We could hardly wait to write this blog post.

Julie, Steve and I are thrilled to announce that three higher education superstars are joining the Peterson Rudgers Group team as Senior Advisors: Mary Sue Coleman, E. Royster Harper and Cynthia Wilbanks. The trio will offer our clients (and us) an unparalleled breadth of experience and depth of wisdom drawn from their decades of experience at the highest levels of university leadership.

 

Mary Sue Coleman is the former president of the Association of American Universities (AAU), and president emerita of the University of Michigan and the University of Iowa.

 

 

 

 

E. Royster Harper served in multiple leadership roles at the University of Michigan, including as Vice President for Student Life for 18 years.

 

 

 

 

Cynthia Wilbanks served as the University of Michigan’s Vice President for Government Relations for 22 years, retiring from that role in December 2020.

 

 

 

Mary Sue, Royster and Cynthia will add significantly to our leadership expertise and will be available to offer expert strategic counsel for boards, presidents and chancellors, and senior leadership teams:

• Providing executive development and mentoring for presidents, chancellors and vice presidents, including a special emphasis on support for first-time senior executives
• Helping higher education leaders to build effective relationships and communication with boards and other key stakeholders
• Advising boards and senior leaders as they plan for executive-level searches, shape senior roles, and renew organizational structures
• Supporting institutional partnerships and collaborations, including town/gown, regional and statewide opportunities
• Advising on topic-specific issues

Finally, and on a personal note: Julie and I worked closely with Mary Sue, Royster and Cynthia during our years at Michigan. Each of these women are recognized by their peers as national leaders, and we have seen first-hand the depth of their talent and experience. It is an enormous privilege for our whole PRG team to be able to work with them, strategize with them and continue to learn from them. We know our clients will benefit significantly from access to these seasoned leaders.

You can read more about their careers and experience  on our website, and can contact them at:

Marysue@petersonrudgersgroup.com

Royster@petersonrudgersgroup.com

Cynthia@petersonrudgersgroup.com