Joseph DeSanto Jones
Washington,DC
Summary
Executive leader with extensive experience in higher education, student affairs, professional development program design and execution, professional credentialing, consulting, organizational development, cross-cultural collaboration, and volunteer management. Proven track record of successfully working with senior-level higher education executives including presidents, provosts, and vice presidents for student affairs. Skilled coalition builder who collaborated with seven student affairs professional associations (ACUHO-I, ACUI, AFA, ASCA, NACA, NASPA, and NIRSA) to establish a robust credentialing program for student affairs educators across multiple functional areas. Demonstrated expertise in directing and participating in over 50 external reviews and strategic planning projects of student affairs divisions, programs, and services at public and private colleges and universities of various sizes, sectors, and missions in the United States and Canada.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Executive Director
Higher Education Consortium for Student Affairs Certification
04.2022 - Current
- Act as the primary architect in collaborating with seven student affairs professional associations to establish an entirely new 501c6 organization to support and strengthen the student affairs profession and individual professionals through a robust certification program
- Lead all aspects of the organization’s establishment, growth, and operations including developing governance structure, bylaws, policies, and procedures; managing $1.3M budget; formulating website, branding, and marketing strategy; and overseeing certification management system selection, implementation, and operations
- Serve as the key spokesperson to ensure program visibility through participating in physical and virtual programs; authoring chapters and thought pieces; evolving partnerships with external associations; engaging with diverse constituencies and stakeholders to advocate for certification within the field; and increasing opportunities for program access and expansion
- Advise and assist the Board of Directors in formulating policies for the organization and ensure it meets all fiduciary, financial, legal, and human resource requirements
- Lead all aspects of program development and operations including working with over 130 subject matter expert volunteers across a diversity of higher education institutions to develop seven psychometrically valid certifications consisting of a core certification and specialty certifications in the functional areas of campus activities, campus housing and residential life, campus recreation, college unions, fraternity and sorority life, and student conduct administration
- Manage ongoing exam maintenance for all credentials including annual psychometric analysis and revisions
- Recruited and engaged over 250 student affairs and services professionals across four- and two-year, public and private institutions as credential holders within the first two years of the program
- Develop and lead strategy to retain, recognize, and grow the group of certified educators
- Cultivate nine certification committees that meaningfully engage subject matter experts within the respective committee role and scope including committees for each specialty certification; inclusion, equity, and engagement committee; ethics committee; and program ambassadors committee
- Strategically collect, report on, and use data to identify certification program areas of strength and areas for improvement
Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Organizational Development
NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education
03.2020 - 04.2022
- Lead organization-wide virtual learning strategy, rapidly expanding the type and number of online learning opportunities for members and non-members around the world
- Delivered over 50 webinars and five short courses within six months to drive revenue and provide virtual professional development opportunities
- Lead development of Student Affairs Educator Certification program including managing initial certification activities of budget development, and identification and engagement of over 20 subject matter experts (professional association representatives, senior student affairs officers, and graduate faculty) in creating certification content
- Supervised the association's consulting arm, NASPA Advisory Services, including setting overall strategy and approach, directing development of tools and assessments, and hiring and supervising team members
Director/Senior Director of NASPA Advisory Services
NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education
02.2016 - 03.2020
- Initiated and directed all components of NASPA Advisory Services consulting arm including developing business and operational model, guiding creation of external review and self-assessment methods, and recruiting and orienting vice presidents for student affairs and senior-level administrators to serve as members of external review teams
- Directed all activities for external reviews and self-assessments including developing proposals; identifying and preparing review team members; developing introductory project documents and resources; administering and reporting results from self-assessment instrument; reviewing participant institution’s documents and data; leading project team meetings and interviews virtually and on-site; and creating and presenting written project reports to institutional stakeholders
- Directed the promotion of NASPA Advisory Services through oversight of the program website, development of marketing collateral, presenting on NASPA Advisory Services, and collaborating with NASPA staff who work with target-rich populations for the program
