UPCEA Regions: Connecting You Locally and Beyond
UPCEA’s five regions are dedicated to expanding access and fostering meaningful connections among members, both within and across geographic boundaries. Each region offers opportunities to explore local and regional issues, spark collaboration, and build relationships with nearby colleagues through annual virtual salons. Members can also connect through informal coffee chats and in-person gatherings at the Annual Conference — all designed to foster learning, networking, and community.
Your UPCEA region is determined when your organization becomes and UPCEA member, and is based on the location of your main campus office—even if your team operates remotely across the globe.
Each region hosts a free, half-day virtual salon annually, offering members timely insights and peer connections. Visit our events page to learn more about upcoming regional salons.
New in 2025: The UPCEA Regional Awards celebrate outstanding and innovative programming that makes a measurable impact at the regional level. Learn more about our Awards Programs here.
2025 - 2026
Central
United States: CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OK, OH, SD, WI
Canada: SK, MB, NU
Fritz Vandover
CHAIR
University of Minnesota
vandover@umn.edu
Shannon Owen
CHAIR-ELECT
Grand Valley State University
shannon.owen@gvsu.edu
Mitchell Farmer
PAST CHAIR
Purdue University
mgfarmer@purdue.edu
Alissa Oleck
AWARDS CHAIR
University of Wisconsin
alissa.oleck@wisc.edu
Chelsea McNeely
MEMBERSHIP CHAIR
Southeast Missouri State University
ccaile@semo.edu
Kevin Shriner
NETWORKING CO-CHAIR
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
kshriner2@unl.edu
Alicia Jenner
PROGRAMMING CO-CHAIR
Michigan State University
jennera1@msu.edu
Randall Fullington
NETWORKING CO-CHAIR
University of Colorado Boulder
randall.fullington@colorado.edu
Ross Jahnke
PROGRAMMING, CO-CHAIR
University of Minnesota
rjahnke@umn.edu
Barbara Kopp Miller
MEMBER AT-LARGE
University of Toledo
barbara.koppmiller@utoledo.edu
Carrie Sliwinski
MEMBER AT-LARGE
Oakland University
csliwinski@oakland.edu
Christine Knaggs
MEMBER AT-LARGE
Eastern Michigan University
cknaggs@emich.edu
Jerry Rhead
VICE CHAIR, AT-LARGE
Michigan State University
rhead@msu.edu
John Fons
MEMBER AT-LARGE
University of Wisconsin, Madison
john.fons@wisc.edu
Margaret McCarthy
MEMBER AT-LARGE
Northwestern University
m-mccarthy@northwestern.edu
Owen Burritt
MEMBER AT-LARGE
Noodle
oburritt@noodle.com
Reyna Warren
MEMBER AT-LARGE
University of Central Missouri
rwarren@ucmo.edu
Ted Ward
MEMBER AT-LARGE
Emeritus Member
tward@shaferleadership.com
VACANT
COMMUNICATIONS CHAIR
Interested in getting involved as a volunteer leader with UPCEA? Fill out this form and let us know!
Mid-Atlantic
Nicole Westrick
CHAIR
Morgan State University
nicole.westrick@morgan.edu
Susan Leighton
CHAIR-ELECT
Villanova University
susan.leighton@villanova.edu
Nichole Henry
PAST CHAIR
Syracuse University
nkhenry@syr.edu
Maria Borte
COMMUNICATIONS CHAIR
Syracuse University
mcborte@syr.edu
Valerie Pearson
NETWORKING CHAIR
Mount St. Mary’s University
v.e.pearson@msmary.edu
Anna Gedrich
MEMBERSHIP CHAIR
Mercy University
agedrich@mercy.edu
Tracy Montoro
PROGRAMMING CHAIR
Shippensburg University
TLMontoro@ship.edu
Jo Ann Durdan
MEMBER AT-LARGE
Penn State University
jxe139@psu.edu
Katrina McIntosh
MEMBER AT-LARGE
Western University, Ontario
katrina.mcintosh@uwo.ca
Rick Beno
MEMBER AT-LARGE
Wilmington University
rick.s.beno@wilmu.edu
Mary Bustamante
MEMBER AT-LARGE
University of Pennsylvania
mbusta01@sas.upenn.edu
Kris Rabberman
MEMBER AT-LARGE
University of Pennsylvania
rabberma@sas.upenn.edu
VACANT
AWARDS CHAIR
Interested in getting involved as a volunteer leader with UPCEA? Fill out this form and let us know!
United States: DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, WV
Canada: ON
New England
United States: CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT
Canada: QC, LB, NF, PE, NS, NB
Charles McGinnis
CHAIR
Goodwin University
CMcGinnis@goodwin.edu
Bianca Nicolosi
CHAIR-ELECT
University of New Hampshire
Bianca.Nicolosi@unh.edu
Craig Lundsten
CHAIR
Excelsior University
clundsten@excelsior.edu
Marybeth Piazza
AWARDS CO-CHAIR
University of Massachusetts, Lowell
marybeth_piazza@uml.edu
Amy Feest
AWARDS CO-CHAIR
Southern Connecticut State University
feesta1@southernct.edu
Michael Jones
MEMBERSHIP CHAIR
University of Connecticut
mljones@uconn.edu
Kristin Marengo
NETWORKING CHAIR
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
kmarengo@wpi.edu
Adrianna Lamparelli
COMMUNICATIONS CHAIR
University of New Hampshire
adrianna.lamparelli@unh.edu
VACANT
PROGRAMMING CHAIR
Interested in getting involved as a volunteer leader with UPCEA? Fill out this form and let us know!
