Dr. Santarvis N. Brown: Top 5 Most Inspiring Leaders in Education, 2024 | CIO Views Magazine

www.cioviews.com

Editor’s Views Illuminating Educational Leadership

In the realm of educational leadership, there exists a cadre of inspiring figures who exemplify unwavering dedication, innovative thinking, and a profound commitment to shaping the minds of tomorrow. These leaders champion transformative initiatives, fostering inclusive learning environments and empowering students to reach their full potential. With visionary zeal, they navigate the complexities of education, spearheading initiatives that promote equity, diversity, and academic excellence. Their tireless efforts and progressive strategies serve as guiding lights, illuminating the path towards a brighter future for learners worldwide. As they continue to innovate and inspire, these educational leaders leave an indelible mark on the landscape of education, driving positive change and shaping the future of learning. Through their visionary leadership, they instill hope, ignite passion, and cultivate a generation of lifelong learners prepared to tackle the challenges of tomorrow. Their unwavering commitment to educational excellence serves as a beacon of inspiration for educators and leaders alike, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation in the pursuit of educational equity and excellence.

At CIO Views, we honor these empowering leaders by dedicating this issue titled, “Top 5 Most Inspiring Leaders in Education, 2024,” to them. Featuring as the cover story we have covered the successful journey of Dr. Santarvis N. Brown, Department Chair, Graduate Business at Excelsior University. We have also included the inspiring stories of Peter Goetz, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Western Atlantic University School of Medicine; Jennifer Jordan, EdD- Assistant Dean of Medical Education – all programs – Davie and TBR campuses at Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine; Dr. Mary Landon Darden, President of Higher Education Innovation, LLC; and Keedar Whittle, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Educators Now LLC.

CIO Views is a business magazine that mainly focuses on business leaders, their journey, views on current economic states and all other relevant subjects that refer to the business world. Our goal is to be a leading source of information dedicated to providing our readers detailed perspectives and views of successful business leaders that are transforming the business outlook and redefining their goals. With exclusive editions on various industries like software, education, healthcare, technology, real estate and many more, CIO views is driven to promote excellence in the world of business. Happy

10.

Dr. Santarvis N. Brown

Laura Elizondo 20.

Cedric B. Howard 24.

Dr. Mary Landon Darden 30.

Mike Mathews 36.

DR. SANTARVIS N. BROWN

Impacting and Influencing Positive Social Change for Greater Good

Department Chair, Graduate Business, Excelsior University

Dr. Santarvis N. Brown,

Department Chair at the Graduate School of Business, Excelsior University, stands as a shining example of how an educator can change the lives of students. Throughout his career, he has influenced the next generation, positively impacting the life of every student he has come into contact with. His ultimate goal is to continue to be in a place and position where he can continue to impact and influence positive social change for the greater good.

In his career spanning over 20 years, Santarvis has received numerous prestigious awards in the education space. In 2021, he was honored as one of the top 100 global leaders in the field of education, and in 2023, the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) bestowed him with the “Educator of the Year” award, recognizing his outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry. The recognition that he values the most is not an official award, but it came from one of his students. In 2023, a former student reached out to Santarvis, asking him to write her a letter of recommendation for an administrative position. “In the bottom of her email, she wrote, 'I would not be a teacher today if it wasn't for you',” Santarvis shares. Her words mean the most to him, and they also highlight his passion for making a difference in the lives of his students.

Lasting Imprint and Impact

Santarvis holds a doctorate in educational administration, and a Juris Doctorate. His journey as an educator began as a middle

school teacher in 2003. “Since that time, I have been privileged to serve in various leadership positions in the education space,” he says. “All have been fueled by my desire to make an impact and imprint.”

One sometimes does not measure success realistically in today's world, according to Santarvis. For him, success is leaving a lasting imprint and impact on the world. He wakes up every morning with the desire to leave the world and its people better than he found them. He strives to do that through his faith, service, unwavering commitment to education, and vision-driven leadership.

Santarvis has positively influenced countless students. He says that he can observe success every time he runs into his former students as he sees them shining and thriving. Some of his former students now work as teachers and administrators in the K-12 space. “I even had the honor of being next door to a former student as we both taught on the collegiate level,” Santarvis shares. “He even let me

borrow a dry erase board marker.”

