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In this episode, we sit down with Michigan State’s Executive Vice President of Administration, Vennie Gore. He leads a vast and diverse campus portfolio with a simple playbook: master the basics, align on what matters, and expand only when the team is ready. From the story behind his one-of-a-kind name to the 14 Golden Rules he wrote as a hall director—and still follows today—Vennie shows how consistency beats complexity in high-stakes operations.

We unpack his “20-mile walk” for building alignment across units with different definitions of “the basics” and explore why a football season offers the perfect analogy for organizational maturity: start simple, earn trust through execution, then open the playbook. He also shares why he treats careers as portfolios, not ladders, and how pattern recognition helps leaders “slow down to hurry up.”

Along the way, we dive into systems thinking through sports: why even “individual” sports like golf are deeply interdependent, how leaders switch hats between partner, supplier, customer, and vendor, and why emotional energy is a leader’s most contagious signal. Vennie makes the case for marrying student development theory with the business of higher education, building organizational readiness, and reducing unforced errors through direct communication, trust, humility, and a no-surprises culture.

A grounded, practical guide for anyone steering large teams through long seasons.

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A personal reflection on how summer camp experiences teach profound lessons about leadership, community living, and navigating loss. This solo episode explores how the simple act of sharing space shapes our ability to lead with care and presence during both ordinary moments and times of crisis.

• Summer camp as the first experience of co-living – sharing everything from bathrooms to stories
• Camp counselors as "lollipop leaders" who make impact through small, often forgotten moments
• Leadership often looks like showing up consistently, not necessarily having all the answers
• The power of ritualized connection through handwritten "chicken letters" and personal notes
• Navigating transitions by acknowledging endings and making space for grief
• Building resilience through community and practicing how to live alongside difference

If we want stronger leaders, better neighbors, and more compassionate communities, we have to keep practicing how to live together. Let's honor the places and people who shaped us by how we show up for one another, especially in the hardest moments.

If you would like to support the Texas Hill Country community after the devastating floods, considering giving to the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country. https://www.communityfoundation.net/

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Ever wonder what it takes to lead a major professional association while juggling a demanding day job? In this special mini-episode celebrating the ACUHO-I Annual Conference, we sit down with Kathy Hobgood, current ACUHO-I President and Associate Vice President for Auxiliary Enterprises at Clemson University.

Kathy takes us behind the curtain of association leadership, revealing why professional organizations matter now more than ever. "How can we provide a place for people to come together and just be together, even if there's no answers?" she asks, highlighting the community-building function that remains crucial during challenging times in higher education. We explore ACUHO-I's three-pronged approach—community, education, and advocacy—that helps housing professionals navigate everything from budget crises to occupancy challenges.

The conversation turns personal as Kathy shares her unexpected journey to leadership, including a pivotal conversation with a mentor who challenged her to serve her region before seeking national office. Her revelation about fundraising—"I used to think I was terrible at asking people for money. I'm going to find out I am shameless in the name of a good cause"—offers a powerful reminder that leadership roles often help us discover strengths we didn't know we had. For anyone attending the upcoming conference, Kathy's advice to be "as aggressively friendly as your personality type will allow" and to make time for industry partners even when not currently buying, provides a practical roadmap for making the most of professional development opportunities.

Whether you're heading to Columbus for Campus Home Live or simply curious about the housing profession, this conversation offers valuable insights about professional growth, association leadership, and finding your people in higher education. Connect with us at the conference or share this episode with colleagues who might benefit from a little inspiration and practical wisdom!

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Dr. Kim Harrington shares her award-winning 30-year career journey from residence hall director to executive leadership positions, exploring how authentic leadership and community building shape higher education.

• Serving as a hall director provided the best leadership training ground by developing skills in crisis management, supervision, facilities oversight, and budget administration
• Being invited as the commencement speaker at her alma mater SUNY Fredonia was a surprising honor that reconnected her with her higher education roots
• Creating community is a consistent thread throughout her career - providing spaces where people feel supported, challenged, and able to develop
• The chief of staff role requires building trust, demonstrating humility, and serving as an "honest broker" connecting different parts of the organization
• Approaching organizational politics with authenticity rather than game-playing has allowed her to maintain integrity even during challenging institutional periods
• Weathering 21 ethics complaints while leading HR taught valuable lessons about staying true to personal values
• Leadership requires balancing supportive relationships with clear expectations and accountability

Guest Biography:

Dr. Kim D. Harrington is a seasoned leader in higher education, bringing over 30 years of experience in shaping campus culture, driving strategic planning, and advancing inclusive leadership. Her tenure at Georgia Tech spans more than two decades, where she has served in key roles including Chief Human Resources Officer, Chief of Staff to the Executive Vice President for Administration and Finance, and most recently, Associate Vice President for Arts, Belonging, and Community.

