Staff
Meet the staff members from the Office of Community-Engaged Leadership and learn how we can assist you.
Staff
Ask me about:
- Department Info
- Community Engagement
- Spirituality + College Women
Heather Jo provides leadership and strategic direction for all co-curricular service and community engagement opportunities and undergraduate leadership education and programming. Heather Jo believes that mutually beneficial community engagement can serve as a vehicle for student leadership, for discovering one’s purpose, and for fostering deeper impact and transformation. In addition to leading CEL, Heather Jo co-directs a prestigious leadership and mentorship program for the division of Student Affairs. Heather Jo has more than twelve years of experience working in higher education having worked directly with community engagement activities, leadership development, international travel, risk management, student conduct, and scholarship programming. Outside of work, Heather Jo enjoys gardening, live music, running, and spending time with her young family.
- Ed.D. Educational Leadership | Appalachian State University
- M.A. Higher Education Administration | Georgia Southern University
Ask me about:
- Dialogue across Difference
- LGBTQ Student Services
- Plemmons Leadership Scholars
Summer joined Community-Engaged Leadership in 2018, after previously serving as a Learner Partner on three ASE programs. She spent her first 5 years in CEL as an Assistant Director working with Alternative Service Experience and currently serves as an Associate Director working with the Plemmons Leadership Scholars and the Sustained Dialogue program and Appalachian Interchange Retreat. She previously served as the Assistant Director of Alumni Affairs at Appalachian State working with the Appalachian Student Ambassadors, and was the founding staff member of the LGBT Resource Office at East Carolina University. Summer met her husband Hunter Boone during their first year at App State in undergrad. They have two young daughters, Decker and Robin.
- M.A. Sociology | East Carolina University
Ask me about:
- Leadership Classes
- Global Leadership Exchange
- Leadership Minor
Megan Kasper serves as the Associate Director of Community-Engaged Leadership / Director of the Leadership Minor at her alma mater, Appalachian State University. She is a two-time Mountaineer graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics; Secondary Education and a Master of Arts in Student Affairs Administration. In addition to working as a public school teacher, Megan has over a decade of experience working in higher education, directly with leadership development and education, learning communities, teacher education, career development, and college access. They also have experience in outdoor education and nonprofit leadership serving with the Tourette Information Center & Support (TICS) in leading their Camp Twitch and Shout program. Motivated to empower others in developing their leadership identity and context, her professional interests are in applying positive psychology to the practice of leadership, exploring practices of social responsibility, and understanding education policy and its impact on student success outcomes. Megan is happily married, a twin, and passionate about serving others. Her hobbies include reading and watching historical dramas, traveling to explore new places, and enjoying the outdoors with her friends and dogs.
Ask me about:
- Trailhead Extended Orientation
- Service Breaks
Elayna serves as the Assistant Director for Community-Engaged Leadership, focusing on Alternative Service Experience (ASE) and Trailhead extended orientation. She joined the CEL team in 2023. Community engagement and leadership education have been focal points of Elayna’s career as both a student and professional, starting from her first alternative break experience as a student at Emporia State University. In addition to her experience with alternative breaks and community engagement programs, she has experience working in admissions, campus food pantries and basic needs support, and academic advising. In her free time, Elayna enjoys tending to her large collection of house plants and taking adorable pictures of her cat, Luna.
- M.S. Student Affairs in Higher Education | Missouri State University
Ask me about:
- Local Volunteering
- Community Partners
While born and raised in Florida, Brent worked briefly in Washington, DC, and eventually moved to Los Angeles, where he earned his doctorate in Hispanic Languages and Literatures from the University of California, Los Angeles. After years of teaching at Appalachian and consistent service work here in Boone and Latin America, Brent has decided to pursue his passion for community engagement and student success with CEL. Outside of work, his hobbies include travel, photography, outdoor adventure, and spending quality time with his immediate family and his extended soccer family.
Ask me about:
- App Votes
- Civic Literacy
- Plemmons Leadership Scholars
Ashley loves creating connections with students while helping them discover their leadership potential and apply their skills to their own experiences. Ashley earned her B.S. in Communication, with a minor in Leadership from Emporia State University and her M.S. in Student Affairs Administration from Appalachian State University. In her free time, Ashley loves reading, watching reality TV, and taking her two pups on adventures.
- M.S. Student Affairs Administration | Appalachian State University
Graduate Staff
