LGBTQ Leaders in Higher Education will hold its Annual Meeting in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on October 14, 2026 at 3:00 pm Eastern. Members will have the opportunity to hear about the activities of the organization, with an update on our strategic plan, and vote on a slate of candidates for positions on the Board of Directors. Annual awards will also be given at the meeting including the LGBTQ Leaders in Higher Education’s inaugural Leadership Impact Award.
The Annual Meeting is scheduled as a session of the Leadership Institute and will be held in Fannie Lou Hamer Hall, on the Atlantic City campus of Stockton University. Registered participants at the Leadership Institute are invited to attend and participate, but only members of the association (as recorded on October 10, 2026) will be allowed to vote.
Members may be Individual Members or they may be designees of Institutional Members. Members need not be registered for the Leadership Institute to attend, but attendance in person (or by proxy) is required to vote. To renew your membership or join, click here.
The Board’s Governance and Nominations committee (Kristin Esterberg, chair) has forwarded the following slate of candidates to serve three year terms. The full board endorsed this slate at its September 2026 meeting.
Board Candidates (new)
Terry Brown is Vice President for Academic Innovation and Transformation at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. She oversees a division that provides programming and services to assist members fulfill their academic mission primarily in the areas of civic engagement, international education, student success, and teacher education. She served for nearly twenty-five years in the University of Wisconsin System as tenured faculty in the field of English and academic leader at the University of Wisconsin River Falls and provost at the University of Wisconsin Parkside. Most recently, she served as the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the State University of New York at Fredonia. In nearly twenty years of academic leadership, Terry Brown has led colleges and universities in integrated and strategic academic and enrollment planning, aligning budget and space resources to academic priorities. Terry holds a doctorate in English from the University of Florida and bachelor’s and master’s of arts in English from Virginia Tech. For her first term: 2026-2029.
Louisa Krause (she/her) is the Director for the Center for Teaching and Learning at Macomb Community College. Louisa holds an Ed.D. in Education Leadership and Professional Practice, Social Justice Leadership from Antioch University, an M. Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, Integrating Technology from George Mason University and a B.A. in Elementary Education, Mathematics, and Language Arts from Western Michigan University. She joined Macomb Community College in 2017 as the part time Curriculum and Assessment Specialist, transitioning to the full time Academic Initiatives & Assessment Coordinator in 2018, then the Director of Instructional Technology and Online Learning, working with faculty and administrators across the college. Now as the Director of the CTL, she leads a variety of college initiatives related to assessment, accreditation compliance, faculty professional development, instructional technology, committee work, and strategic planning. First appointed February 2026. For her first full term: 2026-2029.
Board Candidates (re-election)
Lori Ciccomascolo (she/her) serves as Chief of Staff and Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, William Paterson University. She was previously the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Springfield College. Prior to that she served as Associate Vice President of Student Success at the University of Rhode Island as well as Dean of the College of Human Science and Services and Dean of the College of Education and Professional Studies at URI. She is a former American Council on Education Fellow. For a second term: 2026-2029.
Kristin G. Esterberg (she/her) is chancellor of University of Washington Bothell. Prior to joining UWB, Esterberg was president of SUNY Potsdam. She served as provost at Salem State University in Massachusetts and as deputy provost at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. A sociologist, her research centers on gender and sexuality, research methodology, and social organization and change. For a second term: 2026-2029.
Kenro Kusumi (he/him) is Senior Vice Provost and Dean of The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University. He is also Professor in the School of Life Sciences, whose laboratory works to advance the conservation and evolution of reptiles. Dr. Kusumi is committed to promoting inclusive excellence in higher education, and he is working to create more supportive STEM environments, including serving as mentor and faculty advisor in university LGBTQ+ organizations. For a second term: 2026-2029.
Board Officers (2026-27)
Also up for election, is the President-elect. The Governance and Nominations committee has put forward Lori Ciccomoscolo, and the full board has endorsed that nomination.
Click here to see the full list of current board members.