Meet the Team
Dr. Bruce H. Jackson is a visionary leader, educator, and strategist dedicated to helping individuals and organizations reach their highest potential. As the Founder of Charlie Life & Leadership Academy (CLLA) and the Attentional Leadership Institute (ALI), he has pioneered innovative leadership frameworks that drive personal and professional transformation.
With expertise spanning leadership development, organizational strategy, and performance coaching, Dr. Jackson’s work influences Fortune 500 companies, higher education, and nonprofits. He is the author of Finding Your Flow and The 3 Secrets of Attentional Leadership, equipping readers with actionable strategies for peak performance.
Holding a doctorate in Human and Organizational Systems and multiple master’s degrees, Dr. Jackson combines research-driven insights with real-world application. Based in Highland, Utah, he continues to shape the future of leadership through education, mentorship, and groundbreaking research.
Wendy Brown serves as the Liaison to the C. Charles Jackson Foundation at the Charlie Life & Leadership Academy, where she plays a pivotal role in advancing leadership skills among young adults. Working closely with the Foundation’s Executive Director, Wendy ensures that the Academy’s programs and initiatives align seamlessly with the Foundation’s mission and strategic priorities.
Her collaborative approach helps bridge the work of both organizations, fostering innovative programs that empower the next generation of influential leaders. Wendy’s dedication to cultivating meaningful opportunities for young adults reflects her unwavering commitment to driving positive change and building strong, impactful communities.
Anthony C. Andenoro, Ph.D., serves as the Chief Strategist for the Charlie Life & Leadership Academy located in Salt Lake City, UT, USA. He is charged with creating strategic vision and initiatives aligning with the mission of building leadership capacity and character to address our world’s most pressing complex problems. His research includes the development of moral decision-making in leadership learners, the role of cognitive diversity and active learning strategies in the development of engagement, positive sentiment, and neuroplasticity within leadership learning environments, and the use of behavioral economics principles to shift attitudes and behaviors in under-resourced communities to address complex problems and create sustainability. He has published more than 75 refereed and invited scholarly works, presented over 100 refereed and invited conference papers, and secured more than $15 million in gift, contract, and grant funding to advance programmatic, teaching, and research initiatives.
Dr. Andenoro earned a BA in Communication from the University of Toledo, an MS in Educational Administration from Texas A&M University, and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Education with an emphasis in Leadership Education from Texas A&M University.
Corina McBride serves as the dynamic Program Director for CLLA. Her expertise in leadership education is carried over from the University of Florida where she managed the Challenge 2050 program and the leadership minor while in school.
She is connected across the country through various entities including Girl Scouts, Guide Dogs Inc, Environmental Organizations and Charter Schools. She has worked in the public education sphere for five years in title 1 schools in the Midwest and New England. She currently works full time as Program Director for a nonprofit in Boston serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
As the Director of Marketing & Communication at Charlie Life & Leadership Academy, Alysa Jackson plays a key role in shaping the CLLA’s voice and expanding its reach. She is dedicated to crafting clear, compelling messaging that connects with diverse audiences and amplifies the impact of Charlie Academy’s leadership programs.
With a strategic and creative approach, Alysa ensures that the mission is effectively communicated across multiple platforms, from digital marketing and content strategy to brand development and community engagement. Her work not only enhances visibility but also strengthens relationships with students, partners, and stakeholders, driving forward the vision of empowering the next generation of leaders.
Meet the Solution Architects
Our Solution Architects are thought and practitioner leaders who bring deep knowledge, strategic insight, and a wealth of leadership experience to their critical work. Through field-level initiatives and as trusted consultants for the Ignite and Impact grants, they provide tailored guidance to help organizations refine their strategies, strengthen leadership, and drive meaningful, sustainable change.
Dr. Kristan Cilente Skendall holds works full-time with the Center for Expanding Leadership & Opportunity, is an Adjunct Lecturer in the SCS Higher Education Program, and hold an affiliate faculty appointment at the University of Maryland in the Student Affairs Concentration. Kristan has been teaching graduate students for 15+ years on course topics including research, assessment, student development theory, and leadership education. She is an accomplished scholar and practitioner, seeking to translate research and impact into practice. With more than 20 years of experience in the higher education sector, Kristan received her B.A. degree in Sociology and History from the College of William & Mary (VA), her M.A. degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Arizona, and her Ph.D. in College Student Personnel at the University of Maryland.
Kristan’s professional career started at Georgetown University where she worked in the Leavey Center with student activities, orientation, and leadership. Kristan’s career has brought her to roles at the University of Maryland, College Park in both academic and student affairs. She has also worked in higher ed-adjacent roles at the U.S. Department of Education in the Institute of Education Sciences and has served in both full-time and volunteer leadership roles with ACPA – College Student Educators International.
