If you were unable to attend, tell us whether or not you found the blog a useful tool to keep up with summit activities.

Don't forget to visit the summit photo gallery (see right-side menu bar) to view additional photos (over 250). Also, be sure to use the next page/previous page links (at the bottom of each page) to navigate the blog. 

HOW TO GET STARTED - Click on a title link or "post a comment" link at the end of each post to create or read a new comment(s). You do not need a login ID to participate.

Bernice Bass de Martinez, Chair, CSU-Sacramento

"I'll be back again. I've been to each one and they continue to inspire me."

Sheila Edwards Lange, Vice President for Minority Affairs, University of Washington
"This was a valuable experience, especially for women aspiring to presidencies. I would like to have seen more of an emphasis on helping new vice presidents. So much of the discussion centered on preparing women of color for presidencies. As a new vice president, I am overwhelmed with personnel issues. I would like to have heard more about handling some of these problems."

Josefina Baltodano, President, Marian College of Fond du Lac
"This Summit for Women of Color surpassed my expectations. I'm particularly ecstatic that the Women's Leadership Legacy Fund (to support women's attendance at ACE leadership development events) exceeded its goal of $100,000 so that we can now go public with the campaign. We are now at a total of $105,000 thanks to the generosity of women of color participants at this Summit." 

Gertrude Fraser, Vice Provost for Faculty Development, University of Virginia
"The last sessions of the Summit were as powerful as the first sessions."

Barbara Lyman, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of West Florida
"This is the second time I've attended the Women of Color Summit. This has expanded my network tremendously. I've gone to sessions with the same titles at other ACE leadership develpment programs and yet I always come out filled to the brim with new information. The contract negotiations session is one example."

G. Christine Taylor, Assistant to the President for Diversity, Ohio University
“It is always an enriching experience when you can bring people together to discuss issues and there aren’t major cultural rivers to cross. Not that other conference experiences aren’t important but a lot of energy is expended dealing with those issues. This setting makes the discussion deeper, wider, and more meaningful. It’s like a homecoming of sorts.”

Jacqueline Mimms, Associate Vice President, CSU Bakersfield
"This is the third Women of Color Summit I've attended and I've gotten re-energized each time. I look forward to the next one."

Phyllis M. Wise

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

University of Washington

The second panel was a forum of three women of color presidents--Mildred Garcia (second photo), President of Berkeley College of New York and New Jersey, S. Verna Fowler (fourth photo), Founding President of the College of Menominee Nation, and Ding-Jo Currie (third photo), President of Coastline Community College. The three gave opening comments about their career paths to the presidency and how, as leaders, they present a new model of leadership for higher education. The panel was moderated by Dr. Yolanda Moses.

Some of the bits of advice they give to women of color participants in advancing their own careers in higher education:
• Be yourself and true to your core beliefs and values.
• Be thoughtful.
• Embrace lifelong learning.
• Choose an enthusiastic and optimistic framing perspective.
• Reflect before acting.
• Think big.
• Lead with the heart at heart--touch the core of those you lead.
• A love-based style of leadership empowers others.
• Remember it's not about politics, it's about relationships.
• Lead with the soul in tack; know your purpose in life; know what you stand for; allow your values to be your branding.
• Allow your faith to be the center of your gravity.
• The magic of unity should be an element of the architectural design of the educational environment that we help to shape.
• Do not buy into the elitism of higher education.
• Be respectful of others.
• Pray and meditate to maintain your sanity.
• Have confidants you can trust.
• Keep your eye on the prize—why you are doing what you’re doing!

The comments from these three women were moving to tears. Millie Garcia shared her story of accepting her presidency at Berkeley College, which is not a research university like Arizona State University where she was in her previous position. But when she reflected on her true values of wanting to serve underrepresented students in NYC who come from low socio-economic backgrounds, she realized that she was being called to the presidency of Berkeley College.

Ding-Jo Currie focused on the spiritual side of her that keeps her grounded as a leaders. She also discussed the impact of her mentor, Carolyn Desjardin, and how she strives to return that kind of support and mentorship to other women and particularly women of color. Like women who shop for clothes, Currie shops for potential leaders by identifying them and helping to place them in leadership positions of influence and power.
Vera discussed her transparent style of leadership so that her constituents always feel free to ask questions and add their input. She totally underestimated the desire for higher education among the Menominee people when she started the college, but now she feels good that she has helped to prepare at least ten people who stand ready and able to succeed her.

