Staff

Gloria D. Thomas, PhD

President

Dr. Gloria D. Thomas joined HERS as President August 31, 2021. As President, Dr. Thomas supports the organization as an entrepreneurial and visionary leader responsible for enhancing the reputation of HERS and building strategic relationships to grow and advance the organization and the community of women it seeks to serve.  

Dr. Thomas has 20+ years of experience in the area of women’s leadership development that includes time at the University of North Carolina, University of Michigan, as well as the American Council on Education (ACE). She came to HERS from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she served as the Director of the Carolina Women’s Center, Senior Personnel for the NSF-funded Targeting Equity in Access to Mentoring (TEAM) ADVANCE, and the Curriculum Development and Facilitator Trainer for the NIH-funded PROMISE Study. From 2009 – 2016, she was the Executive Director of the Center for the Education of Women (CEW) at the University of Michigan. Earlier, she served as Associate Director at the American Council on Education (ACE) for 8 years, first with the ACE Fellows Program, and subsequently in the Office of Women in Higher Education, where she was responsible for ACE Women’s Networks. Prior to working at ACE, she conducted research at CEW, and coordinated the Women of Color in the Academy Project, a support network for women of color faculty, while pursuing her doctoral degree. She began her career in academic administration in the Office of Admissions at Swarthmore College, where she worked for 7 years. 

In North Carolina, Dr. Thomas recently completed a 3-year term as State Chair of the NC ACE Network of Women Leaders in Higher Education.  She also volunteered as a writing tutor at the NC Correctional Institution for Women (NCCIW), and served on the board of BRIDGES, a professional development program for women in NC higher education. Dr. Thomas also served as a member and Program Chair for the AAUW Orange, Durham, Chatham Counties Branch and as Education Committee Co-chair and member of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP.  

Dr. Thomas earned a B.A. in English and Black Studies from Swarthmore College (PA), an M.A. in English from Villanova University (PA), and a Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Michigan. She is the proud, single mother of two young adults. 

Raymonda “Ray” Burgman, Ph.D.

Director of Programs and Research

Ray Burgman joined HERS as the Director of HERS Leadership Institute in June 2013. Ray brings over 20 years of experience in a variety of public and independent higher education settings–community college, liberal arts college, and urban and metropolitan university. Ray has expertise in strategic leadership, program, and curricular development. As the Director of HERS Leadership Institute, Ray is responsible for program service development and delivery, admission, and research and assessment. Prior to joining the HERS team, Ray served as the Associate Provost at New College of Florida and Associate Professor of Economics and Management and Special Advisor to the President for Strategic Faculty Initiatives at DePauw University. Ray has a Ph.D. and M.A. in Economics from the University of Florida and a B.A. in Economics from New College of Florida.

Janet Ash, M.B.A.

Director of Finance and Administration

Janet Ash joined HERS as the Director of Business Operations in September 2015, moved to the Director of Finance and Operations role in June 2017, and the Director of Finance and Administration in July 2019.  In her role, Janet is responsible for the budget, accounting, and finance of HERS as well as data management and process planning. Prior to joining HERS, Janet served as Director of Operations for a local non-profit.  She is a former owner/manager of several businesses. Janet earned her MBA from Regis University and BS in Organizational Management from Colorado Christian University and is currently pursuing her PhD in Business from the University of Denver. She is a Project Management Professional (PMP) as certified by the Project Management Institute.

When not working on her dissertation, Janet enjoys reading for pleasure, watching football – Go Broncos!, and enjoying beautiful Colorado.

Caitlin "C.J." Dempsey, M.S.

Associate Director of Marketing and Recruiting

C.J. joined HERS in April 2020 as the new Associate Director of Marketing and Recruiting. C.J. is responsible for promoting the HERS reputation, leading program recruitment, and operating as the communications liaison for HERS Network members, prospective program participants, institutional partners, and donors.

She has 10+ years of experience as a cross-functional team leader, positioning various products and missions through integrated marketing. Her career has been shaped by mission-driven work committed to making education more equitable, inclusive, and tailored to fit the unique needs of underserved or underrepresented communities. Outside of HERS, C.J. serves as a Co-Founder of Anpo Wicahpi, a college-prep school for girls of the Pine Ridge Reservation — rooted in their Lakota language and culture. 

