Next Leaders Fellowship application deadline extended to January 6th

The deadline has been extended to submit applications for the 2025 – 2026 cohort of the Next Leaders Fellowship (NLF). The previous deadline of Tuesday, December 31st has been updated to Monday, January 6th. We understand that this season can be a busy and hectic time, and we want to provide ample opportunity for those who are interested to apply for this opportunity. If you have already applied, thank you for your submission. If you are still working on your application, we encourage you to take advantage of this extension to put together your best submission.

NLF is designed to identify talented information and technology professionals in higher education, and work to advocate for and support their pursuit of senior leadership roles. We are excited to build on the successes of the first three NLF cohorts. We encourage you to learn more about the program and consider applying for or sharing it with others.

NLF Fellows spend a year as part of a cohort of peers who:

• Benefit from the mentorship of a community of accomplished senior information and technology leaders
• Participate in professional learning and development experiences
• Develop extended relationships with search consulting firms
• Engage with institutional leaders, human resources professionals, and other NLF partners
• Explore how their backgrounds, experiences, and identities may influence and shape how they navigate their careers
• Participate in the 2025 NERCOMP and EDUCAUSE annual conferences, with registration, travel, and lodging covered by NLF

Administered by Bowdoin College in partnership with EDUCAUSE, NERCOMP, and a group of supporting institutions and organizations, NLF is not intended to compete with or replace other leadership development programs. Instead, NLF is as an interconnecting resource, explicitly recruiting cohorts of diverse Fellows, creating a community among and around them, and providing mentorship and coaching throughout the program year.

Additionally, each Fellow is sponsored to participate in one existing professional development experience of their choice (e.g., EDUCAUSE Institutes, Leading Change Institute, MOR Leaders Program). NLF sponsorship will include advocacy in support of their application to those programs, covering the costs of registration, and providing $1,000 towards travel, lodging and other participation costs.

Applications are being accepted through January 6, 2025 for the program year from March 2025 through February 2026. To learn more and to apply please visit https://nextleadersfellowship.org/apply/.

NLF Mentors, Sponsors, and Partners are committed to developing and supporting a new generation of diverse IT leadership in higher education, and we believe that the Fellowship will be an important part of that work. We hope as you learn more about NLF, you will join our effort by applying or sharing this information with the emerging leaders of diverse backgrounds that you know.

Sincerely, Next Leaders Fellowship Mentors

• Sherri Braxton, Senior Director for Digital Innovation, Bowdoin College
• Steven Burrell, Vice President for IT and Chief Information Officer (CIO), Northern Arizona University
• Michael Cato, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO), Bowdoin College
• Raechelle Clemmons, Leader, Partner Business Development, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Aisha Jackson, Vice Chancellor for Information Technology, University of California, Santa Cruz
• Keith ‘Mac’ MacIntosh, Vice President for Information Services and Chief Information Officer (CIO), University of Richmond
• Kimberley Marshall, Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer (CIO), Morehouse College
• Tony Moore, Chief Information Officer (CIO), Prairie View A&M University
• José Rodriguez, Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO), Pomona College
• Jenn Stringer, Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, J. Paul Getty Trust
• Stan Waddell, Vice President for Information Technology and CIO, Carnegie Mellon University
• Cheryl Washington, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), University of California, Davis