Helping Academic Leaders Build Systems for Sustainable Success
I never planned on becoming a dean.
I started my career as a musician—training in the practice room, performing on stage, and eventually serving on the faculty.
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What I didn’t expect was how much that experience—structure, collaboration, repetition, creativity—would shape how I lead.
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Over the past 20+ years in higher ed, I’ve served in a variety of leadership roles in both small public colleges and large public and private R1s. I’ve built teams, restructured departments, grown enrollment, launched new programs, led capital projects, and worked through the messy middle of academic leadership.
Along the way, here’s what I’ve learned:
Leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about building the systems around you that make progress possible.
Talented leaders rarely fail from lack of vision. They stall because of broken processes, unclear roles, and decision fatigue. The turning point isn't often a big breakthrough—but a structural shift.
Strong systems don’t just prevent problems. They create space—where ideas grow, people thrive, and progress takes root.
That’s when leadership becomes energizing—when you're not reacting, but shaping what’s next.
What I do now.
Today, I serve as Dean of the School of Music at Baylor University, leading through the same complexity I help others navigate.
I also coach academic leaders—program directors, faculty leaders, chairs, deans, and mid-level/senior administrators—who are trying to lead well in environments that are often overwhelming, overextended, and unclear.
Beyond that, I speak nationally on leadership, organizational change, and arts advocacy in higher education—and I’m represented by APB Speakers Bureau.
If that resonates with you, join other higher ed professionals who read The Academic Leader’s Playbook—a free weekly newsletter with one short, practical leadership tip delivered every Saturday.
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