What is Leadership Stetson?
In 2007, Stetson University's Board of Trustees charged the Alumni Association Board of Directors with developing a program to engage alumni and friends of the university and prepare them to be the next generation of leadership for the university. After much discussion and planning, the first Leadership Stetson was born.
Leadership Stetson is modeled after leadership programs offered by local Chambers of Commerce and other organizations. The purpose is to educate alumni and friends about the inner workings of the university and provide an avenue for them to become involved in volunteer roles that are most appropriate for them. The inaugural retreat was held in April 2008 and in 2010 received an Award of Excellence from CASE District III. Leadership Stetson is a prestigious and competitive opportunity for Stetson alumni and friends of the university to engage with university leaders on an in-depth, personal level.
Since the program's inception, former U.S. Senator and former Stetson Trustee Max Cleland '64, Hon. '77 and '08, has served as Honorary Chair of Leadership Stetson. Shortly before his passing in 2021, the program was named in his honor.
Our next Leadership Stetson program will take place on February 22 - 24, 2026. If you are interested in learning more and participating, please contact the Office of Alumni Engagement at 386-822-7480 at [email protected].
Leadership Stetson 2025 was held February 24 - 25 on Stetson's DeLand campus. Pictured above is the 2025 cohort of the Max Cleland Leadership Class. Check out the full 2025 Leadership Stetson photo album on the Stetson University Flickr.
If you are interested in learning more about this exciting program and participating in 2026, please contact the Office of Alumni Engagement at 386-822-7480 at [email protected].
Participants
- Rosalie (Scaturro) Carpenter ’98
- Jessica Kathleen Clarke ’09, MS ’11
- Jeanie (Elledge) Collins ’00
- Mary Cortez ’04
- Lauri (Jackson) Davenport ’80
- Grant Davis ’93
- Padge Dorne ’74
- Sami (Dunlap) Duguay ’20, MBA ’23
- Taylor Duguay ’17
- Lesli Cartaya Franco ’05
- Abby Gavin ’22
- Jeffery Hahn ’17
- Travis Hill ’16
- Mark Hollmann
- Holly Keris ’97
- Taketa King Pang ’04
- Jim Pappalardo ’13, MBA ’15
- Jonathan Riley ’15
- John Robinson
- Markata Roland ’21
- Stephanie Rooney ’06
- Carrie Scharbo ’95
- Tony Tussing ’65
- Zoe Weaver-Lee ’19
Leadership Stetson 2024 was held February 19 - 20 on Stetson's DeLand campus. Check out the full 2024 Leadership Stetson photo album on the Stetson University Flickr.
Participants
- Gwen Azama-Edwards ’71, MA ’83
- Wendy Moore Bullington ’99
- Eric Carr ’95
- Tony Clark ’83
- Bill Dellecker ’77
- Allyne Grawert Ettner '09
- Tony Gilotti ’20
- Victoria Bell Greer '09
- Scott Hammerle, MBA '06
- Sarah Hancock '12
- Jennifer Holmes '94
- Cassandra Kellam Jackson '84, JD '86
- Mark Johnson '14
- Nancy Jordahl '86
- Shannon McCarthy '15
- Alayna Burton Mines '14
- Ashley Rutherford ’12
- Lauren Smith Semeniuk '90
- Harold Velez ’13, JD ’16
- Keri Lowry Wagner '06, MAcc '08
Learn More
If you are interested in learning more about this exciting program and participating in 2025, please contact the Office of Alumni Engagement at 386-822-7480 at [email protected]