New Presidents Institute
Carlsbad, California
Overview
The CCCU is offering an outstanding event for new presidents who have assumed their roles within the last 2 years. The role of a university president has never been more difficult, but we don’t have to do it alone in the CCCU. While a new president would benefit greatly by attending the event by themselves, the program is designed for presidential teams, usually the president and their spouse. NPI faculty/mentors are respected senior presidents who bring vulnerability, experience, and wisdom to the program. The CCCU chose a destination spot so that there would be the right atmosphere and setting for learning, fellowship, and spiritual growth. Past participants have called the New Presidents Institute transformational and we are certain you will not be disappointed.
The New Presidents Institute will convene at the beautiful Westin Carlsbad Resort in Carlsbad, CA to ensure an atmosphere rich for renewal, learning, fellowship, and spiritual growth. We hope you’ll join us!
AGENDA
The New Presidents Institute is designed around a format for offering content and interaction. Content sessions include the topics of board governance, student recruitment and fundraising, finance, crisis management, and academic programs. Following the sessions, presidents and spouses will meet separately with mentors for interactive sessions to explore questions and answers. Additional sessions will cover a variety of topics of interest and concern.
Monday June 24, 2024
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Travel Day and Informal Meet & Greet
Presidents and spouses are invited to this “come as you are” informal opportunity to meet each other and the members of the New Presidents Institute team.
Location: Water Tower
Tuesday June 25, 2024
New Presidents Institute – Day 1
8:00 AM – 8:30 AM | Continental Breakfast
Location: Carlsbad Terrace
8:30 AM – 9:15 AM | Welcome, Devotions and Introduction of participants (presidents and spouses)
- Shirley Hoogstra, President, CCCU
Location: Carlsbad Ballroom
9:15 AM – 10:15 AM | Building Trustee Relationships and Nurturing Healthy Governance Practices
(presidents and spouses)
No institution can be stronger than its Board of Trustees, but what are the characteristics and practices that help boards to be their best? Presidents will offer answers and insights.
- Amy Bragg Carey, President, Friends University
- Andy Westmoreland, President Emeritus, Samford University
Location: Carlsbad Ballroom
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM | Break
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM | Unlocking Board Management Conversations
- Presidents and spouses will break into separate groups with mentors for dialogue.
- Andy Westmoreland, President Emeritus, Samford University facilitating
Location: Carlsbad Ballroom
11:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Managing Risk & Cost Through Insurance (presidents; spouses invited)
- Matt Hayes, VP Sales, Sovereign Insurance
Location: Carlsbad Ballroom
12:00 PM – 12:30 PM | Tying the Morning Together (presidents and spouses)
- Andy Westmoreland, President Emeritus, Samford University facilitating
Location: Carlsbad Ballroom
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Luncheon (presidents and spouses)
Location: Carlsbad Terrace
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM | Recruiting Students and Donors (presidents and spouses)
A panel of presidents will address the ways and means supporting two drivers of financial success: enrollment and fundraising.
- Brad Johnson, President, College of the Ozarks
- Chip Pollard, President, John Brown University
Location: Carlsbad Ballroom
2:30 PM – 2:45 PM | Break
2:45 PM – 3:15 PM | Financial Guardrails for Christian Higher Education (presidents; spouses invited)
- Daniel Campbell, Partner, CapinCrouse
Location: Carlsbad Ballroom
3:15 PM – 4:15 PM | Unlocking Fundraising and Recruitment Conversations
Presidents and spouses will break into separate groups with mentors for dialogue
Location: Carlsbad Ballroom
4:15 PM – 4:30 PM | Tying the Afternoon Together (presidents and spouses)
- Andy Westmoreland, President Emeritus, Samford University facilitating
Location: Carlsbad Ballroom
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM | Free Time
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Dinner (presidents and spouses)
Location: Water Tower
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM | Fireside Chat – The Spiritual Life of the President and Family (presidents and spouses)
Mentor presidents and spouses will tell their candid stories of the ways in which they have sought to maintain spiritual growth amidst the demands of their leadership responsibilities. New presidents and spouses will be invited to give their own accounts of the challenges they face in supporting their own spiritual vitality.
