International ACHE Conference 2026

Dr. Jane Smith has over 20 years of experience in cosmetic formulation and ingredient research.

Amy Denise Johnson grew up along the banks of the New River in a small, unincorporated community known as Ripplemead, VA. Ripplemead was so close to the West Virginia boarder you could spit across the state line. Therefore, Amy spent half her formative years on her family farm in West Virginia and the other half in Southwest Virginia growing up in the home where her mother was raised. She is firmly rooted in the value of family and she strives to keep her small community values alive in her work with students and faculty. She is a first-generation college student who matriculated to the College of William in Mary. Upon earning her diploma, presented in Latin, she was proclaimed upright and well-born, neither of which seem very true. She has more than 24 years of teaching and administrative experience. She served as the founding director of East Tennessee State University’s Center for Teaching Excellence and has pioneered new roles at the university including Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs. Amy is currently serving in an inaugural role as the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the Quillen College of Medicine at ETSU where she works to help faculty grow in both their leadership and teaching skills. While she went on to earn advanced degrees from ETSU, her family helps her stay grounded in the mission of her work - lifelong learning, teaching, and helping others grow. Her family often reminds her that the values of hard work, resilience, community, and resourcefulness are skills she learned in the mountains at the elbows of her family – she considers it her duty to use those blessings to support the success of others.

Meet Ed Naylor, C12 Chair with C12 Mid-Atlantic, CEO coach, mentor, and trusted advisor. Ed walks alongside leaders, business owners, and key influencers, encouraging them as they lead with intention and heart. He helps leaders stay centered on what matters most: their people, their purpose, and the legacy they hope to leave behind. Guided by faith and grounded in proven principles, Ed brings a steady, compassionate presence to his work. His approach to leadership is practical and life-giving, helping leaders build healthy, sustainable businesses while experiencing clarity, joy, and success along the way. Ed's professional path is anything but ordinary. He has served as a middle school teacher and baseball coach, a courtroom litigator, a law firm leader, and the Dean of Students and Legal Affairs at a small college. Today, he draws on this rich and varied background, along with his wit and relatable humor, to coach CEOs and business leaders, encouraging them to think deeply, lead wisely, and move forward with practical, actionable tools. Ed and his wife of 34 years live in a small town in eastern North Carolina. Think Hallmark movie charm with a beloved Christmas parade, fewer people, and no snow. He is deeply proud of his wife, their two adult children and their spouses, and his greatest joy: his two grandsons.

Dianna Rust is grateful to be an alumnus of Middle Tennessee State University and Tennessee State University, where she earned her doctorate. She is also grateful to be a Professor in University Studies, where she has the pleasure of working with faculty and staff who feel like family. She is thankful to get the chance to work with students inside the classroom and see their growth. She enjoys working with students outside the classroom through MTSU’s Relay for Life, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, and volunteering at nonprofits with students. She is most grateful for her husband and two children: Edie, who is 19, and Luke, who is 16. Other blessings include her Short Mountain, Tennessee, and Albany, New York family, countless friends and mentors, her home in Lascassas, and her cat, Comet.

Julie Shankle is proud to serve as ACHE President for the 2025-2026 year. Julie has served on various regional and international conference planning committees since 2010. She held South Region officer positions from 2013 – 2017 and served as the ACHE annual conference co-chair in 2020 and 2021. Juliereceived the ACHE South Region Continuing Education Leadership Award and the ACHE Meritorious Service Award in 2022. Julie has over 18 years of experience serving remote and adult learners through periods of significant organizational change and innovation. She is currently the Executive Director of Continuing Education at the University of Central Florida, which offers programs for up-skilling, re-skilling, micro-credentialing, training, professional advancement, and personal growth. She currently serves on the advisory board for the Higher Education Coaching Academy. Prior to UCF, Julie spent over 15 years at Florida Institute of Technology, her final three years there as Vice President of Online and Off-Campus Education. Julie is recipient of the Joan Bixby Award, which recognizes those who enhance the climate for women's participation and development on Florida Tech's campus; the Florida Tech Most Valuable Panther Award; and the Florida Tech President's Award. She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Omicron Delta Kappa honor societies. Julie earned a Bachelor of Arts from Centre College in Kentucky, where she majored in English and Dramatic Arts, and a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Management from Florida State University.