One of the issues raised during the panel was about the need for caucasian women to support the advancement of women of color and for women of color to support one another. These conversations need to be had on the campuses. Women of color in presidencies have to be leaders for all and in some ways need to be neutral to the outside world while simultaneously acknowledging to women of color on their campuses that their needs and opportunities for career advancement will not go unnoticed.

The final day of the Women of Color Summit started on a high note with a scholarly panel on research that examines the struggle for professional identify among career women of color. Kandace Hinton presented her research on five African American women college and university administrators and Patricia Parker presented findings from her research on 15 African American women corporate executives. The findings showed that the leadership styles of African American women--both in higher education and corporate leadership--are heavily influenced by their experiences of resistance to oppression and their struggles for empowerment. In the corporate world, African American women have leadership styles that can simultaneously be described as both collective and controlling—styles that are typically observed as one OR the other.

California State University (CSU) - Long Beach hosted summit participants at the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Gardens on the CSU campus

Financial Stewardship

Benjamin Quillian, ACE Senior Vice President

Business & Operations

Negotiating the Presidential Contract

Jaffe D. Dickerson, Attorney-at-Law and Shareholding

Partner, Littler, Mendelson Law Office, Los Angeles, CA

The question was asked, "What do search consultants do about women who are interested in presidencies when they are lesbians?" One search consultant responded, "I advise them to target their search in areas of the country where it is more acceptable. Find a search consultant that will work with you and help you find the best fit."
Another participant asked, "What role does the search consultant play in helping to change the values/views of the institution and its search committee?"
A search consultant replied that she has learned to have a very frank and open discussion in the beginning of a search about what diversity means to them and what their community can support before she begins the search for them.
One of the panelists suggested that ACE can take on a greater role in educating boards and search committees.

Some of the lesbian summit participants were disappointed that the panelists encouraged preparing participants for searches at institutions to fit the current, sometimes discriminating, structures of the academy. These women were hoping to hear that in some way issues of discrimination against lesbians are being addressed to make leadership positions more accessible and a reality for those who seek them. Some of them thought the title of the panel, "Demystifying the Search Process" was appropriate in that participants were told this is how it is, prepare yourself for it to meet institutions' or search consultants' expectations or don't get in it. For some this was disappointing that there is not more of an activist stand to change the unaccommodating structure of people who are different or live alternative lifestyles. However, the honesty was appreciated.

Charmagne Shearrill, Director, Office of Human Resources, California Institute of the Arts
"I would have liked more time in the Communications and Public Relations workshop."

Nancy Nelson
"I would like to have learned about resources (books and articles) that we can read to follow up after this Summit. For instance, I'm a director now, what can I read to help me prepare for a dean's position."

Maria Cruz-Saco, Wesleyan College
"We often have an impulse to speak our minds without really deciding exactly what the messages should be and the consultants gave us some guidelines on how to narrow the message.
I love the summit and have attended most of the sessions. Dr. Cole was right on the mark in her comments. I was also inspired by the message from Dr. Sias, which was similar to Dr. Cole’s."

Yvette Webber-Davis, University of Oregon System
The sessions today have been excellent. I loved the Communications and Public Relations workshop because of the in depth discussion and the practice we were allowed to deliver our message in a way that has an impact. In all of the sessions, I have been pleased to hear the different routes that people have taken in their career paths outside of traditional ladder rank academic to administrative career. The take-away for me is having a vision and purpose for my own career direction.

Brenda Marina, University of Akron
"There have been constant themes that have been in each of the sessions--messages of the skills we need to gain (even if they are our own perceived weaknesses) and the vision that we need to have. The networking has been great too."

Shelly Ruelas, Vice President for Student Affairs, CSU Bakersfield
"The Communications and Public Relations workshop was excellent. There was good teaching methodology. I've never gotten anything as useful as what Doris McMillon and Carolyn Sawyer shared."

Lisa Flores, Associate Professor, University of Utah
"The Communications and Public Relations workshop made us cognizant of the importance of the media. It was very hands on (to the point of being frightening)."