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President
Office Contact
Nicklaus Foster, Executive Administrator for the Office of the President
nmfoster@seu.edu | 863.667.5002
Dr. Kent Ingle serves as the president of SEU (Southeastern University) in Lakeland, Florida. Ingle is the executive head of the institution and all of its departments, directing the university’s operations in accordance with its vision, mission and beliefs. As the 15th president of SEU, Ingle is passionate about educating and preparing students for Christ-centered leadership and service.
Ingle has held a variety of leadership positions in higher education, pastoral ministry and the nonprofit sector. He is the author of several leadership books and the creator and host of the Framework Leadership podcast. He is also a frequent columnist for Fox News, Newsmax and Influence Magazine. He has appeared on Fox & Friends, CBSN, CNN, HLN and The Ingraham Angle on Fox. Ingle has earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary.
Executive Vice President
Dean, Barnett College of Ministry & Theology
Office Contact
Jill Johnson, Executive Director for Administrative Planning
jmjohnson1@seu.edu | 863.667.5146
Since 2017, Dr. Chris Owen has served as the university’s executive vice president. Owen assists the president by leading SEU’s strategic planning and development. Additionally, he oversees the Barnett College of Ministry and Theology.
Previously, Owen spent seven years as the vice president of student development, managing all non-academic areas of the student experience. Owen has more than 17 years of executive leadership experience in the local church and received his Doctor of Ministry degree from George Fox University.
Provost & Chief Academic Officer
Office Contact
Wendy Alderman, CAP, Executive Assistant
wfalderman@seu.edu | 863.667.5004
Originally established as SEU’s provost and chief academic officer in 2021, Dr. Meghan Griffin serves the university through executive leadership and management of academic programs and deliveries across the SEU network of campuses as well as student success, library services, honors, and academic partnership initiatives. As provost, Griffin ensures that all academic resources and collegiate objectives align with SEU’s mission, vision and strategic plan.
Griffin first joined the university in 2017 as the academic dean of unrestricted education. Prior to that, she served in extension campuses at Palm Beach Atlantic University for seven years and served as a faculty member and department chair in Florida’s public state college system for six years. Griffin has received a Ph.D. in texts and technology from the University of Central Florida.
Provost Emeritus
Professor of Practical Ministry
Office Contact
Kim D. White, Executive Assistant
kdwhite@seu.edu | 863.667.5553
Dr. William “Bill” C. Hackett, Jr., currently serves SEU as provost emeritus, providing guidance to the university’s leadership team. He is also a professor in the Barnett College of Ministry and Theology and teaches a variety of practical ministry and Bible courses. He also teaches speech courses in the College of Business, Communication and Leadership.
Previously serving for 10 years as provost, Hackett has been an integral part of the university since 1988. He has held several positions in teaching, administration, student development and academic affairs. With 15 years of experience in ministry, Hackett has also served in many pastoral roles. He has received a Doctor of Ministry degree from Biola University and a Doctor of Education degree from SEU.
Vice President of SEU Creative
Branding & Marketing
Office Contact
Karlee Marsh, Executive Assistant
kmmarsh1@seu.edu | 843.408.7165
As vice president for marketing, Jamie Anderson oversees Southeastern University’s brand strategy, developing marketing campaigns that drive engagement and brand awareness.
As a full-service digital agency owner, with over 25 years of experience in multi-speciality, multi-channeled organizations, Anderson brings a unique perspective in marketing and branding to higher education. Prior to joining SEU, Anderson lead the most successful SEU extension site launch to date.
Vice President of Institutional Research & Effectiveness
Chief Information Officer
Office Contact
Lindsey Francia, Executive Assistant
lmfrancia@seu.edu | 863.667.5933
Dr. Cody Lloyd is the vice president for institutional research and effectiveness and chief information officer (CIO). In his role, he oversees the accreditation process and provides key data and analysis for the university. He is responsible for leading and managing the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Office of Institutional Research and Strategic Projects, the Office of Accreditation and Compliance, Office of the Registrar, Instructional Design and Technology, and Information Technology.
Prior to his current position, he served as the university’s associate vice president for information management. Lloyd has also worked in various capacities at Taylor University and Rollins College, and has led a wide variety of institutional accreditation projects. Lloyd has earned an Ed.D. in organizational leadership from SEU.
Vice President of Strategic Partnerships
Office Contact
Katie Marki, Executive Assistant
kmarki@seu.edu | 863.667.5502
Justin Lathrop serves as the vice president for strategic partnerships at SEU. He works to secure and maintain key partnerships for the university.
Lathrop has spent over 20 years in local church ministry. During that time, he started businesses and ministries that partner with pastors and churches. He is the founder of Helpstaff.me (now Vanderbloemen Search), Oaks School of Leadership, and YoungPastors.com. Prior to coming to Southeastern, Lathrop worked as the director of strategic relations for the General Council of the Assemblies of God. He has also worked with the Leadership Network and Convoy of Hope and is the author of the book The Likeable Christian.
Vice President of Finance
Chief Financial Officer
Office Contact
Julie Ann Hudson, Executive Assistant
jahudson@seu.edu | 863.667.5006
Phillip “Phil” Schmitt is the vice president of finance and the university’s chief financial officer (CFO). In this position, he is responsible for leading and coordinating all financial elements of SEU. Schmitt oversees accounting, compliance, financial analysis and reporting, investment management, risk management and treasury function.
