The President’s Leadership Institute celebrated twenty-five faculty and staff in an April 30 cohort graduation ceremony at the Nieri Family Alumni and Visitors Center.
Since August 2025, the cohort has met once a month for an all-day session and meetings have been hosted at various locations across Clemson, Greenville, Charleston and Columbia.
Keynote Address – Deb Conklin ‘92
Deb Conklin ’92 delivered an inspiring keynote address, sharing leadership lessons from her successful career at the helm of several companies. She touched on the importance of self-awareness and emotional intelligence, consistency of behavior and decision-making, humility, the ability to lead others and clarity in communication and vision.
Conklin, the president and chief executive officer of KeHE, Inc., serves as the chair of board of directors for the Clemson Alumni Association as well as serving on the IPTAY board of directors. Conklin is also a ONE Clemson Cornerstone Partner and has provided sustained support for the Clemson Ring Ceremony, Clemson Athletics and scholarship access.
PLI, now in its tenth year, has graduated more than 200 Clemson faculty and staff through the program. Several alumni of “Cohort 10.0” reflected on the experience at the luncheon.
“This year in PLI has meant so much to me,” said Melinda Fischer, director of pre-award for the College of Education. “Having a dedicated day each month to step away from my usual routines and connect with people I likely never would have met helped me grow in ways I didn’t expect. Hearing their stories made leadership feel more human to me and reminded me how much our values shape the way we lead and show up for others.”
“No matter what we do, what industry we go into, it’s the people that make the difference,” said Dhaval Gajjar, Wilbur O. “Billy” and Ann Powers Distinguished Associate Professor and director of the Center for Roofing Innovation and Leadership. “Not just at the leadership level, but as a cohort, I’ve been able to meet some amazing people that do such good work for our university. One of the best things I got out of PLI was building those relationships with like-minded people who want to make a difference, who want to make an impact for the university and for the community.”
President’s Leadership Institute 10.0 Graduates:
- Paula Agudelo, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research, CAFLS
- Jon Allen, Senior Associate Athletics Director, Athletics
- Rachel Anderson, Ph.D., Director of Peer Learning Support Programs, ASC
- Danielle Arrington, Director of Operations, Office of the Executive Secretary, Board of Trustees
- Jarrod Bruder, Assistant Vice President of Governmental Affairs
- Matthew Burns, Ph.D., Associate Director, Clemson Cooperative Extension
- Pam Davis, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives and Interim Assistant VP for Student Engagement, Student Affairs
- Laura Eicher, Ph.D., Director of Teacher Residency and Strategic Initiatives, College of Education
- Melinda Fischer, Grants Administrator, Manager, Office of Research Services
- Zack Flathmann, Director of Business Intelligence, Finance and Operations
- Dhaval Gajjar, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Roofing Innovation and Leadership
- Alyssa Gamaldo-Roddy, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Psychology
- Jesse Godfrey, Executive Creative Director, Marketing and Communications
- Chris Hibbs, Associate VP of Network Services, CCIT
- Nikki Hood, Associate Director of Academic Operations, Provost and Academic Affairs
- Anjali Joseph, Ph.D., Spartanburg Regional Health System Endowed Chair in Architecture + Health Design
- Jessica Larsen, Ph.D., Carol and John Cromer ’63 Family Endowed Associate Professor, CECAS
- Christopher McMahan, Ph.D., Associate Director for Graduate Studies, College of Science
- Jordan Perkins, Executive Director, Corporate and Foundation Relations
- Renee Roux, Senior Associate General Counsel, Office of General Counsel
- Alison Starr-Moss, Ph.D., Principal Lecturer, Department of Genetics and Biochemistry
- Celena Stoner, Director of Business Operations and Faculty Affairs, CECAS
- Chris Vinson, Head of Digital Strategies, Clemson Libraries
- Reed Watson, Director of the Hayek Center for the Business of Prosperity, Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business
- Joel Williams, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, CBSHS
