• info@wildeinc.org
  • Dumfries, VA

Awardee: Almarie E. Donaldson, Ph.D

Appointments/Education: Fulbright Scholar to The Chinese University of Hong Kong, (2010); Regent University, Ph.D. School of Global Entrepreneurship and Leadership (2006); Regent University, Certificate in Organizational Leadership and Management (2003); Regent University, M.A. in Education (1996) Universidad Del Valle de Guatemala, B.A. in Psychology (1994),

 

Dr. Donaldson, is a visionary leader who is committed to growing enterprises across the region and globe by providing thought leadership, business strategy, and strong operational management. As a senior consultant she has played a pivotal role in leading performance and organizational development efforts, with an emphasis in championing people from across sectors to collaborate. As a thought ambassador for the vision and

ethos of the organization, she possesses strength in leading and managing organizations amidst institutional change and uncertainty. She is well respected for developing, integrating and implementing plans that strengthen the strategic direction of the organization. Her success in leading consulting engagements focused in education is shown as she is a respected leader among national, regional and global elected officials, as shown by her designation to lead the Peruvian Office of the Vice President in a country wide Youth Program (CONAJU). She also served as the Assistant Director for a country wide literacy program “Eduquemos a la Nina Indigena in Guatemala” (Educating the Indian Girl). Her tenure in higher education scholarship and research, along with her administration and leadership experiences, awarded her the prestigious appointment as a Fulbright Scholar to The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China, S.A.R 2010-2011. More recently, she has worked with USAID Latin America as a Subject Matter Expert in a five-year project to grow economic development in strengthening higher education models by providing strategic direction and performance measures to leverage educational programs. She is an expert consultant with Global Leadership Initiatives, supporting the firm and its clients with the design and delivery of customizable leadership and organizational programs. Her publication list includes books, articles, and academic- conference proceedings in the areas of global leadership, organizational performance, and cross-cultural leadership.

Accomplishments/Highlights:

  • Financial Management, Business Strategy: Strategic planning and vision-casting with board members, education organizations, businesses, external stakeholders. Donaldson- rebuilt to salvage stagnated operations for the University College system of Hampton University. Collaborated with faculty, deans and staff to write the Hampton University 2013-2018 $150M Capital Campaign, increased partnerships, new programs, and fundraising collaborations by 80% within the first year of the campaign. Developed a $4M comprehensive campaign to fund the University College Strategic Plan, including support for a new HUB for Online Learning, Facilities for Workforce Development, Endowed Chairs, new programs and a $1.5M scholarship endowment, personally securing 30% of the initial campaign. Improved communication and involvement opportunities by implementing/branding new programs.
  • Expansive Global Consulting Portfolio: Worked as a Subject Matter Expert on Higher Education Performance to support economic performance and growth among higher education institutions in Latin America. Notable experience with the USAID five year 25M project in Central America on Higher Education and Economic Consulted mid-size businesses on management performance and organizational change plans. Leveraging organizations in Asia, Latin American and North America.
  • Technology, Learning Management Platforms- Advisory Member of the Online Learning Consortium (OLC): A global consortium which provides cutting edge and innovative educational resources for learning organizations across the globe. Founding member of the OLC Innovative Award Advisory Committee. Providing leadership, guidance and implementation of programming for innovative teaching and curricular practices. See: https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/about/digital-learning-innovation-award-team-2/
  • Performance and Operational Management- Demonstrated Vision, Business Strategy, Leadership and Program Development: While establishing the School of Liberal Arts at Regent University, I lead and wrote 75% of the curriculum for the A in Leadership Studies, with emphasis in entrepreneurship and global leadership. This program

 

became the platform for global campaigns that yielded 60% growth in student enrollment, occurring within a 2 year window and growing a virtual campus from 150 to 1,250 students in less than 3 years; yielding approximately 9M in tuition revenue. Collaborated on global initiatives for Regent University in expanding campus presence at several locations worldwide. I managed faculty across the globe and provided leadership development opportunities for adjunct faculty.

