2025 Summer Institute
Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront
225 East Coastline DriveJacksonville, FL 32202-5458
United States
Leading at the Speed of Change
Organizations are facing a critical leadership gap that threatens growth and hinders potential. In these rapidly changing times, future-ready organizations aren't just aware of this gap—they're actively addressing it.
AFIT’s 2025 learning theme, "Leading at the Speed of Change," empowers higher education leaders like you to drive meaningful change and lead with confidence, even in times of uncertainty. This transformative program provides essential insights, strategies, and tools to:
- Define future-ready leadership: Understand the critical competencies needed to navigate complexity and drive progress in today's dynamic environment.
- Identify leadership gaps: Pinpoint opportunities for growth within your teams and organization, creating a clear strategy for leadership development.
- Foster collaboration and inclusion: Cultivate a culture of belonging and innovation by leveraging the strengths of your entire team.
- Unlock team potential: Empower individuals and teams to surpass expectations and achieve game-changing results.
- Master change and complexity: Develop the resilience and agility to navigate challenges, from political shifts to technological disruptions.
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Develop a workplan: Equip yourself and your teams with the tools and ability to create a roadmap that guides your organization through transformative change, leveraging learning agility, your strengths, and willingness to play with an infinite mindset.
This isn't just about developing stronger leaders; it's about transforming your organization to thrive in uncertainty and seize the opportunities of tomorrow.
Who's Invited:
- AFIT Member CEOs, Reps, and team members
- When building your team, consider inviting emerging leaders, deans and director-level leaders, division chairs, vice presidents, cabinet members, and/or professional development leaders.
- Invited guests
Requirement for Gallup Workshops
at Summer Institute
The printing window for the Gallup materials has closed. If you take your CliftonStrengths Assessment after 7/18, please print your Full 34 Report and bring it with you to Jacksonville.
- I need to take the Full 34 →Click here
- I need to upgrade my Top 5 to the Full 34 → Click here
Click here for detailed instructions to connect your CliftonStrengths Assessment to AFIT's Gallup Access Account.
Team Pride Contest:
AFIT’s annual Team Pride Contest is your chance to show off your team’s spirit, creativity, and leadership vision. This year, we’re celebrating “Change Champions”—the teams who are driving transformation and embracing uncertainty with energy and purpose.
Your Challenge: Turn your Table into a Change Command Center
Each team is invited to design a visual tabletop display—a symbolic "command center" representing how you’re leading change in your organization.
Participation is optional—but fun is guaranteed.
Get the full Team Pride Contest details here »
✨ First time at Summer Institute?
Get ready—AFIT teams bring bold creativity and unforgettable spirit!
🎥 Check out past highlights of Team Pride in action!
Learning Partners:
See all 2025 learning partners »

