On October 15, 2025, Joe Bertolino took over as President of the Board of the LGBTQ Leaders in Higher Education, as Kristin Esterberg moved on to serve as Past President. President Joe, as he is known at Stockton University (NJ) gave the following remarks at the annual Leadership Institute’s dinner program.
Good evening, friends and colleagues.
Welcome. Before we begin this evening’s festivities, I wanted to take a moment as I begin my tenure as the incoming president of LGBTQ Leaders in Higher Education, to thank Kristin Esterberg for her service as president and to thank the board for their hard work and support.
I also wanted to take a moment to share some thoughts. I’ve spent more than 30 years in this field, and I’m now in my third year as president of Stockton University in New Jersey, and my third college presidency overall. Like many of you, my path to leadership hasn’t always been easy — especially as an openly gay man navigating systems that weren’t necessarily designed with people like us in mind.
So to be here, in a room full of bold, brilliant, authentic LGBTQ+ leaders from across the country — that means something. It reminds me not only how far we’ve come, but how urgently we are needed.
This year’s theme — Out and Authentic: Leading with Pride in Precarious Times — could not be timelier.
Because let’s be honest: these times are not just precarious. They are painful. They are heavy.
Our students feel it.
Our campuses feel it.
And I know many of us in this room feel it too.
Across the country, LGBTQ+ people — especially trans and nonbinary individuals — are facing intensified scrutiny and restriction. We’ve seen legislation aimed at limiting identity, removing access to healthcare, and silencing discussions of gender and sexuality in the classroom. Campus support centers are being quietly defunded. Faculty are being told to avoid certain topics. And for many students, simply being visible feels increasingly unsafe — not because of who they are, but because of how that identity is being politicized.
And we cannot ignore what’s happening beyond our campuses. We are living in a time of heightened tension, where tragedy, violence, and hate-fueled rhetoric are becoming far too common. From public spaces to online platforms, communities across the country are experiencing fear, loss, and uncertainty. We are reminded that inclusion is not guaranteed. It is something we must continuously defend, nurture, and rebuild — together.
But let me also say this: the LGBTQ+ community is not alone in facing these challenges.
We are seeing rising backlash against racial justice, reproductive rights, immigrant communities, and religious minorities — all under the guise of protecting tradition or restoring neutrality. These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a broader strategy to divide, distract, and dismantle.
And for some of our colleagues — and some of our students — this is the first time they are experiencing this kind of targeting. This level of vulnerability.
As LGBTQ+ leaders, we know what that feels like. We’ve lived through the silence. We’ve lived through the stigma. We’ve lived through efforts to legislate us out of existence. And we’ve learned — through experience — how to survive it. How to build community. How to organize. How to protect. How to lead.
So this is also a moment for us to lead with others. To stand with others. To share what we’ve learned about resilience, and strategy, and the power of showing up when it matters most.
Because liberation is not a competition. It is a collective project. And we are stronger when we do this work together.
That’s why I believe this moment calls for leadership that is bold, values-driven, and deeply authentic.
We cannot model authenticity for our students if we are hiding pieces of ourselves.
And we cannot teach courage if we are leading from fear.
At Stockton, we talk about our Ethic of Care — treating every person with dignity, respect, kindness, compassion, and civility. Not only when it’s easy — especially when it’s hard.
And right now, our students are watching.
They are watching how we respond to injustice.
They are watching how we protect spaces of belonging.
And they are watching to see if our values are just words — or if we live them out loud.
They don’t just need our protection. They need our example.
So as we come together in community — I want to offer two invitations.
First, take full advantage of this space not just while were here in Milwaukee, but all year long. Network. Ask questions. Build relationships. Share your experiences honestly — and listen deeply to others. Some of the most important work we do doesn’t happen on a stage — it happens over lunch, over conversations, in the quiet moments where ideas become action.
Second, take what you learn here back with you. Carry it to your campus. To your senior leadership. To your classrooms. To your community. This is not just a time for reflection — it’s a time for return. Let this conference and this organization be the catalyst for the next step in your leadership journey.
Let’s be bold.
Let’s be strategic.
Let’s be out and authentic — together.
Thank you.