  • Leadership and Diversity- Transformed the organizational culture of Hampton University, University College system by rebuilding and repurposing the vision and business strategy of the college. This vision incorporates diversity and inclusion as leading factors in building research, curriculum and programs; establishing the Office of Military Affairs (OMA), The Hampton University Center for Hispanic Achievement and Training (HUCHAT), the division of Continuing Education and Professional Studies (CEPS), the lifelong learning program of OSHER, and growing the distance learning programs through HU Online.
  • Promoting excellence in talent management and succession planning by establishing strategies for organizational growth and development

 

 

 

Areas of Expertise:

Leadership and Organizational Development, Culture and Values- Global Competencies- Global Operations; Performance Management- Executive Teams/Team building; Strategy for Organizational effectiveness; Change Management- Culture Change; Talent and Succession Planning; Liaise, collaborate and network individuals across sectors, leverage organizational development and performance.

 

 

 

Books:

(2010). Leadership Behaviors and Top Management Teams: A Study of Latin American Organizations, Germany, Lap Lambert Academic Publishing. ,A.E., Couto R., O’Neill, K., (2010). Leadership and Cultures, Chapter 52 in Public and Civic

Leadership. Ed. Dr. Richard Couto, San Francisco: SAGE Publications.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keynotes & Lectures:

 

(2018) Reshaping the Funnel: Strategies and Lessons Learned in Establishing Programs for the Hispanic/Latino Communities, Keynote address at the Hispanic Summit for the NHCLC at Ashland University.

(2018) Strategies for Successful University Completion among Hispanics and Latinos, Keynote address at the culminating event for Hispanic Heritage Month at Old Dominion University. (2017) Debunking Myths on the Racial Divide. BLUE Conference, Washington D.C, Keynote address.

(2017) What is the purpose of Education in a Free Society? Panel presentation, at the Liberty Fund/Universidad Francisco Marroquin Colloquium. Guatemala City, Guatemala.

(2016) Introducing the Hampton University Hispanic Center for Achievement and Training (HUCHAT), keynote at the annual conference Virginia Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel (VAOPP) in Richmond, VA.

(2016) The Hispanic/Latino Initiative of Hampton University. Presentation before the Board of Trustee Meeting at Hampton University, January, 2016.

(2015) Advancing leadership development in diverse academic and community contexts. Panel Presentation at the International Leadership Association global conference, Barcelona Spain, November 2015.

(2015) The Hispanic/Latino Initiative of Hampton University: Building Bridges. Presentation at the Think Tank meeting for the launch of the initiative in April, 2015.

(2014) Cross- Cultural Leadership: Communicating and Managing Across the Globe. Universidad Catolica de Portugal, invited scholar and lecture presentation for MBA and Ph.D. programs. (2014) Leading Innovation, Universidad Catolica de Portugal, invited scholar and lecturer for BA programs.

(2013) Service Leadership in a Global Economy- Service Leadership Roundtables, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China, keynote address.

(2012) Understanding the GLOBE Study in Latin America. Guest lecture for Old Dominion University, International Business program, College of Business and Public Administration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Consultancies:

United States Agency For International Development (USAID), Subject Matter Expert (SME), Washington DC & Global- Higher Education Performance for Economic Development [2016]. Global Leadership Initiatives (GLI) Expert Consultant [2017-present] Appointed as an expert consultant to work with global accounts in areas of leadership development, social entrepreneurship and continuing education programs. http://www.globalleader.ca/#/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NGO, Non-Profit Management Experience:

Regent University, Center For Latin American Leadership (CLAL) Director/Founding Member [2004-2006] Appointed by the Office of the President, established the CLAL to assist in the recruitment and services of Hispanics attending Regent University.

Semilla Inc. (Global) Director of Operations [1996-2000] Education non-profit manage daily operations and maintained a Latin American Leadership Program for leadership development throughout Latin America. Supported the implementation of

FUNDESA (Guatemala) Assistant Director [1992-1993] A non-governmental agency in Guatemala dedicated to the advancement in aiding education and development programs. Assisted in managing the country wide Educating the Indian Girl (Eduquemos a la Niña Indigena).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Senior Level & Executive Leadership:

Salt and Light LLC, Executive Director of Global Strategy (2018), Senior level strategist responsible for guiding efforts and creating opportunities to define, assess and promote engagement, to align efforts to Salt and Light LLC business strategy and operations.

