ascend Shift in Higher Education – Dr. Kimberly Lowry
Ignite Unstoppable Momentum – Kim Becking
Breakout Sessions
Toggle Monday, June 15 Information
Monday, June 15
A Different Type of Diet: How “Cleansing” What We Listen to Can Help Us Through Our
Valleys and Sustain Our Triumphs – Dr. Aura Cazares
Asian Women Leaders Leveraging Cultural Assets for Leadership Transformation – Dr.
Mamiko Reeves & Dr. Yukari Amos
Courageous Conversations: Leading with Empathy and Impact – Dr. Amy Radford-Popp,
Moderator; Dr. Shannon Lynn Burton, Joi Cunningham, JD, & Dr. Deveta Gardner, Panelists
Elevate the Room: Communication Tools for Confidence, Connection, and Leadership Presence
– Precious Miller
Feel It: Communicating with Clarity When the Pressure Is High – Dr. Sonja Howell
Finding Common Ground: Advancing Higher Education in a Divided Policy Landscape –
Brandy Johnson & Katie Witkowski
From Tension to Transformation: Elevating Leadership Through Restorative Conflict
Practices – Dr. Liz Doxtader
Hot Flashes, Power Surges, and Speaking our Truths: Leading through the Menopausal
Transition – Dr. Nerita Hughes & Dr. Jessica Van Slooten
Leading with Calm in High-Stakes Moments – Dr. Jennifer Fisch-Ferguson
Legal Responsibilities Every Higher Education Leader Should Know – Jennifer Puplava
MI-ACE Women’s Network Senior-Level Leadership Job Shadow Program – Moderators & Panelist
Power, Repair, and Prevention: Restorative Practices for Women Leading Through Conflict
in Academia – Kristen Evans & Deb Thompson
Universal Data Skills: Shaping Financially Savvy, Data-Informed Leaders – Kristen
Buttigieg & Megan Garrett
Voices of Enduring Sisterhood: 48 Years of IDEALS, and Principled Ascent – Dr. CharMaine
Hines
WOCC: The Gathering! – Dr. Shai James Boyd & Dr. Shawna Patterson-Stephens
Toggle Tuesday, June 16 Information
Tuesday, June 16
Advocacy: Where Do I Begin? - Dr. Toni Glasscoe & Eunice Jeffries
Ascend Through Movement and Transform Your World with Stronger Bodies and Sharper
Minds – Dr. Cynthia Rooker
Elevate with AI: Techniques for Change-Ready, Human-Centered Leadership – Marissa
Taylor
Empathy to Foresight: Leading Resilient, Future-Ready Teams Through Change – Ashleigh
Hardy & Kierra Trotter
From Inspiration to Implementation: Designing Your 90-Day Ascend Plan – Dr. Kimberly
Lowry
Lead the AI, Don't Follow It: A Practical Literacy Framework for Higher Education
– Dr. Szymon Machajewski
Neurodiversity, Perimenopause/Menopause, and Burnout, OH MY! – Dr. Kathleen Ignatoski
& Sandy Zalmout
Reconnect, Reclaim, Rise: Build a Network That Elevates YOU – Danielle Beckford, MSW
Staying the Course Through Turbulent Times: Resilience in Action – Dr. Reva Curry
Succession Planning – Developing Employees for Upward Mobility – Dr. Kathy Irwin
The Narrative Edge: Building Your Leadership Legacy Through Story – Catreese Qualls
Women in Non-Traditional Careers: Working and Preparing the Next Generation of Women
– Shon’ta Dwyer, Moderator; Jessica Lapinski, Tamara McDiarmid, Jennifer Myers, Nicole
Reinhart-Huberty, Nicole Risinger-Panelists