- Served as the primary liaison to the NASPA Advisory Services Steering Committee of senior-level administrators in their role of supporting the advancement and enhancement of the program
Consultant and Director of Communications
Keeling & Associates, LLC
04.2012 - 09.2015
- Served as consultant and project manager for a diverse array of projects with higher education institutions including public and private colleges and universities; large, medium, and small institutions; and national and international higher education associations and Greek-letter organizations
- Provided consultation and technical assistance in comprehensive institutional and division-wide strategic planning projects; reviews of the organizational and operational effectiveness of college and university programs, services, and academic departments; and designing strategies for learning outcomes assessment and career success projects
- Managed all aspects of project data collection, analysis, and presentation, including summarizing client background documents and reports; conducting individual and group interviews; assisting with survey design, development, and analysis; and composing reports and presentations of findings and recommendations
- Directed all aspects of email campaigns and company website, including leading the development and launch of a new website; ensured company presence on relevant social media channels
Coordinator/Director, Member Engagement & Programs
NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education
06.2006 - 03.2012
- Developed content and budget, directed all program logistics, and managed program evaluations for the Institute for New Vice Presidents for Student Affairs, NASPA Multicultural Institute, Leadership Educators Institute, Student Affairs Technology Conference, Conference on College Men, and Student Affairs Development Conference
- Directed online professional development offerings including e-courses and broadcasts of approximately fifteen annual live webinars
- Served as the primary staff liaison for seven geographic regions in coordinating approximately 30 annual professional development events, as well as providing direction to regional membership, volunteer, and award coordinators
- Provided direction, coordinated training, and developed infrastructure for 26 “knowledge community” volunteer constituency groups responsible for attracting new members to the association, engaging current members, and generating knowledge through programs and publications
- Supervised two full-time regional program support staff, one graduate assistant for educational programs, and various graduate student interns
- Represented NASPA as alternate director to the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) and as liaison to Casey Family Programs Foster Youth Consortium
- Planned the association’s annual awards ceremony and managed the award nomination and selection process for seven national achievement awards, thirty programmatic excellence awards, and one dissertation-of-the-year award
Coordinator, Training and Development
University of Maryland, College Park
06.2004 - 05.2006
- Coordinated staff development programs on supervision, leadership, sexual harassment prevention, diversity, wellness, and career skills for over 300 full-time staff and students
- Managed a student training team responsible for facilitating new employee workshops on customer service and time management
- Served as co-chair of the department diversity committee and member of University President’s Commission on Disability Issues
- Oversaw the creation of a program to facilitate student community service group access to service sites and engage new students in community service programs
- Supervised the student human resources department’s operations of recruitment, conducting interviews of applicants, hiring, and facilitating orientation sessions
Education
Master of Education - College Student Personnel
University of Maryland, College Park
College Park, MD2006
Bachelor of Arts - Communication Studies
University of Maryland, College Park
College Park, MD2002
Skills
Executive Leadership
Innovation and Creativity
Organizational Development
Project Management
Operations Management
Program Leadership
Business Development
Consulting
Partnership Development
Publications
- DeSanto Jones, J. & Martin, Q. (2024). Student affairs educator certification: Supporting professionals and advancing the field. In J. Clark & J. Smith (Eds.), Student affairs professional preparation: A scholar-practitioner guide to contemporary topics (pp. 371-391). NASPA.
- Keeling, R., & DeSanto Jones, J. (2016). Student learning assessment. In N. Zhang & Associates (Eds.), Rentz’s student affairs practice in higher education (5th ed., pp. 493-523). Charles C. Thomas.
- Keeling, R., Neilson, S., DeSanto Jones, J., Stevens Dickson, J., & Priori, C. (2013). Liberal education: A pathway to career and life success. Leadership Exchange, 11(3).
Service
President, Lambda Pride (LGBTQIA Alumni Network)
University of Maryland, College Park
2008-2017
Timeline
Executive Director
Higher Education Consortium for Student Affairs Certification
04.2022 - Current
Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Organizational Development
NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education
03.2020 - 04.2022
Director/Senior Director of NASPA Advisory Services
NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education
02.2016 - 03.2020
Consultant and Director of Communications
Keeling & Associates, LLC
04.2012 - 09.2015
Coordinator/Director, Member Engagement & Programs
NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education
06.2006 - 03.2012
Coordinator, Training and Development
University of Maryland, College Park
06.2004 - 05.2006
Master of Education - College Student Personnel
University of Maryland, College Park
Bachelor of Arts - Communication Studies
University of Maryland, College Park
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