Faculty mentors

Amy J. Armstrong is the Associate Dean of Faculty Development for the College as well as an associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Counseling at Virginia Commonwealth University. She has been involved in  advocacy, education and employment issues related to individuals with disabilities for over 35 years. She has extensive experience providing  national personnel training on a variety of topics. Armstrong has held  community agency positions including both direct service and management at the local, regional and national levels. Her interests include the  employment of individuals with significant disabilities, community re-integration, wellbeing and positive psychology, and appreciative  leadership. She received an MA in Rehabilitation Counseling from  Michigan State University and a PhD in Education from VCU. She also has The Appreciative Inquiry Certificate of Positive Business and Societal  Change from the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University and is a certified Appreciative Inquiry facilitator.

Dr. Jeanie Cockell, Co-President, Cockell McArthur-Blair Consulting, is a dynamic facilitator and a leader in Appreciative Inquiry as an organizational and community development process and a research methodology. Since 1999, Jeanie has worked as a consultant with education institutions and organizations in the private, public, and social-profit sectors. She has extensive experience in facilitating, presenting, training, coaching, working with conflict, leading, and collaboratively designing strategies for individuals, groups, organizations, and communities to build positive futures and to respond effectively to change.

Dr. Denise Henning (Cherokee/Choctaw) has had numerous roles in her 20 years in higher education with 13 of those years as executive leadership. As faculty and an experienced executive, Denise has worked with professionals and aspiring academicians to become strong - positive leaders. She is focused on fostering shared leadership using an appreciative framework at its core.  Throughout her career, Denise has served as faculty and mentor in multiple leadership development institutes and is committed to making the academic environment a more positive and inspiring environment that is 'future focused and future ready.'

 Dr. Joan McArthur-Blair, Co-President, Cockell McArthur-Blair Consulting, is a highly creative and adaptable writer, speaker, and facilitator. She cares deeply about meeting the needs of her clients and uplifting the powerful work of people and organizations. She brings her broad background in higher education to her current work using Appreciative Inquiry in coaching, leadership, strategic planning, and innovative strategies for organizational development. Equity, diversity, belonging and social justice are core to all her work. For over a decade she has worked as a consultant with clients around the world and prior to that was an educator who fulfilled roles from faculty to president at four diverse Canadian Colleges. 

Dr, Symphony Oxendine  (Cherokee/Choctaw) is an Associate Professor of Higher Education in the Department of Educational Leadership at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Her research includes critical awareness of the social and institutional issues that affect the educational performance and institutional support of American Indians and other underrepresented groups.  Symphony is well known for her leadership with Historically Native American Sororities and in national/international organizations. Symphony became a practitioner in Appreciative Inquiry in 2014 and is committed to increased inclusion of women and underrepresented leadership in the academy. 

Irlanda  Gonzalez Price, who uses pronouns she/her,  is the Associate Vice-President of Student Affairs at  Vancouver Island University (VIU) in Nanaimo, BC. A Mexican immigrant and English as a second language speaker, she is both fluent in English and Spanish.  Her career in post-secondary education spanning over 20 years, has been dedicated to the many areas of student  development, at the community college and university levels.  As a committed educator, Gonzalez Price has led several major campus  initiatives at multiple post-secondary institutions in Canada resulting in improved access for under-represented and diverse learners. She has developed and operationalized Strategic Enrolment Management plans, Indigenous Student supports and led several retention campaigns which included establishing several bursaries to increase student  retention.

Irlanda  is a conference presenter and author, with a newly published article in the New Directions for Student Services Journal.  She is actively engaged  in empowering women through her work  with various community organizations and is a faculty/mentor for “Women Honoring Other Women” an  appreciative leadership gathering for women leaders in academia.  She  has been a practitioner of Critical Appreciative Inquiry for nearly 15 years. 

Irlanda is passionate about positive strength-based post-secondary education and equity and inclusion in higher education.She holds a Bachelor of Social Work and a Master of Social Work (focussing on working in rural, remote communities).

Dawn Dixon is a seasoned professional who has worked in various industries including corporate, nonprofit and governmental agencies. She recently completed 17 years as an educational leader in the NC Community College System (NCCCS). Prior to joining the NCCCS, Dawn held senior roles at

institutions including Northern Arizona University and Simmons College. During her career in education Dawn has held many leadership positions including Senior Program Director, Department Chair, Dean and Associate Vice President. Dawn is currently serving Cary Academy by developing and coordinating engagement programming supporting efforts in the Advancement division.

Throughout her career, Dawn has been passionate about educational access and student success. She has created numerous instructional programs geared toward students; academic and career development. Dawn serves on the advisory board for the Health & Fitness program at Johnston Community College, is the past board chair of Neuse Charter School, and continues to work with many community organizations such as Recruitment Ready, to better align secondary and postsecondary

education. Dawn was the recipient of the Jane Watkins Scholarship from the David Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry where she received her certification in Appreciative Inquiry.

Ilene Wasserman has over 35 years’ experience in organizational

consulting, leadership development and executive coaching. She

has been on the cutting edge of research and practice in strength-

based methodologies, capacity building, and relational leadership,

particularly related to diversity, equity and inclusion. As Founder and President of ICW Consulting Group, Ilene is deeply committed to providing the foundation and motivation that sustain learnings

with senior leaders, teams and staff long after the consulting relationship has ended.

With a Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Development and Masters Degrees in both Counseling Psychology and Social Work. Ilene’s approach is appreciative, based on the principles that we transform through engaging strengths, personally, as groups and across whole systems. She is author of several publications including two books: Communicating Possibilities: A Brief Introduction to the Coordinated Management of Meaning, and Peer

Coaching at Work: Principles and Practices.