Leadership Community | Redefining Leadership Training: Evolving Perspectives and Collaborative Development

Leadership Community

Redefining Leadership Training: Evolving Perspectives and Collaborative Development

This webinar will challenge common misconceptions about leadership and explore how leadership education has transformed over the years. We’ll explore cutting-edge research approaches to leadership development and discuss how thought leaders can cultivate innovative and inclusive leadership within their organizations. Additionally, the session will explore how organizations and universities in Austin can collaborate to ensure a robust and diverse leadership pipeline, fostering a stronger and more inclusive community. Join us to gain insights that will empower the current and next generation of leaders.

About Your Speakers:

Tom Sechrest, PhD

Program Director, Doctorate of Education in Leadership in Higher Education at St. Edward’s University

Tom Sechrest has had a long career in leadership development as an entrepreneur, in the public sector, the private sector, the nonprofit sector, and higher education. Sechrest started his career as an entrepreneur in educational and industrial television, creating training films, documentaries, commercials, and music videos for Don Kirshner’s Rock Concerts.

Sechrest went on to serve as a television producer for the U.S. Department of Labor and led a national leadership development project there. He worked in corporate leadership and succession planning for AMD, then served as faculty chair for Leadership Austin before joining the faculty at St. Edward’s.

Sechrest brings a depth of experience, connections both locally and globally, and ties to many professional organizations, including the International Leadership Association, the Academy for Human Resource Development, the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics, and the Phi Kappa Phi honor society.

Leslie Loughmiller

Program Director, Master of Science in Organizational Leadership at St. Edward’s University

Leslie Loughmiller holds a bachelor’s degree in special education from Texas Tech University, a master’s degree in Special Education Diagnostician from Texas State University, and a doctorate of Education in Higher Education Leadership from Nova Southeastern University of Florida.

Loughmiller has been an educator for over 25 years in the areas of special education, elementary education, early childhood, elementary curriculum development, higher education leadership and adult education. Her time and service in higher education has been spent teaching and mentoring pre-service teachers and graduate students as well as developing programs and courses for university programs.

In addition, Leslie provides service to her profession as one of the members of the editorial review board for a researched-based journal in special education, the Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, serves on Pre-K–12 education and educational leadership research dissertation committees and has served on the school board for many years for a private school for special needs adolescents in the Austin area.