Molly J. Ayers, Ph.D.
Spokane
Summary
Mission-centered leader with 20+ years of experience developing strong, reciprocal campus and community partnerships that enable students to develop their gifts in service to the common good. Experienced at building highly collaborative teams which successfully implement mission-aligned initiatives, programs, and complex projects. Adaptable nature enables navigation of challenges and discovering innovative solutions.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
Work History
Assistant Dean, Center for Community Engagement
Gonzaga University
07.2015 - Current
- Provides strategic vision for the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) and communicates the CCE vision and strategic priorities to campus and community stakeholders
- Manages general operations of the office including oversight of $1.5-1.8 million budget, hiring, supervision and evaluation of personnel, and administrative tasks that promote efficient operations
- Leads a center of 20+ staff, including 5 direct reports
- Develops and supports programs that are mission-aligned while expanding place-based, curricular, and co-curricular community-engaged learning opportunities for Gonzaga students
- Provides faculty development in community-engaged learning theory, practice and engaged scholarship; supports faculty in the development of service-learning/community engagement projects
- Strengthens and develops campus-community partnerships that are reciprocal, build upon community assets, and address articulated community needs and issues
- Leads resource development efforts through strategic planning, grant writing, and donor cultivation
- Serves in a leadership role for the Opportunity Northeast Initiative which engages stakeholders across the University, donor, members of the Board of Regents, and partners in the Northeast community in place-based engagement efforts
- Collaborates frequently with University Advancement and Sponsored Research to identify, cultivate, attain and steward new gifts and grants to support Center for Community Engagement and Opportunity Northeast programs
- Coordinates ongoing assessment of student learning outcomes and community impact related to GU’s academic and co-curricular service-learning programs
- Develops and implements risk management policies and procedures
- Leads assessment of Center-wide student learning outcomes and University-Community partnerships
- Authors departmental and university reports, ensuring departmental 'story' is communicated to appropriate constituents
- Authors/co-authors national applications (e.g
- Campus Compact Survey, Carnegie Classification)
- Serves as a member of the Student Affairs Leadership Team (SALT) and Student Affairs Department Heads Leadership Team (DDT)
Director, Office of Community Engagement
Eastern Washington University
10.2012 - 07.2015
- Served as the founding director of Eastern Washington University’s (EWU) Office of Community Engagement and led institutional efforts to strategically develop a comprehensive institutional community engagement strategy
- Provided vision for the Office of Community Engagement (OCE) and communicated the OCE vision and strategic priorities to campus and community stakeholders
- Managed general operations of the office including oversight of $160,000 budget, hiring, supervision and evaluation of personnel, and administrative tasks that promote efficient operations
- Developed and supported programs that expand curricular and co-curricular community-engaged learning opportunities for EWU students
- Provided EWU students transformative community-engaged learning opportunities which developed their academic, professional, civic and leadership capacities
- Provided faculty development in service-learning theory, practice, and engaged scholarship; supported faculty in the development of service-learning/community engagement projects
- Strengthened and developed campus-community partnerships that addressed articulated community needs and priorities
- Led resource development efforts through strategic planning, grant writing, and donor cultivation
- Coordinated ongoing assessment of student learning outcomes and community impact related to EWU’s academic and co-curricular service-learning programs
- Developed and implemented risk management policies and procedures
Assistant Director, Center for Community Engagement & Service-Learning
Gonzaga University
01.2008 - 09.2012
- Coordinated academic service-learning program, including all aspects of program development, support and evaluation
- Wrote grant proposals, grant reports, organized fundraisers, and coordinated with grant development office to build programmatic capacity and sustainability
- Coordinated service-learning socials, roundtables, fairs, speakers and workshops
- Managed service-learning placements; trained and oriented community partners
- Coordinated student engagement programs and events such as: the Service-Learning Fellows Program, Community Engagement Symposium, student leader retreats and award ceremonies
- Supervised office staff, AmeriCorps, and AmeriCorps VISTA members
Service-Learning Coordinator, Center for Community Engagement & Service-Learning
Gonzaga University
08.2004 - 12.2007
- Coordinated academic service-learning program and events
