Speakers
Wendy Beckemeyer
Wendy Beckemeyer is vice president for enrollment management at Cornell College, Iowa. She has over 30 years of experience in higher education and is passionate about college affordability. Wendy is one of the authors of “The College Affordability Academy: A Blueprint for Counseling Families.”
Julie Bryant
Julie L. Bryant, vice president for student success at RNL, leads the team providing student success solutions for colleges and universities across North America. These solutions include the RNL student motivation and satisfaction assessment tools, which provide valuable data to institutions working to improve retention and graduation rates. She meets with higher education leaders to guide them through their data results and to brainstorm next steps for continuous quality improvement efforts. In addition, Julie is a certified yoga and meditation teacher who leads regular mindfulness sessions for RNL co-workers and other groups. She has been a member of RNL Women’s Networking group, a past member of the Women Lead Change steering committee and has moderated several Women in Higher Education panel sessions at RNL’s National Conferences. She is a graduate of Cornell College (IA).
April Bush
April Bush is in her third year as a presenter for Pay It Forward. April is passionate about women as leaders and wanting to support other women in their career journey. As a first generation college student, April understands the power of an education. April brought back the Women in Higher Education panel to the Ruffalo Noel Levitz National Conference and has since served as a panelist.
One of her most impactful experiences on campus was working for a women’s college and seeing the impact that single gender education has on the growth and development of young women. It is the only place where women hold every leadership position. This experience is partly what led to her dissertation topic around women in higher education and how their beliefs about the glass ceiling impact their level of career satisfaction.
In her spare time, enjoys spending time with her family. She is an avid reader. She and her husband have 7 dachshunds!
April holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Erskine College, a master’s degree in Higher Education from Capella University, and doctorate in Leadership from Capella University. She is deeply invested in the success of Ruffalo Noel Levitz’s clients and is dedicated to helping them navigate the complexities of enrollment management with confidence and effectiveness.
Marylyn Scott
Marylyn Scott is a principal global consultant at Engaging Diversity & Inclusion Executive Search Consulting Firm. Marylyn spent most of her career committed to helping diverse populations gain access to opportunities where they were historically under-represented. Prior to joining EDI, Marylyn served as head of Enrollment Management and head of University Guidance at African Leadership Academy (ALA) in Johannesburg, South Africa. She spent 15 years in progressively responsible roles in college admissions in the United States. Before college admissions, she had many lives as a(n) classroom teacher, college professor, employee for the South Korean Ministry of Education, flight attendant, and community educator for the Alzheimer’s Association.
Sarah E. Spencer
Sarah E Spencer, founder of Onpoint Global Strategies & Coaching, partners with established managers and leaders, and mid-career professionals who want to advance or improve their leadership skills, she also specializes in supporting professionals transitioning between careers and developing an action plan for advancement.
Sarah is the founding member of the Global Leadership League, currently contributes to thought leadership, training and volunteers on its executive board, Sarah held a variety of leadership position in the University of St. Thomas.
She was trained by an accredited International Coaching Federation (IMF) program, MMS NorCal institute, and is a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory.
Diane Vertin
Diane Vertin is the founder of CoachWell4U, a coaching company dedicated to working with women to improve their lives both personally and professionally. She holds a postgraduate positive psychology-based health and well-being certificate from the College of Executive Coaching. Diane has worked in higher education for over 35 years and held positions from faculty to President. Diane is passionate about working with and helping others achieve their goals and live their best lives. She lives with her husband and two dogs at the “End of the Road” in Ely, Minnesota. She loves outdoor adventure, travel, cooking, and connecting with people
