About Sarah
Sarah Holtan, Ph.D.
High-level Leadership, LLC
President & Founder
High-level Leadership exists to help academics discover new ideas to streamline expenses, access leadership training, and provide consulting for non-profit colleges, including Christian colleges. I want to help you and your team overcome that feeling of being “stuck.” Perhaps you lack the in-house expertise or time to update student policies, or need a fresh speaker for an upcoming training professional development session, or need advice on a challenging issue. My goal is to provide you with a breakthrough experience that results in tangible improvement.
I straddle the two worlds of non-profit higher ed and for-profit business. I have more than twenty years’ experience in higher education, including senior roles such as Special Advisor to the President, Vice President of Student Life, and Dean of Students. I simultaneously co-own and serve on the boards of aggregate-production and construction-supporting companies.
My first career was in the media, producing live television news on the award-winning morning show for the ABC affiliate in Milwaukee.
I suppose it was inevitable that I would create a thought leadership engine bridging all three of those experiences.
My thought leadership addresses these burning questions in higher ed:
Which business and consumer-friendly tactics could we apply to higher ed practices? Which tactics might decrease college expenses, and in turn, increase the affordability of college?
What does leadership training for current and emerging leaders look like in an era of a shifting higher ed landscape?
How do college student policies and practices reflect organizational values of gender? How do those messages help or hinder inclusion and equity efforts?
Educational Credentials:
Ph.D. in Journalism Education
Marquette University
M.S. in Education
Concordia University Wisconsin
B.A. in Mass Communication and Political Science
Augsburg College
Private Board Governance Certification
Private Directors Association
Why I started High-level Leadership:
I strongly believe in finding ways to help higher ed become more fiscally sustainable, which will lead to a more affordable college price tag. The podcast, “Get Down to College Business,” and blogs focus on identifying creative ways for colleges to operate efficiently and simultaneously meet the priorities of students better. Colleges will serve not only students better, but also society. Colleges themselves will benefit by becoming more fiscally viable, which attracts and retains more students. The national trend of enrollment decline is likely to continue if we continue to do the same things the same ways.
I also believe there are ways to align the needs of students with the goals of college leadership. Higher ed leaders and the policies they design may benefit from another perspective, one that helps them become equipped for the evolving landscape and the need for inclusive student policies. Leaders may also value training that speaks to the core of today’s challenges, such as managing faculty burnout and retaining employees.
Volunteerism:
I am an active committee leader for TEMPO Milwaukee, a non-profit dedicated to creating a society where women hold an equal place in leadership, policy, and decision-making. I also serve on the board for Milestone Plumbing, Inc, a female-owned and operated business in Wauwatosa, WI.