Executive Development Series for Deans

Deans Annual Meeting

Executive Development Series for Deans

March 12-13, 2027

Save your seat early! Limited spots available.

This 1.5-day pre-conference session, connected to AACN’s Deans Annual Meeting, is designed for leaders in higher education to gain high-level leadership and management skills. The Executive Development Series (EDS) for Deans program will be delivered by the nationally recognized leadership development provider, Center for Creative Leadership (CCL).

More program details coming soon.

Conference Venue

The Fairmont, Washington, DC
2401 M Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037

See Hotel & Travel page for details.

Who Can Attend

The Executive Development Series for Deans is a member-only event exclusive to the primary dean/director of AACN member schools of nursing.

Agenda

March 12

12:00–5:00 p.m.	Better Conversations Everyday: Fostering Meaningful Partnerships This dynamic coaching and conversation skills program is designed for individual leaders seeking to enhance their effectiveness in today's turbulent higher education environment. By targeting four essential behaviors, participants learn to address real workplace challenges while cultivating trust, psychological safety, collaboration, resilience, and emotional intelligence. The curriculum emphasizes the power of meaningful conversations, equipping academic nursing leaders with practical strategies to foster strong partnerships and guide their teams toward greater success. Ultimately, this training empowers leaders to navigate complex situations and build supportive, high-performing teams through improved communication. Facilitators: Susan Reinecke, EdM, Senior Faculty, Societal Impact and Preston Yarborough, PhD, Senior Faculty, Societal Impact Education Practice

March 13

9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.	Better Conversations Everyday: Fostering Meaningful Partnerships This dynamic coaching and conversation skills program is designed for individual leaders seeking to enhance their effectiveness in today's turbulent higher education environment. By targeting four essential behaviors, participants learn to address real workplace challenges while cultivating trust, psychological safety, collaboration, resilience, and emotional intelligence. The curriculum emphasizes the power of meaningful conversations, equipping academic nursing leaders with practical strategies to foster strong partnerships and guide their teams toward greater success. Ultimately, this training empowers leaders to navigate complex situations and build supportive, high-performing teams through improved communication. Facilitators: Susan Reinecke, EdM, Senior Faculty, Societal Impact and Preston Yarborough, PhD, Senior Faculty, Societal Impact Education Practice

Speakers

Susan Reinecke

Senior Faculty
Societal Impact

Susan Reinecke, EdM, MFA, currently serves as Senior Faculty in the Societal Impact group. Susan designs and delivers custom leadership solutions that include both short term experiences and systemic initiatives. Her CCL experience has partnered her with numerous clients including North Carolina State University, Colorado Health Foundation, Surry County Educational District, and the Margaret Waddington Vermont Principals…

Susan Reinecke, EdM, MFA, currently serves as Senior Faculty in the Societal Impact group. Susan designs and delivers custom leadership solutions that include both short term experiences and systemic initiatives. Her CCL experience has partnered her with numerous clients including North Carolina State University, Colorado Health Foundation, Surry County Educational District, and the Margaret Waddington Vermont Principals Initiative.

With over twenty-five years in the field of education, Susan has worked in and with private and public colleges and universities and non-profit organizations across the US. She strongly believes that leadership is both a science and an art form; a continued process that requires creativity, curiosity, a sense of adventure, and a true appreciation of the diverse needs of learners.
Dr. Preston Yarborough

Senior Faculty
Societal Impact Education Practice

Preston Yarborough, PhD, currently serves as Senior Faculty in the Education Practice in CCL’s Societal Impact group. His primary responsibilities focus on the design and delivery of leadership solutions for senior leadership teams and for educational administrators, as well as faculty and staff. His current areas of emphasis include boundary-spanning leadership, leading across differences, change leadership, and polarit…

Preston Yarborough, PhD, currently serves as Senior Faculty in the Education Practice in CCL’s Societal Impact group. His primary responsibilities focus on the design and delivery of leadership solutions for senior leadership teams and for educational administrators, as well as faculty and staff. His current areas of emphasis include boundary-spanning leadership, leading across differences, change leadership, and polarity thinking. Preston brings over 25 years of educational leadership experience to CCL and its Education Practice.

Registration Fee

Executive Development Series for Deans	Early Ends Feb 14	Standard Starts Feb 15
Dean/Director	$699	$799

No substitutions are allowed for the Deans Annual Meeting and the EDS for Deans.
Your cancellation request must be received in writing and confirmed by AACN; otherwise, it cannot be honored. The following refund arrangements will then apply:
Cancellation requests received by March 1, 2027, will be refunded minus a $150 non-refundable administrative fee.
No refunds will be given after March 1, 2027 nor will refunds be given for no-shows.
No-show registrations with an open balance will be charged a $150 non-refundable administrative fee after the event.
Your cancellation request must be submitted in writing to conferences@aacnnursing.org and confirmed by AACN.

Please note: AACN will issue refunds within a 2-week time period of receipt of written cancellation notice.

Event Cancellation by AACN

AACN reserves the right to modify, postpone/reschedule or cancel this conference and any related group activity for any circumstance beyond AACN's control, including but not limited to emergency, acts of God, government regulations, disaster, strike, and non-fulfilment of minimum group requirements. If AACN cancels an event, every attempt will be made to reschedule or provide a modified virtual offering, and registration fees will be applied to the rescheduled/virtual event. If a cancelled event cannot be rescheduled, AACN will issue a full refund of the registration fee(s). Any travel, lodging, or incidental expenses incurred related to a cancelled/postponed event cannot be refunded under any circumstances as AACN resumes no responsibility for such expenses.

Pre-Conference Experience