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Meet the Forum Team
We’re here to help
WICHE staff coordinate Western Academic Leadership Forum activities, communications, and membership, and undertake logistics for the Forum’s Annual Meeting each spring. For support on Forum programs and initiatives, contact:
Raymonda Burgman Gallegos
Vice President, Programs and Services
303-541-0222rbgallegos@wiche.edu
Raymonda Burgman Gallegos serves as the Vice President, Programs and Services. In this role, alongside a team of dedicated and knowledgeable professionals, she pursues increasing student access to postsecondary education and training, building and enhancing collaborations between institutions and their leadership, and efficient procurement and contracting for college and university staff. The Programs and Services unit impacts students, academic leaders, and operations team members. It has three regional tuition savings programs, which include the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP), and the Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP). The unit also manages the Western Alliance of Community College Academic Leaders (the Alliance) and the Western Academic Leadership Forum (the Forum). These two membership groups serve the leadership development and networking needs of chief academic officers in the region. The Alliance and Forum spurred the development of the innovative student transfer initiative, Interstate Passport ®, and fostered the creation of the Western Academic Leadership Academy. Programs and Services recently added a program for humanities faculty interested in academic leadership. The unit also partners with the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) to provide institutions with operational savings through two programs, MHECare Student Health Solutions and Technology Contracts. Previously, Burgman Gallegos served as director of programs and research for eight years at HERS (Higher Education Resource Services), a nonprofit leadership development organization focused on women and gender-diverse leaders who work in postsecondary settings. She also served as an administrator at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, and in academic affairs and the office of the president at New College of Florida, in Sarasota, Florida. Burgman Gallegos was a tenured professor in economics and management at DePauw University. She also taught at two other institutions in Florida, Santa Fe College and the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. She received a bachelor’s degree in economics from New College of Florida and a doctorate in economics from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida.
Onnika Hanson-White
Administrative Assistant III, Programs and Services
Onnika Hanson-White graduated from Oklahoma City University with a major in Acting. Before joining WICHE, she has worked mostly in food service as a bartender, caterer, and event designer. She is very excited to be working at WICHE and bringing her customer service background and love of working with others to her position as Administrative Assistant III in the Programs and Services unit.
Outside of work, Onnika sings in bands around Northern Colorado. She loves to support the local music scene and enjoys spending time with family and friends.
Kay Hulstrom
Associate Director, Operations and Program Implementation, Programs and Services
303.541.0294khulstrom@wiche.edu
Kay Hulstrom serves as WICHE’s associate director of operations and academic leadership initiatives. She works on a variety of projects including the Western Academic Leadership Academy, the Western Academic Leadership Forum, and the Western Alliance of Community College Academic Leaders. The latter two are membership organizations for the chief academic officers of WICHE-region two and four-year institutions and system offices. She holds a B.S. in finance from Colorado State University.
Olivia Tufo
Manager, Community Engagement and Development, Programs and Services
Olivia Tufo is the manager of community engagement and development for the Programs & Services unit at the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). The Programs and Services unit broadens student access to postsecondary education and fosters higher education collaborations that increase institutional effectiveness. Tufo manages membership of the Western Alliance of Community College Academic Leaders and the Western Academic Leadership Forum. Tufo also works on initiatives that bring together the West’s higher education leaders to address common goals and issues, such as the No Holding Back study and the Interstate Passport Network which aims to streamline the student transfer process through a nationwide network of institutions.