In this episode of Visionary Voices, we delve into the essential support systems that empower college presidents to excel in their roles. Host Dr. Bryan Gross sits down with Dr. Lucie Lapovsky and Dr. Corey Cockerill, President of Wilmington College, to discuss their extensive backgrounds in higher education and the transformative impact of collaboration. Their bi-weekly support meetings address critical issues such as enrollment, fundraising, and financial challenges, fostering positive outcomes and an environment of trust and transparency.
In this episode of Visionary Voices, we delve into the essential support systems that empower college presidents to excel in their roles. Host Dr. Bryan Gross sits down with Dr. Lucie Lapovsky and Dr. Corey Cockerill, President of Wilmington College, to discuss their extensive backgrounds in higher education and the transformative impact of collaboration. Their bi-weekly support meetings address critical issues such as enrollment, fundraising, and financial challenges, fostering positive outcomes and an environment of trust and transparency.
This dynamic interaction is a testament to the importance of having an external advisor with deep expertise in higher education. The candid discussion between Dr. Lapovsky and Dr. Cockerill highlights the increasing popularity of formal support relationships for college presidents and underscores the significance of building a strong support network.
Their open conversation about the necessity of support is not only enlightening but also inspiring. It is a powerful reminder of the importance of receiving guidance and advice, especially in navigating turnover and financial hurdles. Such openness and emphasis on support systems is meant to motivate current and aspiring higher education leaders to recognize the value of collaboration and transparency in leadership.
Listeners will find this episode particularly inspiring as it showcases the resilience and dedication required to lead in higher education today. It underscores why being a part of this field is so rewarding and encourages aspiring leaders to embrace the challenges and opportunities that come with the territory. The episode concludes with song selections that represent the spirit of Wilmington College and the importance of creativity and innovation in leadership.
Guest Names:
Dr. Lucie Lapovsky
President Corey Cockerill
Guests Social:
Dr. Lucie Lapovsky - linkedin.com/in/lucie-lapovsky-8b60009
President Corey Cockerill - linkedin.com/in/coreycockerill
Guest Bios:
Dr. Lucie Lapovsky - Lucie Lapovsky, principal of Lapovsky Consulting, is an economist who consults, writes and speaks widely on issues related to higher education finance, pricing, strategy, governance, and enrollment management. She also specializes in searches for chief financial officers. Her clients include private schools, colleges and universities throughout the United States and various companies and organizations throughout the world. Recent clients include the Japanese Educational Foundation, The National Association of Independent Schools, The Endeavor Foundation, Nomura Securities, Pitzer College, York College of PA, Roanoke College, Illinois Wesleyan University, The Kiski School and Cheshire Academy. In addition, she is actively engaged in research on price resets, tuition discounting and cost containment. She is the co-editor of three books: Strategic Financial Challenges for Higher Education: How to Achieve Quality, Accountability and Innovation; Roles and Responsibilities of Chief Financial Officers both published by Jossey-Bass and The White House Project Report: Benchmarking Women’s Leadership. She is a frequent contributor to Forbes and is the author of more than 200 chapters and articles as well as a frequent speaker at major higher education conferences. She served as President of Mercy College, a multi – campus institution of 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students with campuses in New York City, Westchester and on-line from 1999 to 2004. Lucie has more than 30 years of experience in Higher Education Finance in both the public and private sectors. Prior to coming to Mercy College, she served as Vice President for Finance at Goucher College, and worked at the University of Maryland at College Park, the Maryland Higher Education Commission, and the Maryland State Department of Budget and Fiscal Planning. Dr. Lapovsky chairs the board of the Suncoast International Women’s Forum and serves on the boards of the Education Foundation of Sarasota (Treasurer), the Asolo Theatre, and the Tuition Exchange (Treasurer). She has also served on the boards of the American Public University System, Cedar Crest College, Western New England College, Packer Collegiate Institute, and the McDonogh School among others. She received her B.A. degree from Goucher College, and her M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Economics from the University of Maryland at College Park. She also attended the new President’s Institute and the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard and the Directors Institute at Duke. Among her many honors, she was the recipient of the Donna Shavlik award from the American Council on Education for Advancing Women’s Leadership in Higher Education in 2016; she was named one of the top 100 women in Maryland in 1999 by the Daily Record and she received the Alumni Award of Honor from Packer Collegiate Institute in NY in 2009.
Dr. Lucie Lapovsky - Dr. Coreen (Corey) Cockerill was named the 20th President of Wilmington College in March of 2024 after a 16-year career as Professor of Agriculture and Communication Arts. She received her PhD from The Ohio State University in 2006 in the areas of environmental sociology and communication, and prior to her academic appointment, served as the electronic communications manager at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife. Her research focuses on public engagement in natural resource management and the role of information in facilitating participation. She has authored several book chapters on global food security, the role of information in adoption-diffusion models, and soil conservation policies and practices in lesser-developed countries. In addition, she has recently published articles in the International Journal of Business and Social Science, the Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment, and the Journal of Applied Communications. Dr. Cockerill served for 6 years on the board at Energize Clinton County, a nationally recognized and award-winning community development organization, and has held memberships with the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture, the Ohio Farm Bureau, the Soil and Water Conservation Society, the Association for Conservation Information, the International Association of Business Communicators, and the Outdoor Writers of Ohio. She is the recipient of the 2012-13 Student Government Association award for teaching excellence, the 2013 OHIO Magazine Excellence in Education award, the 2021 SOCHE teaching excellence award, and the 2021 ACEL Distinguished Alumni award from The Ohio State University.