About Us

Rena Seltzer, MSW, ACSW, Founder + Principal Coach

Expert Coach

Rena Seltzer is a leadership coach and dynamic trainer with over 20 years of experience supporting individuals and teams to make transformative changes and achieve their most important goals. Rena draws on her deep understanding of higher education and academic medicine to mentor academics across the span of their careers from pre-tenure to associate to full professor and from chair to deputy provost to dean. Rena supports scholars and higher education leaders across a wide range of disciplines including the social sciences, humanities, and STEM fields, and in professional schools including human and veterinary medicine, law, business, public health, and social work.

Dynamic Speaker

Rena has facilitated both on-campus and virtual professional development experiences for hundreds of faculty members and academic leaders across North America and the UK. Her workshops combine well-researched information with interactive experiences and practical tools that attendees remember and continue to employ throughout their careers. Rena is a popular presenter at major research universities including Yale, Cornell, the University of Michigan, and the University of Wisconsin, as well as professional associations including the Academy of Management.

Author

Rena is the author of The Coach’s Guide for Women Professors: Who Want a Successful Career and a Well-Balanced Life, a book that gives robust attention not just to gender but to a full range of issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion of faculty and higher education leaders of color, and from a range of historically marginalized groups.

Education

Rena graduated from the University of Michigan with a Master’s of Social Work Degree. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Science and Women’s Studies from the University of Michigan. Rena trained as a coach with The Coach’s Training Institute (CTI) and Mentor Coach and is a member of the International Coach Federation and the Academy of Management. Rena’s work is greatly influenced by her interest in Positive Organizational Scholarship. Rena’s prior work in employee assistance and as a psychotherapist working with individuals, groups, and families bring additional depth to her coaching.

Personal + Interests

Rena lives with her physician partner in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She enjoys biking, long walks, hiking, and spending time with her family—including two young adult sons—and friends. Rena holds a black belt in Shorin-Ryu karate.

Deanna Stouder, Ph.D.

Deanna Stouder, Ph.D., PCC, is a coach and leader with 27+ years of experience working in academia and with the federal government. Dr. Stouder brings extensive experience in executive leadership and faculty coaching and is an International Coaching Federation Professional Certified Coach. Deanna supports individuals in bringing together their passions, values, and skills to achieve stellar results. She has worked with faculty and academic leaders at major research universities, including Yale, Cornell, Stanford, the University of Alabama, and the University of Michigan. She is a board member and Past President of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the International Coaching Federation.

Deborah S. Willis, Ph.D

Deborah S. Willis, Ph.D., PCC, is a passionate and enthusiastic educator, facilitator, and certified executive coach. She is the assistant vice provost for equity and inclusion and academic affairs at the University of Michigan. Dr. Willis formerly served as senior program lead for the University of Michigan Rackham Professional Development Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Certificate, a program she designed to prepare participants to work in a diverse environment while fostering a climate of inclusivity. Throughout her professional career, Debbie has provided vision and advocacy for faculty, students, and staff in the areas of leadership and career development. Her engaging style of training and coaching encourages progressive, actionable, and tangible growth for the people she serves. Debbie holds a certificate in Executive Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University and a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Michigan.

Joanna Friedman, Ph.D.

Joanna Friedman, Ph.D., is a coach with more than 20 years of experience working with academics in a wide range of disciplines and at every stage of their careers. Dr. Friedman approaches coaching as a cooperative endeavor and works with her clients to identify, understand, and overcome obstacles, implement positive solutions, and achieve their personal and professional goals. Joanna earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Michigan. In addition to her own academic training, both her father and her husband have been tenured professors at the University of Michigan, enabling her to deeply understand the myriad demands of academic life. Her clinical background as a psychotherapist provides her with additional expertise to support her clients’ goals, including writing with greater ease, getting more done, managing departmental politics and challenging personalities, and maintaining a healthy balance between personal and professional lives.

Patricia Romney, Ph.D.

Pat Romney, Ph.D., is a leadership coach focused on peak performance and joy. Dr. Romney coaches faculty members and academic administrators, as well as executive directors in human services, arts organizations, and think tanks. Deeply skilled in dialogue and equity work, her greatest joy comes from supporting this generation’s leaders as they fulfill their destiny and purpose. Pat received her Ph.D. from the City University of New York, where she won the Bernard R. Ackerman Award for Outstanding Scholarship in Graduate Psychology. She completed her internship in Consultation and Education at the Yale University School of Medicine and her coach training at The College of Executive Coaching. Pat taught at the college level for twenty years, achieving tenure at Hampshire College, followed by a 10-year appointment as Visiting Associate Professor of Psychology and Education at Mount Holyoke College. Still an active scholar, Pat is the co-editor of Understanding Power and the author of over twenty articles. She also authored the acclaimed book We Were There: The Third World Women’s Alliance and the Second Wave.

