WVLI 2023

Jennie L. Mitchell, Ph.D., is a Pomeroy Award-winning professor and faculty pioneer at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC).

Mitchell has authored various grants, book chapters, articles, podcast scripts, textbook Excel problems and accounting practice sets. Mitchell received a textbook creation grant from the Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI) to write a textbook scheduled to publish in 2025. Mitchell plans to partner with Ph.D. student Trent Deckard (story-telling expert and lecturer at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business) to complete the book titled, Leveraging Data Visualization to Communicate Effectively. Mitchell partnered with the Small Business Development Center to provide over a decade of leadership for women-owned businesses. She has presented and led workshops at a variety of conferences. Mitchell has owned several businesses including an internet service provider business and continues to help not-for-profits in both accounting and data analytics. Before teaching, Mitchell was a cost analyst, an auditor and a controller. Mitchell retired from SMWC and was awarded an Emeritus Professor in 2013 but continues to teach in the Master of Leadership Development (MLD) program, the Master of Business Administration (MBA), and the new Ph.D. in Global Leadership program. Her long tenure at SMWC included various leadership roles, including assisting in the development of new programs including the 8-week Woods Online, the 3+1 Leadership Development program, the Master of Leadership Development Program, the Master of Healthcare Administration, the Graduate Certificate in Women’s Leadership and the new Ph.D. in Global Leadership Program. She is the chief editor ofΑ Journal of Excellence in Global Leadership Mitchell holds a CPA, CMA and XBRL at the International level. She earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum, Instruction and Media Technology from Indiana State University. During her free time, she volunteers in her community, writes “how to” guides, writes science fiction and travels with her husband, Ken. Αρετή (Arete) Christina “Christy” Pearison is a serial entrepreneur who has a continual love for learning, teaching and giving back to her community and those around her. As a 2019 graduate of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, she earned her undergrad degree in Human Services with a minor in Business Administration, she then continued on to earn her master’s degree in Leadership Development, as well as her Women’s Global Leadership Certificate in 2020, both at The Woods. She is a current Ph.D. candidate in Global Leadership, teaches adult academics for Wagler education and is the assistant director of the West Central Indiana Small Business Development Center at Indiana State University. Christy and her husband own two businesses and a nonprofit organization in their small town of Sullivan, Indiana, where they focus on community development, networking support and advocacy services. Christy sits on the Saint Mary of the Woods College Alumni Board of Directors, Pace Community Board, Addiction Recovery Sub-Committee board for United Way, Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce Board, Sullivan County Tornado Recovery Board and is the chair of the Sullivan County CEO Board. She is a wife, mother, granny and most recently awarded the 2021 Leader of the Year award for Sullivan County.

JENNIE MITCHELL, PH.D.

CHRISTINA PEARISON

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