Stephen "Shed" Shedletzky
Simon Sinek's The Optimism Company

Tim Ziakas
Center for Creative Leadership

Stephen Shields
Gallup
Attire:
For the conference: We recommend "smart casual," which is somewhere between casual and business casual. Nice jeans and sneakers are fine.
Hotel & Meeting Venue:
Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront - SOLD OUT
225 East Coastline Drive
Jacksonville, Florida 32202 United States
Phone: 904-588-1234
Update: AFIT's hotel block is sold out. Please check availability at the nearby overflow hotel.
Overflow Hotel
Marriott Jacksonville Downtown
245 Water St.
Jacksonville, Florida 32202
Explore Jacksonville:
Recommendations from the FSCJ team »
Cancellation Policy: If you cancel on or before May 31, 2025 you will be charged a $50/person cancellation fee. If you cancel between June 1-June 30, 2025, you will receive a 50% refund. No refunds will be awarded after July 1, 2025.
Substitutions are not subject to a cancellation fee. If you need to cancel or substitute a team member, please contact Paul Klute at Paul.Klute@afithighered.com or 785-691-9965.
Agenda
| July 30 | |
| 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM | Travel Day Please book your flight to arrive in time to join us for the pre-conference activities below. |
| 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
Ride NAVI (Neighborhood Autonomous Vehicle Innovation)
Location: Corner of Bay St. and S. Market (right behind the Hyatt) NAVI is the first fully autonomous public transportation system network in the United States. The fare is FREE through September 30th. On Saturday morning, you’ll hear from three visionary leaders about this initiative. More information can be found at: https://www.jtafla.com/transit-services/navi/ |
| 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM |
Executive Committee Meeting
Private meeting of AFIT's Executive Committee. Location: Boardroom 4 (3rd floor) |
| 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM |
Summer Institute Registration
Pick up your badge, event program, and drink tickets at the registration table. Location: 3rd Floor Elevator Foyer |
| 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM |
CEO Networking Session
Private networking event for AFIT member CEOs. Location: St. Johns Room (3rd floor) |
| 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM |
Rep Networking Session
Private networking event for AFIT Reps. Location: City Terrace 12 (3rd floor) |
| 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM |
Welcome Reception
Sponsored by BibliU All registered attendees are welcome to join us for a social hour before you head off to your evening dinner plans. Location: River Terrace 1 (3rd floor) |
| July 31 | |
| 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
Ride NAVI (Neighborhood Autonomous Vehicle Innovation)
Location: Corner of Bay St. and S. Market (right behind the Hyatt) NAVI is the first fully autonomous public transportation system network in the United States. The fare is FREE through September 30th. On Saturday morning, you’ll hear from three visionary leaders about this initiative. More information can be found at: https://www.jtafla.com/transit-services/navi/ |
| 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM | Breakfast Location: Grand Foyer 4/5/6 (2nd floor) |
| 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM | Photo Booth |
| 9:00 AM - 9:25 AM | Welcome to Summer Institute 2025! |
| 9:25 AM - 9:30 AM | Meet our Presenting Sponsor: CampusWorks |
| 9:30 AM - 11:45 AM | Leveraging Strengths for Transformation - Stephen Shields, Gallup Participants will learn how to leverage their own talents even more, to work more effectively with other individuals who have different talents, and to work more smoothly with a team that has a wide variety of talents. |
| 11:45 AM - 12:00 PM | Team Time |
| 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM | Lunch Location: Grand Foyer 4/5/6 |
| 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM | Leveraging Strengths for Transformation - Stephen Shields, Gallup |
| 2:15 PM - 3:15 PM | Agility in Action: Mobilizing Teams to Meet Today’s Challenges - Tim Ziakas, Center for Creative Leadership In this two-part interactive series, community college executives and their teams will explore practical tools to navigate complexity, build alignment, and lead adaptively. Across both sessions, participants will engage in guided frameworks and facilitated team exercises to design a strategic, team-based action plan addressing a real-world institutional challenge. |
| 3:15 PM - 3:20 PM | Meet our Corporate Sponsor: Portico |
| 3:20 PM - 4:30 PM | Team Time | Office hours with Stephen and Tim |
| 4:30 PM | Day 1 Adjourns We encourage you to plan a team dinner or evening activity. See VisitJacksonville.com for ideas. |
| August 1 | |
| 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
Ride NAVI (Neighborhood Autonomous Vehicle Innovation)
Location: Corner of Bay St. and S. Market (right behind the Hyatt) NAVI is the first fully autonomous public transportation system network in the United States. The fare is FREE through September 30th. On Saturday morning, you’ll hear from three visionary leaders about this initiative. More information can be found at: https://www.jtafla.com/transit-services/navi/ |
| 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM | Breakfast Location: Grand Foyer 4/5/6 (2nd floor) |
| 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM | Photo Booth |
| 9:00 AM - 9:10 AM | Welcome to Day 2! |
| 9:10 AM - 9:15 AM | Meet Our Welcome Reception Sponsor: BibliU |
| 9:15 AM - 11:30 AM | Agility in Action: Mobilizing Teams to Meet Today’s Challenges - Tim Ziakas, Center for Creative Leadership In the second of this interactive series, community college executives and their teams will explore practical tools to navigate complexity, build alignment, and lead adaptively. Across both sessions, participants will engage in guided frameworks and facilitated team exercises to design a strategic, team-based action plan addressing a real-world institutional challenge. |
| 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM | Team Time |
| 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM | Lunch Location: Grand Foyer 4/5/6 |
| 12:45 PM - 4:00 PM | How to Lead with an Infinite Mindset - Stephen Shedletzky, The Optimism Company from Simon Sinek How do you win a game that has no finish line? In this highly interactive and engaging workshop, we’ll learn how to live and lead with the appropriate mindset for infinite games, those that have mile markers but no finish line. |
| 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM | Team Time | Office Hours with Shed and Tim |
| 4:30 PM | Day 2 Adjourns We encourage you to plan a team dinner or evening activity. See VisitJacksonville.com for ideas. |
| August 2 | |
| 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM | Breakfast Location: Grand Foyer 4/5/6 (2nd floor) |
| 9:00 AM - 9:10 AM | Welcome to Day 3! |
| 9:10 AM - 9:15 AM | Meet our Transformation Partner: Gravyty |
| 9:15 AM - 10:15 AM | Driving the Future: Jacksonville’s Bold Leap into Autonomous Transit - Dr. John Avendano, President, Florida State College at Jacksonville; Nat Ford, CEO, Jacksonville Transportation Authority; Toby McGraw, CRO, Beep Discover how an innovative partnership between Florida State College at Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, and Beep is revolutionizing mobility and learning in Jacksonville. This session will explore how self-driving shuttles are not only transforming how residents move throughout the city, but also how they’re opening new pathways for education, workforce development, and economic opportunity. |
| 10:15 AM - 10:30 AM | Break |
| 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM |
Breakout Labs
Dare to Lead at the Speed of Change Degrees of Transformation: America's First 3-Year, 92-Credit Bachelor's Degree at a Community College Don't Just Keep Up: Higher Ed Leaders Are Leveraging AI for The New Era of Engagement Driving Innovation: Leading the Development of an Entrepreneurial College Enhancing the Learning Experience with BibliU Engage Turning Ideas in Action: UW-Stout's LEAPP Innovation Model |
| 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM | Grab 'n go snacks available in foyer |
| 11:40 AM - 12:00 PM | Final Reflections, Team Pride Contest Winners Announcement & Closing Remarks |
| 12:00 PM | Summer Institute Adjourns Safe travels! See you next year... |
For More Information:
Presented by:

CampusWorks is higher education’s trusted partner in building resilience and becoming future-ready. Our services, backed by a powerhouse team of experts, tackle today’s challenges and empower students, faculty and staff to reach their full potential.
Learn more: campusworksinc.com