Previously serving as the director of finance for both SEU and Roberts Wesleyan College, Schmitt has filled a variety of finance and accounting roles within higher education since 2012. He has earned his Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Rochester.
Vice President of Student Development
Office Contact
Sarah Gross, Executive Assistant
segross@seu.edu | 863.667.5654
As vice president for student development, Dr. Bethany Thomas serves the university through leadership and coordination of all elements of the student experience. Thomas works to create a cultural environment at SEU that empowers students’ growth missionally, encourages students’ achievement academically and socially, and inspires students’ depth spiritually.
Thomas has served the university since 2008, and previously held the position of executive director of student experience. Before coming to SEU, she worked in the office of the provost at the University of Miami. Thomas has received her Doctor of Education degree from SEU.
Vice President of Innovation & Communication
As vice president for innovation and communication, Dr. Michael Steiner is an integral part of the executive leadership team, overseeing the start-up of new university initiatives and seeking funding for these initiatives through grant sources. He is also responsible for cultivating relationships with local, state and federal representatives. Additionally, Steiner is responsible for the development of the SEU Media Network.
Steiner has worked for the university in a variety of positions since 2015. He has received a Ph.D. in business psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
Vice President, Community Relations
Chief Diversity Officer
Office Contact
863.667.5506
Sylvia Blackmon-Roberts is the vice president for community relations and chief diversity officer. As a part of the executive leadership team, Blackmon-Roberts works to ensure that the values of diversity, equity and inclusion are upheld in the university’s culture, policies and practices. She is also responsible for advancing SEU’s vision, mission and brand through community engagement, outreach, awareness, and the building of corporate relationships that create partnerships, talent pipelines, experiential learning opportunities and support funding.
Blackmon-Roberts, a former CEO, brings over 35 years of executive leadership experience serving as a consultant to government, not-for-profit and corporate industries. She has been a panelist on Black Enterprise Television and CNBC. Additionally, she is a highly sought-after speaker regarding women in leadership. She has earned a master’s degree in human resources administration from Southeastern University.
Vice President, SEU Ministry Network
Office Contact
Katie Marki, Executive Assistant
kmarki@seu.edu | 863.667.5502
Dr. Ben Sigman serves as the Chief Advancement Officer. In this position he is responsible for capital development and fundraising at SEU This includes planned giving, annual initiatives, grants and special initiatives. These efforts help fund and fuel the innovation of the university and help keep SEU affordable and accessible for students .
Prior to coming to SEU, Sigman has worked as a Generosity Strategist at Generis and is the founder and Principle of Ministry Advance, a capital development group.
He holds both a master’s and doctorate from Fuller Theological Seminary.
Chief Advancement Officer
Office Contact
Jennifer Kress, Administrative Assistant
jekress@seu.edu | 863.667.5193
Dr. Ben Sigman serves as the Chief Advancement Officer. In this position he is responsible for capital development and fundraising at SEU This includes planned giving, annual initiatives, grants and special initiatives. These efforts help fund and fuel the innovation of the university and help keep SEU affordable and accessible for students .
Prior to coming to SEU, Sigman has worked as a Generosity Strategist at Generis and is the founder and Principle of Ministry Advance, a capital development group.
He holds both a master’s and doctorate from Fuller Theological Seminary.
Associate Provost
Office Contact
863.667.5238
Degrees
BA in English Literature, University of Florida
MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), University of Central Florida
EdD in Organizational Leadership, Nova Southeastern University
Biography
For Dr. Amy Bratten, teaching at Southeastern was a natural choice because it kept her in Polk County, where she has been living, learning, and teaching for all but five years of her life. Dr. Bratten stumbled upon TESOL classes as an undergraduate at the University of Florida, but she quickly got hooked on the subject, compiling enough classes for an undergraduate minor and then taking an MA specifically in TESOL at University of Central Florida. She began her teaching career in the Polk County School District (PCSD) in 2000 and has taught language arts, intensive reading, and ESOL classes. Her classes have been populated with students from varying countries, cultural backgrounds, and linguistic backgrounds, one class representing 17 languages at one time! In addition to her work as a classroom teacher, Dr. Bratten has served as a dance team coach, cheerleading coach, department chair, teacher trainer, cooperative learning trainer, and ESOL coordinator at four schools in PCSB. She has also served as a teacher resource specialist trainer at the District Office ESOL Department, facilitating teacher, counselor, and administrator training sessions. Dr. Bratten and her husband, Jake, have also adopted two pre-teen children.
Alongside her teaching in secondary schools, Dr. Bratten has also had experience in post-secondary education, teaching adult ESOL classes at Valencia Community College and education classes at University of South Florida. She has also conducted guest lectures on ESOL at Florida Southern College and Walt Disney World, the latter have been a seminar for managers working with employees whose native language is not English. Dr. Bratten is excited to be teaching at Southeastern because it allows her to help shape the teachers of the future, preparing them for more fulfilling teaching experiences and helping them transition from the theory of the textbook to the reality of the classroom. She hopes that her students catch the joy of being a K-12 educator and that they see how Christian principles naturally blend with education on a daily basis, no matter who the students are.
Dr. Bratten teaches a variety of education courses at Southeastern, but she will be found most regularly in Field Study courses, Student Teaching, and Empowering ESOL Teachers: An Overview and Applied Linguistics. She is the program coordinator for the Master of Arts in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). Her research interests are the efficacy of ESOL teacher training programs, specifically Florida’s ESOL teacher training module, and best practices of effective professional development.