- Facilitator: Shirley Hoogstra, President, CCCU
Location: Water Tower
Wednesday June 26, 2024
New Presidents Institute – Day 2
8:00 AM – 8:30 AM | Continental Breakfast
Location: Carlsbad Terrace
8:30 AM – 8:45 AM | Devotions
- Brad and Laura Johnson, President and President’s Spouse, College of the Ozarks
Location: Carlsbad Ballroom
8:45 AM – 10:00 AM | Leading Through Crisis (presidents and spouses)
The future of our institutions is often shaped by the ringing of our phone at 2 am. Seasoned presidents will discuss lessons learned through painful moments of crisis.
- Chip Pollard, President, John Brown University
- Amy Bragg Carey, President, Friends University
Location: Carlsbad Ballroom
10:00 AM – 10:15 AM | Break
10:15 AM – 11:15 AM | Unlocking Crisis Leadership Conversations
Presidents and spouses will break into separate groups for dialogue.
Location: Carlsbad Ballroom
11:15 AM – 11:45 AM | Tying the Morning Together (presidents and spouses)
- Andy Westmoreland, President Emeritus, Samford University
Location: Carlsbad Ballroom
11:45 AM – 12:45 PM | Lunch
Location: Carlsbad Terrace
12:45 PM – 1:30 PM | Legal Update
- Shirley Hoogstra, President, CCCU
Location: Carlsbad Ballroom
1:30 PM – 7:00 PM | Free Time
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM | Fireside Chat – All the Things I Wish I’d Known (presidents and spouses)
Mentor presidents and spouses will host a time of questions and answers in which they offer recollections about the things they wish that they had known (and done) in their first years of leadership.
- Facilitator: Shirley Hoogstra, President, CCCU
Location: Water Tower
Thursday June 27, 2024
New Presidents Institute – Day 3
8:00 AM – 8:30 AM | Continental Breakfast
Location: Carlsbad Terrace
8:30 AM – 8:45 AM | Devotions
- Chip and Carey Pollard, President and President’s Spouse, John Brown University
Location: Carlsbad Ballroom
8:45 AM – 9:45 AM | Innovation in Academic Programs (presidents and spouses)
Experienced presidents offer candid commentary regarding what has succeeded—and what has failed—as they have tried to foster innovation and clear-headed management within their academic programs.
- Brad Johnson, President, College of the Ozarks
- Chip Pollard, President, John Brown University
Location: Carlsbad Ballroom
9:45 AM – 10:15 AM | Future-Ready Learning: Driving Digital Transformation in Education (presidents; spouses invited)
- Darren Campbell, Founder, CEO, Slingshot
Location: Carlsbad Ballroom
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM | Break
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM | Academic Programs Unlocked Conversations
Presidents and spouses will break into separate groups for dialogue.
Location: Carlsbad Ballroom
11:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Courageous Leadership (presidents; spouses invited)
- Jon Hazelgren, Vice President of Partnerships, CampusWorks
Location: Carlsbad Ballroom
12:00 PM – 12:30 PM | Tying the Morning Together (presidents and spouses)
- Andy Westmoreland, President Emeritus, Samford University
Location: Carlsbad Ballroom
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Lunch
Location: Carlsbad Terrace
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM | Financial Guidance from a Seasoned President (presidents and spouses)
New presidents and spouses will hear one of CCCU’s most respected presidents regarding guiding principles of financial health…and the intergenerational links associated with wise stewardship.
- Chip Pollard, President, John Brown University
Location: Carlsbad Ballroom
2:30 PM – 2:45 PM | Break
2:45 PM – 3:45 PM | All the Questions You Wish You’d Asked And Things I Wish I Had Known (presidents and spouses)
Mentor presidents and spouses will respond to the array of questions that weren’t addressed during the previous sessions and add one thing they wish they had known.
