Enrollment Leaders: Time to Build Your Skills This Summer 

The RNL National Conference is the premier event for higher education professionals to attend each summer, to connect with colleagues, to learn the latest trends in enrollment management and student success, and also to hear from nationally recognized keynote speakers. Over two and a half days, attendees will have the opportunity to learn from experts in our field and connect with other higher education professionals to bring home the very best ideas for their campus to be successful in the year ahead.

This year, RNL is adding a pre-conference event to assist you with expanding your leadership skills and to consider how to best care for yourself and your team. This is such an important topic in the work world today where the pressure to be successful is high, the demands on our time are constant and our teams are looking to us to not only lead them but also to care about their well-being and mental health.How can we best do this when we may already be stretched to our own limits?

Well, I believe the first step in leadership is to make the time to care for ourselves and to intentionally develop our skills in this area.

So, I invite you to join us a day early in Nashville on Monday, July 24^th for the first ever, Developing and Building Leadership Skills: How to Care for Yourself and Your Team pre-conference workshop. This is a topic that is a passion for me and I have had the privilege of helping build our agenda. Here is what you can expect:

• An opening keynote from Marjorie Hass, the President of the Council of Independent Colleges on the topic of Inspirational Leadership. Marjorie has a unique position in her work with colleges across the country to see what is needed in higher education leadership at this time. Her presentation will inspire you for your current and future leadership roles.

• My friend and colleague, Wendy Beckemeyer, Vice President for Enrollment Management at Cornell College, will share her perspective on how relationships can influence leadership. She will talk about how you can invest in yourself and members of your team for optimal performance and team cooperation. Wendy has also been a leader in the professional development space with her coordination of the Pay It Forward series and you will learn more about this innovative approach.

• The third session of the workshop, Mindfulness for Leaders, presented by Theresa Ricke-Kiely from the University of St. Thomas, will help you to consider how mindfulness is important not only for us to be healthy individuals but also for us to have a healthy team environment. I have heard Theresa speak before and this topic had so many relevant takeaways for me.I am excited for you to hear Theresa’s thoughts and research in this area.

In addition to listening to these presentations, you will have time for active discussion during the workshop, and then you will be able to continue these conversations over lunch with the new contacts you have made before the conference even kicks off. You will also be introduced to the basics of mindful meditation with a brief session I will lead (wearing my other hat as a certified yoga and meditation teacher). I’ll help you see that some simple breathwork can improve your sense of being calm and focused.One more benefit of arriving early to the incredible Gaylord Opryland Hotel: an afternoon free to relax at the spa, to play golf, to explore Nashville, or anything else that will promote your own self-care time. This is something you need and deserve.

To be the best leader you can be, you need inspiration, relationships within your community and the ability to be mindful and aware of what you and your team need to be successful. This workshop will support your efforts in these areas! It will also prepare you to soak up all of the excellent higher education knowledge that will be shared during the RNL National Conference.

Please be aware that advance registration is required for the workshop You can see the full agenda, learn more and register here.

I look forward to seeing you in Nashville for the pre-conference workshop and to take part in the 130 sessions offered at the full event. This will be my 29^th annual conference since I joined RNL in the fall of 1993 and I know it will be the best yet!This pre-conference workshop is going to be the cherry on top of an incredible few days.I’ll see you there!