About

I believe most academic leaders are trained to be heroes, the person who absorbs every decision, solves every crisis, and holds the institution together by sheer will. That model doesn't scale, and it burns people out, including the leaders themselves. My work is about building the systems that let leaders step back from the center without the institution falling apart.

I currently serve as Dean of the School of the Arts at Samford University, where I lead five divisions: Music, Theatre and Dance, Art and Design, Architecture and Interior Design, and Christian Ministry. Under my leadership the school has grown its enrollment, its donor relationships, and its academic programs, and I've built the same systems-first approach into how the school operates day to day.

I hold a DMA in Music Education from Boston University and a BM and MM in Guitar Performance from Texas Christian University. I'm the author of The Capo Chord Book (Mel Bay Publications), and I'm currently writing my first book, exploring the seven systems every academic leader needs to build a sustainable, growing institution.

I write and speak about what I'm learning along the way, because the leaders coming up behind me shouldn't have to learn it the hard way I did. If you're building something in academic leadership, arts education, or institutional strategy, I'd like to hear from you.