- Facilitator: Shirley Hoogstra, President, CCCU
Location: Carlsbad Ballroom
3:45 PM – 4:00 PM | Commissioning Prayer (presidents and spouses)
- Shirley Hoogstra, President, CCCU
Location: Carlsbad Ballroom
4:00 pm | Institute Ends
Friday June 28, 2024
Departure and Travel Day
Facilitators
Dr. Amy Bragg Carey
Dr. Amy Bragg Carey
Dr. Amy Bragg Carey began her role as president of Friends University on July 1, 2015. Dr. Carey came to Friends from Minnesota, where she had served as the Vice President of Institutional Advancement for the University of Northwestern since 2003 to 2015.
Amy has been active in many organizations and served on the National Standards Committee for the ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability) in Washington, D.C., the NAIA Financial Aid Task Force, and the Wichita Salvation Army advisory Board. She currently serves on the boards of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), the Wichita Chamber of Commerce, Evangelical Friends International Mission, and KU Med 4-Wichita.
Dr. Carey holds an Ed.D from Azusa Pacific University in Higher Education Leadership, a M.A. in Philanthropy and Development from St. Mary’s University in MN and an undergraduate degree in Communications from Bethel University in Minnesota.
Amy and her husband, Bryan, have two adult children who live in Minnesota – Anna and Brett (married to Elise). Dr. Carey loves her role as president of Friends University. She is a passionate advocate for Christian higher education and is dedicated to this high calling of transforming lives through a missional and dynamic learning community.
Bryan Carey
Bryan Carey
Bryan Carey is an entrepreneur and musician. Though recently semi-retired from his business, Bryan still works in various digital media capacities and serving alongside wife, Dr. Amy Bragg Carey at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas.
Bryan spent his childhood in Wisconsin and attended the University of Northwestern St. Paul in Minnesota where earned a Bachelor of Science in Broadcasting. While in Minnesota, he married, had two kids, Anna and Brett, and established his career as a video and audio producer. He founded his production company, Visual Reality in the early nineties, earning a Midwest Regional Emmy and an international Trebbia Award for his video and audio recording work.
Apart from his career, Bryan enjoys maintaining the family lakeside residence in Wisconsin in the summers and playing guitar on the worship team at church.
Shirley Hoogstra
Shirley Hoogstra
Shirley Hoogstra became the seventh president of the CCCU in September 2014. In this role, Hoogstra combines her zeal for the rule of law and her passion for Christian higher education as she promotes the value and purpose of high quality, Christ-centered liberal arts education that shapes students who love the Lord with all their heart, soul, and mind. Prior to the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, Hoogstra served for 15 years as vice president for student life at her alma mater, Calvin University, and spent more than a decade practicing law as a partner at a firm specializing in litigation in New Haven, Connecticut.
Dr. Brad Johnson
Dr. Brad Johnson
Dr. Brad Johnson became president of College of the Ozarks June 1, 2022.
He came to Hard Work U. from Southwest Baptist University, having served as vice president for institutional advancement; he oversaw alumni engagement, fundraising, and the conference center. Dr. Johnson also served as interim president at SBU. He held leadership positions at Howard Payne University, Hardin-Simmons University, and McMurry University.
President Johnson is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), licensed professional counselor, licensed to the ministry, and an ordained deacon.
Dr. Johnson is married to Laura Lacey Johnson. They have two children: Evan and Elle.
Laura Lacey Johnson
Laura Lacey Johnson
Laura Lacey Johnson loves getting to know students and making her family’s home at College of the Ozarks.
A former radio personality and television news reporter, Laura is a featured author in Clear Mind, Peaceful Heart: Prayers and Devotions for Sleeping Well in a World Full of Worry, published by Proverbs 31 Ministries. She is also a commissioned fellow for the Colson Center for Christian Worldview.
Laura taught Media Writing, Interpersonal Communication, and Fundamentals of Speech Communication at the collegiate level. She grew up along the Texas Gulf Coast and earned degrees from Howard Payne University and Abilene Christian University.