Challenges Define One's Character

Santarvis believes that challenges not only make one stronger but also help define one's character. This belief stems from his own experience. “As I look back over my journey, I would take away none of the challenges that I have had,” he says. “They helped make me into the man that I am today.” A major roadblock that taught him the value of perseverance occurred even before his career began, during his undergraduate years.

Santarvis reveals that he has historically struggled with math, a subject that has always brought him anxiety. When he was at Florida Memorial University, he took a developmental math class. He excelled in his homework assignments, scoring an A on every assignment, but his tests were a different story. “I would always fail the test due to my anxiety,” Santarvis says. But he still would always go whenever there was a need for someone to go to the board to solve a problem. He would do this

“Over the years, I have also found the value of selfcare and learning the importance of setting boundaries”.

despite knowing that his answer would be wrong.

Santarvis recalls one day, his professor, Dr. Huston Usry – who helped him become the educator he is today – saying, “something has to be said for the man who goes to the board with a wrong answer.” He would go to the professor's office every day for help, so much that it became a routine. He even tried to go after the final exam, and his professor told him, “Brown it is all right, let it go.”

“I ended up with a B in the class, and it bothered me the entire break,” Santarvis remembers. So, the next semester, he asked his professor if he made a mistake on his grade. He said, “No,” and told him that he respected him for coming to the board, knowing that his answer was wrong. He further said, “Always remember you will never master everything in life, but the only time you fail is when you don't try.” Santarvis has kept that philosophy when dealing with his students at all levels.

“This example showed me the value of a motivating educator who literally can change the lives of every student you come into contact with,” he says.

Speak the Right Language

Santarvis fears that leaders sometimes don't do enough to make an influential impact on the next generation of leaders. It frustrates him when he hears that the next generation is not open to mentoring and development.

“I think we just have to make sure we are speaking the right language,” “As I reflect upon the he says. mentors and influential people who left a major impact on my life, they did so by meeting me where I was and helping me realize I could do and be more.”

Work-Life Balance

Santarvis is one of those leaders who does not struggle to maintain a work-life balance. He finds it easy to find a balance because he is working and operating in a field where he can be driven by his passion and purpose.

“Over the years, I have also found the value of selfcare and learning the importance of setting boundaries,” he says. “It is impossible to pour into others from an empty pitcher.”

Message to Aspiring Leaders

In his message to aspiring leaders in the education industry, Santarvis tells them to move from an aspiring educational leader to an inspiring educational leader. He also advises them to “never give up” and “never think your efforts are in vain. “It may take you some time to see the results of the seeds you sow,” he says. To stress his point, he quotes his favorite scripture, “Now, therefore, my beloved, be ye steadfast, unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord, for your labor is not in vain.”

LAURA ELIZONDO

Creating A Valuable and Groundbreaking Change

In The Latin American Education System through Lexium

CEDRIC B. HOWARD

A Transformational Motivator & Leader Prioritizing Student Achievement in Higher Education

Educational leaders have a significant impact on the atmosphere, attitude, and reputation of their institutions. They are the foundation upon which learning communities operate and flourish.

Schools that have strong leadership become effective learning incubators, places where students are not only educated but also challenged, fostered and encouraged. Poor or absent school leadership, on the other hand, might jeopardize an educational system's aims. When schools lack a solid foundation and clear direction, learning suffers and kids suffer.

Effective school leaders foster inclusive, compassionate, and culturally sensitive school communities by establishing and

maintaining reciprocal family and community connections.

To construct these community networks, school leaders must be present in their schools and communities, build trust, and foster a feeling of openness and shared purpose among parents, employees, community members, and students.

An experienced administrator in the field of higher education

Dr. Cedric B. Howard has more than 25 years of experience in higher education, with the majority of that time spent in senior administrative roles, as vice president and vicechancellor of Enrollment and Student Services and dean of Student Affairs, where he helped to prioritize student achievement while delivering measurable results.

He has a bachelor's degree in Psychology, a master's degree in Educational Administration, and two doctorates, one in Educational Leadership and Management and one in Christian Counselling.

Dr. Howard's professional journey began when he was finishing up his master's degree at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga, where he served as the Coordinator of Student Support Programs (a national TRIO program).