Kristan’s research focus is primarily related to college student leadership and service-learning where she has published several articles and book chapters related to college student leadership, multiple identity development, and undergraduate research. Kristan has taught graduate-level courses on research methods, leadership, and student development in addition to undergraduate leadership courses and Gemstone courses. Kristan co-edited the special symposium issue of the Journal of Leadership Studies focused on the National Leadership Education Research Agenda 2020–2025 and co-authored two chapters in the recently released Research Agenda for Learning and Developing Leadership through Higher Education (Komives & Owen, editors) published by Edward Elgar Publishing (EEP).
Dr. Katherine L. Friesen is a dedicated and accomplished educator with a distinguished higher education and leadership development career. Dr. Friesen holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Education with a specialization in Higher Education from Iowa State University, where she also earned a Graduate Certificate in Applied Research in the Human Sciences. Her dissertation, “Exploring the Organizational Emergence of Academic Leadership Programs”, reflects her deep commitment to advancing leadership education. She also possesses a Master of Leadership Studies from Marquette University and a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education with a minor in Leadership Studies from Kansas State University.
Dr. Friesen serves as an Assistant Professor and the M.Ed. Program Coordinator at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). This role and her work with Apogee Leaders, LLC are framed by her extensive experience and expertise, and she is excited to bring her passion for leader and leadership development and interdisciplinary learning to our esteemed faculty. She looks forward to inspiring and guiding academicians, administrators, and students’ academic journeys through her critical work for educational environments.
Previously, Dr. Friesen served as the Director of First Year Experience and an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at William Woods University. In her role, she coordinated and taught a first-year seminar course, developed a curriculum, and oversaw the summer bridge program to support students’ transition from high school to college. She fostered a collaborative, university-wide approach to enhancing the first-year experience, focusing on student retention, success, sense of belonging, and satisfaction.
Dr. Friesen’s professional journey is marked by her dedication to fostering academic excellence and leadership development. Her extensive experience in curriculum development, program coordination, and research has equipped her with a robust skill set to influence and shape the future of higher education. Her commitment to faculty and student success, innovative teaching methods, and interdisciplinary collaboration underscores her role as a leader and educator in the academic community.
Dan Jenkins, Ph.D., is a Professor of Leadership & Organizational Studies at the University of Southern Maine, where he is recognized for his innovative approaches to leadership education. He earned his doctorate in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus on Higher Education Administration from the University of South Florida. A leading scholar in leadership pedagogy, Dan is dedicated to advancing critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and effective teaching practices in leadership studies. His work reflects his ability to adapt leadership education to address emerging trends, including technological advancements like artificial intelligence (AI).
Dan has authored over 50 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on topics including leadership pedagogy, followership, and critical thinking. His seminal study, Leading Critically: A Grounded Theory of Applied Critical Thinking in Leadership Studies, has influenced both educators and practitioners in the field. As co-author of The Role of Leadership Educators: Transforming Learning, Dan has long been a proponent of innovative teaching methodologies that empower students to engage deeply with leadership concepts and applications. His scholarship also emphasizes the critical role of followership in leadership education, bridging theory and practice to advance a holistic understanding of leadership dynamics.
In addition to his pedagogical contributions, Dan has been a thought leader in integrating AI into leadership education. He chaired the International Leadership Association’s (ILA) inaugural AI in Leadership Virtual Summit and has published reflective insights on using AI tools like ChatGPT to enhance learning experiences. He frequently facilitates workshops and webinars, including Unlocking Leadership Potential: A Workshop on Harnessing Generative AI, and presents at conferences to help educators critically and ethically engage with AI in their teaching.
An award-winning international speaker and facilitator, Dan has engaged thousands of leadership educators, students, and professionals worldwide. His engaging presentations blend theory with actionable strategies, offering practical insights into fostering impactful leadership development in diverse contexts.
Dan’s leadership extends beyond teaching and scholarship. He is a past Chair of the ILA’s Leadership Education Member Community, Co-Founder of the Leadership Education Academy, and Vice-Chair of the Collegiate Leadership Competition. Currently, he serves as Co-Lead of the Association of Leadership Educators Teaching & Pedagogy/Andragogy Focus Area Network and Associate Editor of the Journal of Leadership Studies. As co-host of The Leadership Educator Podcast, Dan shares conversations on leadership, followership, and innovation with a global audience, shaping the future of the field.
Dr. Cheyenne Luznyski has been involved in leadership education and development for over 20 years. As a Teaching Associate Professor in Leadership Studies at West Virginia University (WVU) and former affiliate faculty at St. Thomas University (STU), she facilitates leadership learning through complex problem-solving and reflective practices.