Elena Arranz Alonso
MEMBER AT-LARGE
Framingham State University
earranzalonso@framingham.edu
Nicole Barone
MEMBER AT-LARGE
Harvard University
nicole_barone@gse.harvard.edu
Amanda Hafford
MEMBER AT-LARGE
University of Maine
amanda.hafford@maine.edu
Marilyn Cleary
MEMBER AT-LARGE
Framingham State University
mcleary5@framingham.edu
Paul Cochrane
MEMBER AT-LARGE
University of Southern Maine
paul.cochrane@maine.edu
Matt DiPirro
MEMBER AT-LARGE
Southern New Hampshire University
m.dipirro@snhu.edu
Silke Scholz
MEMBER AT-LARGE
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
sscholz@wpi.edu
Nancy Taylor
MEMBER AT-LARGE
Charter Oak State College
nataylor@charteroak.edu
Cynthia Merrill
MEMBER AT-LARGE
Western Governors University
cynthia.merrill@wgu.edu
South
Amy King
CHAIR
College of William & Mary
amking03@wm.edu
Carolyn Callaghan
CHAIR-ELECT
Western Carolina University
ccallaghan@wcu.edu
Susan Seal
PAST CHAIR
Mississippi State University
susan.seal@msstate.edu
Jennifer Ferrara
AWARDS CHAIR
Texas A&M University
jferrara@tamu.edu
Elaine Reeder
COMMUNICATIONS CHAIR
Virginia Commonwealth University
ereeder@vcu.edu
Sandra Watts
MEMBERSHIP CHAIR
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
sandrawatts@charlotte.edu
Christina Ring-Hillard
NETWORKING CHAIR
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
ringhilc@erau.edu
Brent McLemore
PROGRAMMING CHAIR
Stephen F. Austin State University
brent.mclemore@sfasu.edu
Bobbi Jo Carter
MEMBER AT-LARGE
East Carolina University
carterbo22@ecu.edu
Brian Crose
MEMBER AT-LARGE
University of Southern Indiana
bdcrose@usi.edu
Hilary Brannon
MEMBER AT-LARGE
University of South Carolina
dyerh@mailbox.sc.edu
Jonathan Schramm
MEMBER AT-LARGE
University of Tennessee
jschram2@utk.edu
United States: AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, PR, SC, TN, TX, VA
West
United States: AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, WY
Canada: AB, BC, NT, YT
Tracy Kurzy
CHAIR
Cori Benz
CHAIR-ELECT
Oregon State University
cori.benz@oregonstate.edu
Marjaneh Gilpatrick
PAST CHAIR
Northern Arizona University
marjaneh.gilpatrick@nau.edu
Odette Arman
AWARDS CHAIR
California State University, Northridge
odette.arman@csun.edu
Inez Bush
COMMUNICATIONS CHAIR
California State University, Dominguez Hills
ibush@csudh.edu
Rita Stanziale
MEMBERSHIP CHAIR
University of Phoenix
Rita.Stanziale@phoenix.edu
Christina Chavez
NETWORKING/NEWCOMERS CHAIR
California State University, Sacramento
christina.m.chavez@csus.edu
Kate White
PROGRAMMING CHAIR
California State University, East Bay
kate.white@csueastbay.edu
Aimee DiBrenza
MEMBER AT-LARGE
Southern Utah University
aimeedibrienza@suu.edu
Amanda DeBlauw
MEMBER AT-LARGE
Southern Utah University
amandadeblauw@suu.edu
Jovitha Franklin
MEMBER AT-LARGE
California State University, Northridge
jovitha.franklin@csun.edu
Zoraya Gudelman
MEMBER AT-LARGE
California State University, Dominguez Hills
zgudelman@csudh.edu
Amber Ford
MEMBER AT-LARGE
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
amber.foster@unlv.edu
Lisa Berry
MEMBER AT-LARGE
Boise State University
lisaberry@boisestate.edu
Ewa Wasniewski
MEMBER AT-LARGE
University of Calgary
Ewa.Wasniewski@ucalgary.ca
Ana Nikolai
MEMBER AT-LARGE
California State University, Chico
anikolai@csuchico.edu
Casey Rothenberger
MEMBER AT-LARGE
San Diego State University
crothenb@sdsu.edu
Matt Freeman
MEMBER AT-LARGE
Idaho State University
mattfreeman@isu.edu
Krissyvan Truong
MEMBER AT-LARGE
University of California, Irvine
krissyvt@uci.edu
Jennifer Kelly
MEMBER AT-LARGE
University of Hawaii
jkelly9@hawaii.edu
Jenn Pedersen
MEMBER AT-LARGE
University of Alaska Fairbanks
jpedersen@alaska.edu
Get Involved with UPCEA
Professional development isn't just about attending sessions. Get involved with UPCEA to meet members from other institutions, share the great work your institution is doing, and hone your own skills. From submitting a session proposal for a conference or an article for a publication to serving as a volunteer on a conference planning committee, there are as many ways to engage with us!
