The Walter Magazine

A Letter From The Executive Director

As Executive Director of the Robert D. Walter Center for Strategic Leadership, it is both an honor and a privilege to reflect on another extraordinary year of impact, growth, and momentum through this edition of The Walter. Each story highlighted in these pages represents far more than a program, event, award, or milestone. They represent developing leaders who lead with purpose, serve with humility, and continuously challenge themselves and others to make a meaningful difference in the world around them.

This year was filled with moments worth celebrating across our center, our college, and our community. We proudly celebrated the 5th anniversary of the Lancaster Executive Leadership Speaker Series, a signature experience made possible through the extraordinary generosity and vision of Betsy Lancaster (’70) and family in honor of Raymond A. Lancaster (’68). What began as a bold idea to expose students to world-class leadership voices and executive mentorship has grown into one of the most impactful leadership experiences on our campus. This year’s event was truly one for the books, featuring internationally renowned author James Clear (Atomic Habits) and Ohio University alumnus Ryan Hawk (’05, author, and host of The Learning Leader Show podcast) in a dynamic live podcast conversation that inspired our students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community members alike. Watching our students engage with leaders of this caliber reinforces exactly why experiences like these matter.

We also celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Eco-Challenge — a decade of experiential learning, innovation, teamwork, and problem solving that has transformed the student experience for so many participants. In that same spirit of celebrating impact, we recognized the remarkable 10-year journey of Amy Toth, whose dedication, leadership, mentorship, and unwavering commitment to students have left a lasting imprint on the Walter Center and on countless lives.

This year also brought tremendous accomplishments from our leadership team and student organizations. We proudly celebrated Kim Jordan’s completion of her PhD, a milestone that reflects years of dedication, perseverance, and scholarship.

We also celebrated the incredible recognition earned by Shawnee Chapman and the student chapter of Society for Human Resource Management, whose achievements continue to elevate both the College of Business and Ohio University on a national stage.

Throughout these pages, you will also read about the students who embody the very values we strive to cultivate every day through the presentation of the LEAD pins and scholarships. These recognitions honor students who demonstrate integrity, authenticity, humility, service, impact, and respect which are the values that define not only exceptional leadership, but exceptional human beings. Their stories remind us that leadership is not about titles or recognition, but about how we positively influence and serve others.

You will also see the power of experiential learning come to life through our networking trips, community service initiatives, mentoring experiences, leadership programs, and student engagement opportunities. Whether traveling to connect with alumni and organizations across the country, serving communities in and around the Athens area in meaningful ways, or developing leadership skills alongside peers and mentors, our students continue to demonstrate that leadership is best learned through experience. At the Walter Center, we often say that “the only way to learn to lead is to lead,” and this year our students did exactly that.

As you read this year’s edition of The Walter, I hope you feel the same sense of pride, gratitude, and optimism that I feel every day as I have the privilege to serve alongside such extraordinary students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, and supporters. None of this would be possible without the people who believe in our mission and invest in developing the next generation of leaders.

To everyone who helped make this incredible year possible — thank you for believing in our students, our programs, and our vision for leadership that creates lasting impact.

With gratitude,

Jennifer Traxler, D.ODC