Prior to joining the University of Northern Colorado, Dr. Howard oversaw the completion of a 25-year campus life master facilities plan in six academic years. He is an experienced administrator with a background in program creation, strategic planning, accreditation, and undergraduate and graduate teaching.

of Northern Colorado

Vice President for Student Affairs & Enrolment Services, University

DR. MARY LANDON DARDEN

Pioneering Higher Education Futurist Shaping the Future of Academia

Dr. Mary Landon Darden, a renowned higher education futurist, author, and leadership expert, is the Founder and President of Higher Education Innovation LLC, established in 2015. With the mission to "transform higher education," HEI has been at the forefront of innovative initiatives.

With a keen focus on entrepreneurship and revenue stream development, she has been instrumental in guiding colleges and universities towards transformative change. Dr. Darden's expertise is widely recognized, evident in her two books, Beyond 2020: Envisioning the Future of Higher Education in America (2009) and Entrepreneuring the Future of Higher Education: Radical Transformation in Times of Profound Change (2021) – Winner of the 2021 American Bookfest

Award (education/scholarly). Both books are co-published with the prestigious American Council on Education and Rowman and Littlefield.

Beyond her impressive professional accomplishments, Dr. Darden is also an advocate for social justice. Her outstanding efforts in mobilizing churches in Central Texas to address the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina garnered national recognition. As she continues to lead an executive coaching team at HEI, Dr. Darden remains at the forefront of shaping the future of higher education, inspiring others to embrace innovation and drive positive change.

From Early Leadership to Academic Achievement

Dr. Darden recalls that her career truly commenced at the age of three

when she would independently ride the Chicago city bus to and from nursery school. One memorable day, she arrived home with a note pinned to her shirt from the principal, stating, "Mary is doing very well in school, but you need to explain to her that she cannot run the school." This anecdote never fails to elicit uproarious laughter from those who know her. It seems that even at a very young age, she not only embraced leadership roles but perhaps even commandeered them. Over time, she learned to temper her assertiveness and complement it with humility.

As her father's job involved frequent transfers, Dr. Darden experienced numerous relocations throughout her lifetime. Eventually, her father settled into work in New York City, and she spent her formative years growing up in the Connecticut suburbs. She received an

CREATING A ECOSYSTEM SMART-CAMPUS

Winner-Takes-All When Students are at the Center of Campus Design

-Michael L. Mathews

Students around the world deserve world-class innovation versus software and services that merely help institutes compete-against-oneanother.

Organizations like Amazon began their journey to success without the intention of trying to compete or replicate the largest retailer, largest tech company, or largest e-commerce companies. Rather, they endeavored to meet the needs of busy consumers with stellar 'prime' customer service. To keep the customer at the center of their business model,

they excel at innovative approaches across multidisciplines. Their passion for innovating at the appropriate micro-level across all technologies and deliverables allowed them to be the macrowinner of a world-class businessto-consumer ecosystem. In essence, Amazon designed a smart-ecosystems across multiple disciplines. They re-invented the same technologies that were used by the original vendors in their industries. They created a smartdesign with the customer at the center.

In many ways, this smart-design across multiple disciplines allowed 'Amazon and Jeff Bezos' to appear as 'winnertakes-all.' Jeff Bezos has bumped Bill Gates from the top Billionaire spot and named as the first person to amass $100 Billion in net worth. Granted, money is not the real measurement -but add in the number of satisfied and repeat customers (350 million and climbing) and Amazon is well on its way to a Winner-Take-All pattern of success.

In the area of education transformation using campus technology, smartdesigns are playing out the same way. The educational organizations who are

learning to glean, implement and deploy the 'cream' of all technology innovation at minimal risk, and moderate cost – have the greatest chance at being the 'winner-takes-all' in both campus technology and student success. Gone are the days that educational institutes can invest 100% into every individual technology. However, a campus that begins to integrate the best pieces of technology and innovation to directly impact students will receive the greatest value on investment.

As a technologist who strives to create seamless and integrated solutions, I realize that every minute I reduce

faculty and students from logging into multiple technologies, is a minute I add to their personal student-to-faculty engagement. This attitude with alongside all other leaders at Oral Roberts University (ORU) has helped ORU to be ranked in the top-5 universities in student engagement. Allowing seamless technology to accompany superior Faculty and services gives students the best experience. As Amazon calls their customers 'prime customers', ORU treats all students like 'prime students.'

A campus who can create a 'smartcampus' design from wearables, Wi-Fi, Augmented and Virtual Reality, CRM,

a p t u r i n g t h e

SUCCESS JOURNEYS OF BUSINESS LEADERS

Read some awesome inspiring insights from the experts of the business world!