Congratulations to Kevin on a well-deserved retirement following a distinguished career in student affairs. We look forward to Kevin's continued contributions to Prepared Campus Consulting in his role as Vice President for Educational Programs and Mentoring Services.
September 25, 2024
Eugene L. Zdziarski, II, PhD, will retire from DePaul effective Jan. 1, 2025 after serving as vice president for Student Affairs for over a decade.
Zdziarski joined DePaul as vice president in July 2014, bringing more than 25 years of experience as a student affairs professional. During his tenure Zdziarski oversaw the building of new traditions, established student persistence and success as a divisional focus and managed significant growth of the unit in the last three years.
Known for his commitment to collaboration and student success, Zdziarski guided the division when four student identity and cultural centers were created in 2017. Also early in his tenure he played a part in establishing new traditions at DePaul, such as ‘On Thursdays we Wear Blue,’ the Midnight Breakfast, Ugly Sweater Party and Blue Demon Welcome.
A nationally recognized expert on campus safety issues and crisis management, Vice President Zdziarski navigated Student Affairs through some tumultuous times in higher education, including the 2016 presidential election, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Israel-Hamas War. During the pandemic, Zdziarski served as the senior administrative lead on the university’s community health team.
Congratulations Gene! We look forward to your expanded engagement with Prepared Campus Consulting.
August 22, 2024
A thought provoking article by Eric Hodges, Vice President for Emergency Management Services at Prepared Campus Consulting, was published in the recent edition of the IEAM Bulletin. In the article, Eric discusses the changing landscape of emergency management and proposes that a more accurate description of what emergency management in higher education has become is "institutional resiliency."
Eric is always on the forefront of issues in emergency management, especially in higher education settings. We value the knowledge, experience, and insight he brings to Prepared Campus Consulting.
July 27, 2024
We are pleased to announce that Aaron Woodruff, Chief, Illinois State University Police, has joined Prepared Campus Consulting as a consultant. Aaron brings new areas of expertise to the consulting group with extensive experience in law enforcement in higher education and municipal law enforcement.
Aaron sees the big picture in crisis response and the importance of coordination between entities beyond first responders to be successful in managing crises. He has been engaged in preparation, mitigation, response, and recovery activities as a patrol officer, chief of police, and interim director of emergency management.
July 8, 2024
Prepared Campus Consulting is partnering with the Center for Assessment, Research, and Educational Safety (C.A.R.E.S) at Sam Houston State University and the Office of Research and Graduate Studies at Stephen F. Austin State University on a national study to assess presidents' and chancellors' perceptions of their campuses preparedness to respond to crises. Look for more information in the future.
June 28, 2024
We are pleased to announce that Dave Hubeny, Executive Director for the Office of Emergency Management at Binghamton University, has joined Prepared Campus Consulting as a consultant. Dave has extensive experience with preparing for and responding to various emergencies at Binghamton University and in the local community. Dave has also assisted other colleges and universities with their emergency preparedness and response.
Dave was recently quoted in The Chronicle of Higher Education Research Brief entitled, "Making Campuses Safe: Emerging Threats, Technologies and Solutions." The brief includes highlights of the efforts by Dave and his staff to prepare the campus for extreme weather occurrances.
June 21, 2024
We are pleased to announce the addition of Terry Pankratz as a partner and Treasurer in Prepared Campus Consulting. Terry currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer at the University of Texas at Dallas. Terry is a valuable addition to our team and brings significant experience with risk management and crisis planning and response at multiple universities.
May 31, 2024
Congratulations to Bill Kibler on his appointment as Acting President of the College of Southern Nevada. The College of Southern Nevada is fortunate to have someone of his caliber lead it for the next year while they search for a permanent president. Bill will continue to serve as Executive Vice President of Prepared Campus Consulting while in his new role.
May 22, 2024
Prepared Campus Consulting is proud to announce that Dr. Kevin Jackson, Vice President for Student Life at Baylor University, is joining the group as a partner and serve as Vice President of Educational Programs and Mentoring Services. Kevin has been engaged in crisis planning and response at the University of Denver, Texas A&M University, and Baylor University. He is also the author of Making Sense Out of the Senseless: A Framework for Understanding the Impact of Traumatic Events on the Lives of Student Affairs Professionals in Crisis, Compassion, and Resiliency in Student Affairs: Using Triage Practices to Foster Well-Being.
May 6, 2024
The May 3, 2024 edition of Campus Safety Magazine features an article entitled, "Higher Education Crisis Management: 10 Things I learned in My 40-Year Career," authored by Brent Paterson, President of Prepared Campus Consulting.
April 28,2024
We are pleased to announce the addition of Dr. Kevin Bailey to the Prepared Campus Consulting team. Bailey, as he prefers to be called, has provided leadership for responses to hurricanes including Katrina, a campus shooting, and other crises on campuses where he has worked. His knowledge and experience are invaluable.
April 16, 2024
We are pleased to announce the addition of Carla Stein to the Prepared Campus Consulting team. Carla brings considerable experience with crisis management in the community college setting.
April 9, 2024
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Mindy Sutton has joined Prepared Campus Consulting as a consultant. Mindy brings considerable experience with crisis management at universities and teaches a course in crisis management in higher education at SMU.
February 28, 2024
Eric Hodges, Vice President, Emergency Management Services at Prepared Campus Consulting, is featured in the February 2024 edition of Redbird Impact magazine in an article entitled "Director of Disaster: When emergencies arise, Eric Hodges answers the call."