Throughout her career, Dr. Harrington has been deeply committed to student development, staff engagement, and organizational growth. Her leadership has consistently focused on building community through, mission-aligned environments that foster both excellence and belonging.

Beyond campus, Dr. Harrington contributes her expertise through board service with organizations focused on education, governance, and child advocacy. She is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., where she continues her lifelong commitment to public service and community uplift.

She has been recognized with several prestigious honors, including the USG Chancellor’s Gold Service Excellence Leadership Award and the ACUI Butts-Whiting Award. As she prepares for retirement in 2025, her legacy continues through the newly established Dr. Kim D. Harrington Student Employee Scholarship at Georgia Tech.

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When it comes to student housing, the differences between UK and US approaches run deeper than terminology. Our latest episode takes you on a transatlantic journey as we welcome James Greenwood from the London School of Economics and Rebecca O'Hare from the University of Leeds for a candid conversation about student accommodation that's so rich we had to split it into two parts.

Both James and Rebecca share their unexpected journeys into student housing careers – a stark contrast to the structured pathway common in North America. With backgrounds in fields like art and events management, they represent how UK professionals often "fall into" student housing rather than following a predetermined academic track. This difference extends to recruitment practices, with UK institutions valuing transferable skills and diverse experiences over specialized credentials.

What truly connects these professionals across continents is how personal experiences shape their work. Both guests recount their own challenging living situations as students, creating a powerful motivation to improve residential environments for current students. "I don't want students to go through the poor experiences I had," James shares, highlighting how past struggles fuel present passion.

The conversation delves into philosophical questions about student identity – are they customers purchasing a service, clients receiving guidance, or stakeholders in their own educational journey? Rebecca offers nuanced perspectives, suggesting students can embody multiple roles simultaneously while emphasizing that education isn't simply a product that guarantees outcomes in exchange for tuition.

We also explore the crucial role of student staff in residential communities, examining how these positions provide valuable peer support while offering student employees transferable skills for future careers. The contrast between university and private sector approaches reveals tensions between authentic community-building and commercial interests.

This episode offers an illuminating glimpse into how cultural contexts, funding models, and institutional values shape fundamentally different approaches to student housing across the Atlantic. Whether you work in higher education or simply want to understand international differences in student experience, you'll find valuable insights in this thoughtful exchange.

Don't miss part two of our conversation, where we'll continue exploring these fascinating contrasts. Subscribe now to ensure you catch the conclusion of this enlightening international dialogue.

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College mental health services are a lifeline for students—but what does it take to lead them? In this episode of On Campus, Off the Record, we sit down with Wanda Collins, PhD, a licensed psychologist who spent over two decades running counseling centers at institutions like Emory, Duke, and American University.

Dr. Collins shares her journey from clinician to administrator, balancing the ever-growing demand for mental health support with the realities of running a campus counseling center. We explore the critical role of housing staff in student well-being, the rise of telehealth, and the challenges of leading in high-pressure academic environments. Plus, she gets real about burnout—what it’s like to carry and why she ultimately stepped away from higher ed to pursue private practice.

If you've ever wondered what it’s like behind the scenes of campus mental health—or what it really takes to support student well-being at the highest level—this episode is for you.

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In the second part of our conversation with Mary Janz, Cathy Bickel, and Andrea Trinklein we dig into some different topcis. We walk about how these women have supported each other across the years and why they keep working after retirmement. Tune in to get some off the record advice and insight from some of the best in the campus housing business.

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In our first episode, we begin our conversation with three pillars of the campus housing profession Cathy Bickel, Mary Janz, and Andrea Trinklein. Together these women have almost a century of experience in campus housing. They have each won numerous accolades, held leadership roles, made a last impact on generations to come. Join me as we dive in to how this friendship started at lodge in Indiana, how they got into the student housing profession, and try to help me figure out, can I have it all.