Hampton University College-Dean for Hampton (2014-2016), Reestablishing and branding the college to five divisions, Hampton University On- Line (HU Online), Hispanic/Latino Initiative (HUCHAT), Office of Military Affairs (OMA), Continuing Education and Professional Studies (CEPS), Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). HU Online serves the college and all of the schools of Hampton University (the university enrolls about 5,200 a year).

Founder and Director of HUCHAT (2016-2017) Founder, leader, director of the initiative, responsible for establishing the campus expansion to the City Center of Newport News in late spring of 2016. Starting in the fall of 2016, cohorts of Hispanic students will be served from this initiative. In building the initiative from the ground floor, implemented a strong recruiting and bilingual programs, plans and fundraising campaigns.

Regent University College Of Arts And Sciences-Founding Member of the College of Liberal Arts Department Chair, Leadership Studies (2007-2014) Designer and content expert of the leadership studies program from inception to its current successful growth. Responsible for writing 75% of the curriculum in leadership. Supported the marketing plans and delivery of the leadership program for on-line and face-to-face participants. Advised and participated in projects abroad as an expert scholar and researcher on cross-cultural leadership topics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Academic Appointments:

INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY                                                       Associate Professor of Leadership

[2019-present]

HAMPTON UNIVERSITY

[2014-2017]                                                                                                                   Dean/Associate Professor

UNIVERSITY OF ST. JOSEPH, MACAU, S.A.R. CHINA                                                  Visiting Professor

[2013- present] Faculty of Communication and Design

THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, S.A.R. CHINA                                     Fulbright Scholar

[2010-2011] Business School

REGENT UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS                                                       Assistant Professor

[2007-2014]Department of Business and Leadership

 

 

Selected Publications:

A.E. (2011). The Motive to Lead: A Study of the Relationship between the CEO and TMT. Human Resource and Management (HRM Review), 17-24, vol. XI, iss.VI. , A.E. (2011). Culture Differences on Leadership, Journal of Soft Skills, 18-30, vol. V., no.1.; , A. E. (2009). Handbook on the Knowledge Economy (2005), Ed. David Rooney, Greg Hearn,

 

 

& Abraham Ninan, [Book review], International Journal of Leadership Studies, 255-257, vol 4, iss.2.

Waldman, D., Sully De Luque, M., Washburn N.T., House, R.J., Adentoun, B., Barrasa, , A.E. (2006). Cultural and Leadership Predictors of Corporate Social Responsibility Values of Top Management: A GLOBE Study of 15 Countries. Journal of International Business Studies 823– 837, vol. 37.

 

Research Projects:

GLOBE Country and Regional Co- Investigator- Lead Investigator [2001- present] The GLOBE research foundation and study is a longitudinal, high profile worldwide leadership project.

Hosted by various institutions www.globeproject.com.

 

 

 

 

Awards, Recognitions:

Fulbright Scholar and Lecturer– The Chinese University of Hong Kong [2010-2011] School or Business- Management Department Hong Kong, China, S.A.R.

 

Distinguished Educational Leadership Award– Presented by the Norfolk Public Library and Hispanic Leadership Forum of Hampton Roads, Inc., 2017

 

 

Certifications:

·         Project Management Professional (PMP)

·         Blackboard Learning Management Systems

·         Quality Matters (QM)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Affiliations, Memberships:

·         Digital Learning Innovation Advisory Member for the Online Consortium (OLC)-2015

·         Founding and Advisory Member of the Latino Advisory Council (LAC) for the Faith and Education Coalition of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC)- 2015

·         International Leadership Association (ILA)/Chair of the Leadership Development Division

·         Academy of Management

·         International Western Academy of Management.

·         Virginia Latino Higher Education Network (VALHEN)

·         Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)

·         Hampton Roads Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

·         Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce

·         United Way Team Leader

·         Chairman of the Board for SciTechLife

·         Hispanic Association for Colleges and Universities (HACU)- member

·         Founding Member of LIDERAMOS- Latino Leadership Scholarship

 

 

 

 

 

Other Personal:

Accomplished musician classically trained, played 1st Chair Flute for the National Youth Symphony, Guest appearances with the Guatemala National Symphony, Composes Music for Piano and Flute. Lyrical Singer.

Speaks several languages- Spanish (Native) French and Portuguese (working knowledge). Have lived in worked in more than 15 countries in the regions of Latin America, Southern Africa, Europe and Southeast Asia.