Presidential Leadership: NASPA in Transition

Dr. Kevin Kruger draws on more than 40 years of experience in higher education. Since 2012, he has served as president and CEO for NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. Prior to his role as president, Dr. Kruger worked for 18 years as the associate executive director and served as the chief operating officer (COO) and chief financial officer (CFO) for NASPA. He has held a range of student affairs positions at Southern Methodist University and the University of Maryland. As NASPA president, Dr. Kruger represents student affairs at a variety of national forums and is a frequent contributor to higher education news stories on the college student experience. Dr. Kruger has published and presented nationally and globally on trends in higher education, student success, degree-completion strategies for low-income/first-generation students, and change management and leadership in higher education. Dr. Kruger received his M.A. and Ph.D. in Counseling and Personnel Services from the University of Maryland. He is the proud father of two children, one a recent college graduate and the other a college senior.

Dr. Amelia Parnell, who has recently assumed the presidency of NASPA–Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, is an accomplished higher education executive and an internationally recognized thought leader regarding current issues and emerging trends in the field. She is a passionate advocate for higher education as a tool for personal advancement and impact, and she seeks opportunities to partner with organizations and individuals who share her sincere commitment to centering students' needs.

As the vice president for research and policy for NASPA, Dr. Parnell leads many of the association's scholarly and advocacy-focused activities. During her eight-year tenure in this role, she has fostered genuine partnerships with college administrators, researchers, grantmakers, and other higher education professionals. Dr. Parnell’s previous policy and practitioner experiences include roles in association management, legislative policy analysis, internal audit, and TRIO programs. Her research portfolio includes studies of leadership in higher education, with a focus on college presidents and vice presidents.

As a frequent keynote speaker at national and regional conferences, Dr. Parnell presents on topics related to student affairs, college affordability, student learning outcomes, and institutions' use of data and analytics. She has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, and PBS Newshour.

Dr. Parnell recently completed four years of service on the Board of Directors for EDUCAUSE, where she was chair of the Finance & Investment Committee and the Audit Committee. She is also the chair of the Higher Education Equity Network (HEEN), a collective impact network representing more than 25 organizations at the forefront of addressing racial equity in higher education.

Dr. Parnell enjoys her work as an adjunct instructor and campus lecturer because it helps her ground her work through enriching engagements with students and peers. She is energized by making complex concepts easy to understand, so she hosts her podcast, Speaking of College, a source of reliable answers to college-related questions. She is also the author of the book, You Are A Data Person, which she wrote to encourage all higher education professionals to discover and embrace their unique data identity.Amelia holds a Ph.D. in higher education from Florida State University and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in business administration from Florida A & M University.