Her work focuses on creating cultures where critical thinking, engaging dialogue, and moral imagination thrive. In addition to teaching, she advises the Milan Puskar Leadership Scholars, is a certified Gallup Strengths and International Coaching Federation (ICF) Coach, has led mental health initiatives with Mood Lifters LLC, and actively advocates for equity and fairness issues in West Virginia through WV NOW.
As a former athletics coach and administrator, Dr. Luzynski integrates her experiences and networks to make positive contributions to society. Over 12 years of coaching, she has worked with thousands of athletes in volleyball, track and field, and basketball, while also impacting countless students in 10 years of teaching in higher education. Viewing education as a mission, she has combined leadership and sports as a vehicle for positive social change. This was exemplified in a 2019 U.S. State Department Sport Diplomacy grant, which combined soccer and leadership development to empower women. In 2021 and 2022, Dr. Luzynski led two groups of intercollegiate student-athletes through a 15-week mental health program sponsored by the Athlete Brain Health Foundation and Mood Lifters.
Her personal and professional spirit is energized by empowering students and historically affected groups. This includes advocating for the passage of the CROWN Act in West Virginia, guiding women in coaching and strengths-based leadership training, standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, mentoring Ph.D. candidates through the dissertation process, and publishing on activism in Appalachia. This summary reflects Dr. Luzynski’s skills, passions, and talents for leadership, followership, and fostering positive change in diverse contexts.
Nick Martinez, M.S., serves as the Associate Director of Leadership & Competency Development at the University of Tampa (UTampa). He has a bachelor’s (Political Science) and master’s degree (Agricultural Education & Communication) from the University of Florida. His graduate research examined how the Social Change Model can inform and strengthen leadership development programs in higher education. He is currently a doctoral student at the University of South Florida (Curriculum and Instruction), with a concentration in higher education administration. Through his doctoral program, he has begun to explore the development of qualitative research frameworks and how institutions of higher education can use these methodologies to assess their programs.
Nick has a background in studying the development of leadership education programs at institutions of higher education, at all levels: majors, minors, and co-curricular programs. His research is primarily focused in two areas: a) understanding and measuring student growth through leadership development, first year experience programs, and other co-curricular programs, and b) the development of qualitative assessment tools and frameworks that can be used to assess programs across higher education. Currently, Nick and his colleagues are developing a framework for a peer-mentor leadership model that focuses on allowing students to build strong, healthy, and sustainable peer relationships, all while building the students’ leadership capacity. This research is focused on building a framework that can be modeled and used across higher education in a variety of programs, departments, and institutions.
Through his work at the UTampa, Nick oversees multiple leadership programs, such as the President’s Leadership Fellows and Discover UTampa, that seek to enrich UTampa students in the Spartan Ready® competencies. Additionally, he is assisting in the development of a leadership framework for use across programs, departments, and colleges. This framework will not only inform how staff and faculty build programs, model their classrooms, and promote experiential learning, but how students perceive leadership on and off campus, and in their lives. As students participate in programs enriched in this leadership framework, they will be able to identify the growth of their leadership understanding and capacity and can leave UTampa as stewards of creating positive social change in our world.
Dr. David Rosch currently serves as an Associate Professor in the Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. There, he teaches courses on leadership theory and management, as well as adult training and development, and conducts research on the impact of leadership training initiatives. During his time on the faculty at Illinois, he has been named to the university’s list of “Instructors Ranked as Excellent” each semester.
Prior to his work on the faculty, he served in several roles in co-curricular student leadership and residence life at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Syracuse University.
Dr. Rosch currently serves as the incoming Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Leadership Education. In the past, he has been the Editor of the Journal of Campus Activities Practice and Scholarship and served on the Editorial Managing Boards of the Journal of Leadership Education and Journal of Student Leadership. Additionally, Dr. Rosch was the Senior Research Fellow for the Collegiate Leadership Competition for several years after serving in a similar role with LeaderShape, Inc. He is the author of the book, “Introduction to Research in Leadership” and the central editor of the book, “Moving the Needle: What We Know (and Don’t Know) About Developing Leaders.” In addition, he has published several book chapters and scholarly articles in journals such as the Journal of College Student Development dedicated to describing best practices and models for student leadership development programs in higher education.
Dr. Rosch has long been active in professional societies and organizations dedicated to the study and practice of leadership. He has served as Chair of the Leadership Scholarship Member Interest Group in the International Leadership Association, the co-coordinator of the National Leadership Symposium, and as a founding faculty member for the Leadership Educators Academy. He has also been a regular contributor to the LEAD365 national student leadership conference. In 2016, Dr. Rosch was awarded the inaugural Distinguished Scholar Award from the Association of Leadership Educators.
Dave earned a PhD in Higher Postsecondary Education from Syracuse University, an MS in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Colorado State University, and a BS in Psychology from Binghamton University (NY)