Victoria Fontana

Victoria Fontana, PCC is an International Coaching Federation Professional Certified Coach who specializes in supporting professors and academic leaders to thrive as they navigate the complex demands of higher education. With over a decade of experience at IE Business School, Fontana has taught courses on authentic leadership and teamwork as well as serving as team lead, deepening her expertise in academic leadership and collaboration. Drawing on her training in positive psychology coaching and contemplative awareness, Victoria brings a unique ability to help faculty members and leaders clarify their purpose and values, overcome barriers in their research and writing, navigate interpersonal dynamics, lead with impact, and manage time and energy effectively in high-pressure environments. Victoria works with faculty members and leaders at Yale, MIT, and the University of Michigan, and is a Harvard Business School Executive Coach. She offers coaching in English and Spanish.

Ching-Yune Sylvester, Ph.D.

Ching-Yune Sylvester, Ph.D., ACC, spent over 20 years at the University of Michigan working with administrators, faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and students across the campus. In addition to coaching, Dr. Sylvester’s expertise includes faculty professional development, conflict resolution, and program management. She particularly enjoys working with those engaged in and leading diversity and social justice endeavors. Ching-Yune believes that a sense of fulfillment and balance comes when our professional and personal lives are aligned with our values, identities, and strengths. Her coaching provides structure and accountability to leverage the client’s knowledge and expertise and to support their own reflection, problem-solving, and goal attainment. She holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of California at Berkeley and is certified as an executive coach by both the Academy for Creative Coaching and Michigan Medicine. Ching-Yune has also been trained in Motivational Interviewing (MI), Social Justice Mediation, and Positive Intelligence (PQ).

Imani Chapman, Ph.D.

Imani Chapman, DMin, ACC, is a faculty and leadership coach who centers wholeness, accountability, and equity while supporting academics in developing self-leadership, balance, and success. Dr. Chapman holds an ACC coaching certification from the International Coaching Federation and has coached professors and leaders at institutions including the University of Michigan, Yale, and Cal Poly Pomona. Imani earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, her master’s from Middlebury College in Madrid, Spain, and her Doctor of Ministry degree from Hebrew Union College in New York. In addition to her work with Leader Academic, she coaches nonprofit and educational leaders, clergy, and executives. She has written for multiple publications, including Racial Equity Informed Philanthropy: A Funder Resource from a Jewish Perspective, Teaching Beautiful Brilliant Black Girls, and UnCommon Bonds: Women Reflect on Race and Friendship.

Claire Wu, Ph.D.

Claire Wu, Ph.D., ACC, BCC, is a Board-Certified Leadership and Executive Coach, as well as a researcher in leadership and creativity. Dr. Wu specializes in helping clients enhance self-awareness, overcome limitations, and build resilience. Her diverse clientele includes faculty, administrators, physicians, and managers navigating productivity challenges, career mobility, leadership roles, and work-life balance. Claire’s coaching is rooted in rigorous training from the Co-Active Institute, Case Western University, and the Positive Intelligence program, and she is certified in the Emotional & Social Competence Inventory (ESCI) 360. Claire serves on the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin chapter of the International Coaching Federation. Additionally, she is an Associate Professor of Management at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, where she has taught leadership and HR to over 2,500 professionals.

Susan Tortolero Emery, Ph.D.

Susan Tortolero-Emery, Ph.D., CPH is a professional coach and academic leader with over 30 years of research, teaching, and leadership experience at the University of Texas School of Public Health. As Senior Associate Dean over Academic Affairs, Student, and Research Affairs, Dr. Emery has been instrumental in advancing academic excellence and promoting impactful research. With a strong foundation in epidemiology and behavioral sciences and over 15 years of teaching graduate-level leadership, Susan brings a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities in academic and research environments. Trained by the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) and a member of the International Coaching Federation, Susan partners with clients to cultivate leadership skills, overcome obstacles, and create meaningful paths toward personal and professional growth. Throughout her career, Susan has guided faculty, administrators, and leaders through complex academic landscapes, fostering a culture of resilience, innovation, and excellence. Susan’s coaching helps clients draw from their expertise to build fulfilling careers while maintaining a balanced, value-centered life.