- Monitored service-learning placements, trained community partners, provided support to service-learning faculty and students
Education
Ph.D. - Leadership Studies
Gonzaga University
Spokane, WA05-2024
Master of Arts - Philosophy
Gonzaga University
Spokane, WA05-2008
Bachelor of Arts - History
Gonzaga University
Spokane, WA05-2000
Skills
- Grant writing
- Community engagement
- Partnership development
- Strategic planning
- Organizational leadership
- Collaborative Problem-solving
- Diversity and inclusion
- Faculty development
- Planning and coordination
- Learning outcome assessment
- Organizational development
- Faculty collaboration
Accomplishments
Ignatian Colleagues Program Graduate, 2024
Good Neighbor Award, City of Spokane Office of Neighborhood Services, 2024
Ignatian Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Student Affairs, Jesuit Association of Student Affairs Professionals (JASPA), 2021
Outstanding Service in Support of Mission Award, Gonzaga University, 2021
Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) Community Leader Award, 2014
Leadership Spokane, Class of 2014
Affiliations
- Place-Based Justice Network National Steering Committee Member
- Western Conversations, Jesuits West
- Partners in Campus Community Engagement (PICCE)
- University Core Committee
- Arrupe Delegate, Jesuits West, 2019-22
- Inland Northwest Community Engagement Institute, Planning Committee
- Gonzaga University Institute for Climate, Water & Society Advisory Board
Teaching Experience
2024-2025
Adjunct Professor, Service & Leadership
School of Leadership Studies, Gonzaga University
2021-2022
Adjunct Professor, Service & Leadership Weekend Intensive
School of Business Administration, Gonzaga University
2002-2025
Adjunct Professor, Imagine, Create, Lead: Community & Place Immersion
Organizational Leadership, Gonzaga University
2009-2012
Adjunct Professor, Critical Thinking
Department of Philosophy, Gonzaga University
Conference Presentations
- Place-Based Justice: Anti-Racist University-Community Engagement in Action. Continuums of Service Conference, 2025
- Leadership Practices of Place-based Community Engagement Professionals. Continuums of Service Conference, 2025
- Leadership Practices of Place-based Community Engagement Professionals. Place-based Justice Network Summer Institute, 2024
- Living Our Anchor Mission: An Innovative Partnership Addressing Family Homelessness, Place-based Justice Network Summer Institute, 2024
- Pathways of Public Service, National Campus Compact, April 2024
- Living Our Anchor Mission: An Innovative Partnership Addressing Family Homelessness, National Campus Compact, April 2024
- Gonzaga Family Haven, International Town Gown Association Annual Conference, June 2023
- Critical Community Engaged Learning, Inland Northwest Community Engagement Institute, May 2023
- Pathways of Public Service, Inland Northwest Community Engagement Institute, May 2023
- Hyperlocal Engagement, Gonzaga University, CUMU: Coalition of Urban & Metropolitan Universities Hyperlocal Engagement Network, July 2021
- Place-Based Community Engagement: Pilot & First Year Case Study Gonzaga University, International Town Gown Association Annual Conference, June 2021
- Lessons from a Place-Based Pilot Year, Place-Based Justice Institute, 2019 Building Campus-Community Research Partnerships, Health Services Research Roundtable, April 2019
- Planning/Doing: What lessons have we learned from starting a place-based initiative?, Place-Based Justice Institute, June 2018
- Reflection in Service Learning, Inland Northwest Community Engagement Institute, May 2018
- Connecting Theory and Practice: Networking Faculty and Community Leaders to Create New Knowledge, Engaging with Community for Justice, International Conference on Hate Studies, October 2017
- Bringing Your Knowledge to Work with Campuses: Building Campus-Community Research Partnerships, Engaging with Community for Justice, International Conference on Hate Studies, October 2017
- The Future of University-Community Partnerships, Conference for the Common Good, October 2015
- Mission Possible: Academic and Student Affairs’ Partnerships Lead to Transformative Student Learning,
- ADP/TDC/NASPA Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement Meeting, June 2015
- Doing More with Less: An Asset Based Approach to Community Development, Continuums of Service Conference, April 2015
- Youth in Planning, Washington American Planning Association Conference, October 2014
- (RED) Retaining, Engaging, Developing: EWU Student-Athletes Program, International Conference on Learning, July 2014
- Evaluating Community-University Partnerships, Continuums of Service Conference, April 2012
Timeline
Assistant Dean, Center for Community Engagement
Gonzaga University
07.2015 - Current
Director, Office of Community Engagement
Eastern Washington University
10.2012 - 07.2015
Assistant Director, Center for Community Engagement & Service-Learning
Gonzaga University
01.2008 - 09.2012
Service-Learning Coordinator, Center for Community Engagement & Service-Learning
Gonzaga University
08.2004 - 12.2007
Ph.D. - Leadership Studies
Gonzaga University
Master of Arts - Philosophy
Gonzaga University
Bachelor of Arts - History
Gonzaga University
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