Duke Leadership and Management Academies Welcome New Graduates

It was a day of milestones for Duke Leadership Academy and Duke Management Academy participants during last week’s joint graduation ceremony. 

The ceremony at the Nasher Museum of Art marked the 10th Duke Leadership Academy class graduation and the first for the Duke Management Academy.

“As you know from completing this program, there are many skills that you can learn, tools that you can acquire and approaches you can take that will make leadership easier,” said Provost Sally Kornbluth, who was the keynote speaker at the ceremony. “You have all been fortunate to learn about these.”

Duke Learning & Organization Development, a unit in Duke Human Resources, runs the Duke Leadership Academy and Duke Management Academy. Learn more about the two programs and the recent graduates.

Duke Leadership Academy

The Duke Leadership Academy is a year-long program based on ideas from the Fuqua/COLE Leadership Model.

The class of 26 participants, who were selected from nominations from Duke deans and vice presidents, took part in discussions with senior leadership, underwent analysis of their work and personality styles, received coaching and collaborated on group projects offering solutions to real-world concepts at Duke. 

Projects focused on topics like finding and rating vendors used at Duke, advancing sustainability and increasing participating in Doing Good in the Neighborhood, Duke’s employee giving campaign. 

“For me in applying to this program, this was the first step in that journey of ‘What does it mean to lead well? What can I do to become a better leader?’” said Miranda McCall, senior associate director of Duke Financial Aid. “My hope for all of us is this is the next step to become those who lead well.

Duke Management Academy

The Duke Management Academy began in January for middle managers across Duke University and Health System. 

Participants learned leadership training and lessons in human resources, finances, business strategy, communication and situational leadership. The class of 25 scholars was nominated by supervisors.

Jeff Harris, a member of the Duke Management Academy and director of Duke In DC, delivered remarks at the ceremony. Harris said all of the lessons were valuable, but his biggest takeaway will be making connections with the other graduates.  

“I have found getting to know each and every one of you to be reaffirming, not just to the value that Duke provides in North Carolina but beyond,” he said. “This program has provided us with a network of peers who we can seek advice and grow as we face new challenges as managers.”

Below are the 2019 employee graduates for both programs.

Duke Leadership Academy:

• Paula Batton – Director of Customer and Technology Support, Office of Information Technology
• Todd Blandford – Director of Alumni & Development Systems, University Development
• Jill Cordell – Director of Financial Aid, Duke University School of Nursing
• Kurt Cumiskey – Associate Director of Development, Duke University Libraries
• Jennifer Gallina – Senior Executive Director of Foundation Relations and Corporate Giving, Duke Health Development and Alumni Affairs
• Gwen Hall-Difabio – Director of Financial Training, Financial Services
• Doug Heron – Associate Vice President for State Relations, Public Affairs & Government Relations 
• Oleg Kobelev – Assistant Dean for International Studies, Duke Law School
• Todd Maberry – Senior Director of Admissions, Recruitment and Student Finance, Duke Divinity School
• Nate Martinez-Wayman – Director of the Office of Sponsored Programs, Financial Services 
• Doreen Matters – Program Director, Duke University School of Nursing
• Miranda McCall – Senior Associate Director of Duke Financial Aid
• Mary McKee – Director of Identity Management, Office of Information Technology
• Shila Nordone – Director of Research Development, Nicholas School of the Environment 
• Amanda B. Parrish – Director of Regulatory Affairs and Quality, School of Medicine’s Office of Regulatory Affairs and Quality
• Anneli Richter – Associate Dean of Admissions, Duke Graduate School 
• Sean Saunders – Assistant Director of Building Systems, Facilities & Maintenance 
• Nicole Schramm-Sapyta – Chief Operating Officer, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences 
• Katherine Stanley – Chief Administrator, School of Medicine’s Department of Surgery
• Victor Taylor – Associate Director of Corporate Relations, University Development
• Ana Valverde Vidal – Administrative Director, School of Medicine’s Marcus Center for Cellular Cures 
• Kent Wicker – Assistant Director of the Graduate Liberal Studies Program, Duke Graduate School 
• Emily Wiegand – Director of WaSH-AID, Pratt School of Engineering
• Dudley Willis – Assistant Director for the Office of Project Management, Facilities & Maintenance
• Jack Winters – Executive Director of the Iron Dukes Annual Fund, Duke Athletics 
• Deb Wojcik – Director of Graduate Students Programs & Services, Pratt School of Engineering

Duke Management Academy

• Anthony Asciutto, Clinical Team Lead, Respiratory Care Services
• Jamiyla Bolton, Senior Research Program Leader, Duke Digital Health
• Hilary Bouton-Verville, Director of Research Development, Duke Human Vaccine Institute
• Stephen Carrow, Project Manager, Facilities Management
• Ceci Chamorro, Information Systems Manager, Duke Office of Clinical Research
• Tammy Crane, Senior Manager/Director, Health Information Management
• Curtis Dunn, Technical & Administrative Laboratory Supervisor, Transfusion Services
• Vince Dunnegan, Accounts Receivable Manager, Finance
• Joseph English, Senior Business Manager, OB/GYN
• Holli Gall, Senior Director MC Development Programs, Duke Health Development & Alumni Affairs
• Peter Haman, Information Technology Manager, Centralized Device Services & Support
• Jeff Harris, Director of Special Events, Government Relations
• Mandy Larew, Finance Manager, Duke Network Services
• Erica Lobaugh-Jin, Infection Control Nurse, Infection Prevention
• Coral May, HR Department Manager, HR Centralized Service
• Joseph Miller, Senior Manager, Facilities Operations Planning
• Coleman Mills, Research Program Leader, Duke Cancer Institute
• Renee Morell, Nurse Manager, Duke Ambulatory Surgery Center
• Dana Sanders, Senior Grants and Contracts Manager, Research Administration Support Resource
• Culver Scales, Executive Director for Development, Duke Health Development & Alumni Affairs
• Paige Smith, Administrative Coordinator, Dean’s Office of School of Medicine
• Will Thompson, Assistant Director of Duke Proteomics and Metabolomics, Center for Genomics & Computational Biology
• Kim Thompson, Administrative Manager, Duke Occupational Health & Wellness
• Mike Wilson, Clinical Team Leader, Respiratory Care Services
• Yeu-Li Yeung, Patient Care Ergonomics Coordinator, Duke Occupational & Environmental Safety Office

Learn more about the Duke Leadership Academy: