Emma Jones serves as Executive Vice President for Leadership with Carnegie, working at the intersection of leadership and institutional strategy. She partners with presidents, cabinets, Boards of Trustees, and higher education associations, developing leadership effectiveness in service to institutional goals. Emma contributes to the national conversation on higher education leadership through her ongoing work on how senior campus leaders navigate complex change, build trust with diverse stakeholders, and sustain their leadership energy.

Education

• BA, Literature & Mass Communications, University of North Carolina at Asheville
• MA, Liberal Studies, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• Ed.D., Higher Education Leadership, Maryville University of St. Louis (in progress)

Interviews

• Using Four Frames to Communicate Across Leadership Styles — HigherEdJobs
• Is Your Desire for Control Undermining Trust? — The Caring University Newsletter
• Inside the All-Important Presidential Transition —The Chronicle of Higher Education
• Six Ways to Build Trust Between College Presidents and Their Students — Inside Higher Ed
• Why College Leaders are Obsessing Over Retention, Partnerships, and Mergers — Boston Business Journal

Publications

• Access, Accessibility, & Change: A Call for Trustworthy Leadership in Higher Education — Author, Intersections Magazine for Lutheran Higher Education
• People First, Professionals Second — Author, LinkedIn
• Pivot: A Vision for the New University — Executive Editor, Credo Press, 2019
• Surviving to Thriving: A Planning Framework for Leaders of Private Colleges and Universities — Executive Editor, Credo Press, 2014

Recent Speaking Engagements

• What Makes Institutions Vital? A Framework for High-Stakes Decision-Making in Higher Education — Keynote, Chief of Staff Inaugural Summit, 2026
• Trust During Institutional Change
  Panel Chair, Council of Independent Colleges Presidents Institute, 2026
• Politics, Personhood, & Higher Education Leadership
  Panel Facilitator, Credo + AAC&U Leadership Institute for Women & Gender-Diverse Leaders, 2025
• Coaching for Leadership Growth
  Presenter, Associated Colleges of the South Mellon Faculty Fellows Program, 2026
• Aligning Institutional Strategy and Brand for Impact
  Co-Presenter, Mackinac Roundtable on Talent, 2026
  Presenter, American Marketing Association Symposium for Higher Education, 2025
• Building the Bench: Models for Consortial Leadership Development
  Panel Facilitator, Association for Collaborative Leadership Annual Conference, 2025
• President as Advocate: Sustaining Your Leadership
  Workshop Facilitator, National Association of Independent Colleges & Universities (NAICU), 2025

Recent Leadership Development Work

• TICUA Executive Leadership Institute & Aspiring Leaders Summit
• New American Colleges & Universities (NACU) Leadership Institute  
• Association of Presbyterian Colleges & University (APCU) Executive Leadership Program
• Appalachian Colleges Association (ACA) Rural Higher Education Leadership Institute
• Credo + AAC&U’s Leadership Institutes for Women and Gender-Diverse Leaders in Higher Education 
• Credo + NAICU New Presidents Initiative 
• Five Colleges Consortium, Inc. (FCI) Mellon Foundation Faculty Development Program
• Constructive Dialogue Leadership Institute