Dr. Chip Pollard
Dr. Chip Pollard
Dr. Chip Pollard has been the president of John Brown University since July 2004. During his time at JBU, the university has been blessed to receive over $290 million in gifts and to grow its endowment from $50 million to over $165 million. JBU has been named seven years in a row by the Chronicle of Higher Education to its “High Honor Role” in the “Great Colleges To Work For” survey (2015-2021). Dr. Pollard has published two books, “New World Modernisms” (2005) and “May It Always Be True: Educating Students in Faith” (2011).
Dr. Pollard was elected to the board of the CCCU in 2009 and served as chair of the board from 2013-2018 and as immediate past chair until 2022. He was elected to serve on the Council for Independent Colleges board in 2021.
He received his undergraduate degree in English from Wheaton College, a law degree from Harvard Law School, a master’s degree in English from Oxford University, and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Virginia.
Carey Pollard
Carey Pollard
Carey Pollard has worked part‐time in the Office of the President since 2004. Together they host over 1000 people in their home every year and visit frequently with friends and alumni of the university.
Carey is also actively involved in attending JBU events and mentoring JBU students, in volunteering in the church (primarily serving pre‐school children) and in the community (serving on the board of Manna Center from 2012‐2018). She graduated from Wheaton College in 1985 with a degree in Art. Chip and Carey have four children. Chad married to Anna, Ben (deceased), Emma married to David, and James married to Annika. They also have six grandchildren. They are members at First Presbyterian Church of Siloam Springs.
Dr. Andy Westmoreland
Dr. Andy Westmoreland
Andrew Westmoreland’s career in higher education spans 43 years, including a combined total of 23 years as president of two institutions, Samford University in Alabama and Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas. His degrees are in political science and higher education. Westmoreland served as chair of the Board of Trustees for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and in 2022 he received the Eileen Tosney Award for Career Leadership in Higher Education, the AAUA’s highest individual recognition. Jeanna, his wife of 42 years, is also a career educator, having served as Chair of the Arkansas State Board of Education.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
New Presidents Institute Registration Fees
$2,500 for President/Spouse (Couple Registration)
$2,000 for President-Only Registration
Cancellation Policy
You may cancel your registration at any time prior to the start of the program. If you must cancel, please email conferences@cccu.org.
Hotel & Travel Information
Travel
The Carlsbad, CA area is served by the San Diego International Airport located approximately 33 miles south of the Westin Carlsbad Resort.
Travel time to the Westin Carlsbad Resort is approximately one hour at $60 – $100 one-way by Uber/Lyft or taxi. Attendees will be responsible for the cost of their ground transportation to the resort and the cost of their return trip to the San Diego International Airport.
Hotel
The Westin Carlsbad Resort
5480 Grand Pacific Dr
Carlsbad, CA 92008
Group Rate
The room rate is $299 per room, per night, plus applicable taxes currently at 13% and a City Assessment Fee of $1.50 per night.
Hotel Parking
Self-parking is complimentary.
Valet parking is available for $40 per day.
Hotel Reservations
To make your hotel reservations by phone, please call 833-489-4455 and reference the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities. To make your hotel reservations online please click here.
The cut-off date to reserve your hotel room at the discounted group rate is May 24, 2024. Room reservation requests after this date may be subject to hotel availability at the standard rate. Because of limited availability, we advise making your reservation as soon as possible.
The Westin Carlsbad typically charges a resort fee of $25 per accommodation, per day; however, that fee has been waived for all CCCU guests and will not appear on your final hotel bill.
You are not required to register for the Institute prior to reserving your room at the resort, but we will be cross-checking the hotel rooming list against registered attendees. Room reservations could be subject to cancellation if you are not registered for the meeting by May 24, 2024. We would truly appreciate your support by booking within the CCCU block at the hotel so that we can fulfill our obligation to our hotel partner.
Dress Code
Attire for the meeting is resort casual.
Weather
The average weather in Carlsbad in June is a high temperature of 76 and a low of 66 degrees. San Diego in June has a humidity of 82 percent in the morning on average and 64 percent by the early afternoon. While the humidity can be high in June, the temperature isn’t typically hot enough to make it uncomfortable.