C.J. has a B.A. in Government with a focus on Justice and Peace Studies from Georgetown University and an M.S. in Nonprofit Management from The New School. 

C.J. is based in Washington, DC, and enjoys going to art exhibits at the many museums the city offers and taking classes to practice her love for painting, Spanish, and yoga.   

Alexa Asher

Marketing and Communications Coordinator

Alexa joined HERS in June of 2021 as the Marketing and Communications Coordinator. Alexa is responsible for promoting the HERS reputation, content generation, supporting effective communication across all marketing channels, and supporting program recruitment.

She has 4+ years of experience working in marketing for higher education organizations. Her experience has provided her with a high level of intercultural competence and knowledge of inclusive communications along with best practices to serve a diverse population. She brings her passion for connecting and empowering individuals through dual symmetric communication to her role with HERS.

Alexa has a B.S. in Advertising and Public Relations with an emphasis in PR from Grand Valley State University.

A Michigan native, Alexa is now based in Denver, CO. She enjoys tending to her houseplants, hiking with her Goldendoodle named Winston, and attending a variety of Pilates and yoga classes around the city.

Kimberly “Kim” Gaiennie, M.Ed.

Event Manager

Kimberly Gaiennie joined HERS in February 2019 as the Event Coordinator. In this role, she brings six years of experience in event planning and management, as well as her passion for creating inclusive events that focus on identity development, community building, and social equity. As a New Orleans native, she enjoys bringing her southern hospitality to the HERS programs. Prior to joining HERS, Kim served as the Coordinator for Campus Programs at the University of New Orleans and traveled the country as a Leadership Consultant for her sorority, Theta Phi Alpha. She received her Master’s of Higher Education from University of New Orleans and her Bachelor’s of Business Administration from Loyola University New Orleans. In her free time, Kim volunteers as a crisis helpline advocate for survivors of interpersonal violence, plays dodgeball competitively, and enjoys dining out and seeing live music in the Denver area.

Laurie Persico, M.S.

Executive Assistant to the President and Board Relations Coordinator

Laurie Persico joined HERS as the Executive Assistant to the President and Board Relations Coordinator in September 2019.  Laurie is responsible for providing executive-level administrative support to the President of HERS and the HERS Board of Directors with emphasis in external and internal relationship development.   

Laurie brings over 20 years of experience in administrative support to high-level executives.  In this role, she brings together her experiences of serving on and supporting Board of Directors along with her expertise in administration, business, and organization skills.   

Laurie received her M.S. in Management and her B.A. in Business Administration from Colorado State University Global.  

Laurie is based in Denver, CO, and enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons playing golf, running in charitable races, and being a soccer and volleyball mom. 

Genesis “Genny” Roman

Senior Program Manager

Genny joined HERS in May of 2021 as a Senior Program Manager with a focus on client success.

She has a background in K12 education as a high school English teacher for 5 years before serving as the Professional Development Team Lead for the North area of the largest independent school district in the state of Texas. There, she focused on instructional strategies and crafting professional development for campus leadership teams to meet campus and state goals. Genny also served as the Curriculum Development Associate for Save The Water™, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the education of communities on the world’s water crisis. During her time with Save The Water™, she partnered with stakeholders across the country on projects ranging from virtual teacher workshops to STEM lesson plans for middle school education.

She received her B.A. in English Language and Rhetoric from the University of Texas at Austin and is currently pursuing a digital marketing certification through the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Genny is based in Houston, TX along with her spouse, Niko. She enjoys reading fantasy novels, making trips to Trader Joe’s, and working on her travel blog.

Lindsey Templeton, Ph.D.

Senior Program Manager

Lindsey joined HERS in December 2020, as a Senior Program Manager. In this role, she is responsible for program management, design, and delivery, with particular focus on and support for facilitators. Lindsey has over seven years of experience in higher education research and practice, with an emphasis on leadership and gender equity. Prior to HERS, Lindsey coordinated a leadership program for faculty members through the University of Maryland ADVANCE Office and served as Director of Research and Training for a non-profit organization focused on student leadership. She received her B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Richmond and M.A. and Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Maryland. Her dissertation research focused on women’s decisions to pursue the academic deanship. Lindsey is based in Pittsburgh, PA, and enjoys taking barre and yoga classes, trying new recipes and DIY projects, and spending time with her family.