Gina Gettings, PhD

I attribute my success to perseverance, curiosity, and the people who believed in me when the path was very uncertain. My professional journey has never been a straight line - I earned my doctorate while balancing a career, and then I had to navigate tremendous grief and heartache after losing my daughter Nora in 2022. Some of the most important lessons came not from achievement, but from adversity and overcoming that. The loss of Nora fundamentally changed me, but it taught me about strength and how I'm capable of so much more than I realized. That belief in myself, which came from getting through that experience, has professionally benefited me in ways I never expected. Success really isn't a destination for me - it's a cumulative result of resilience, lifelong learning, meaningful relationships, and the courage to keep moving forward and keep growing. I also have to recognize my professional mentors and champions who have been understanding of the time I needed to grieve, and who still championed me and encouraged me. The power of that team mentality and having an extraordinary level of empathy in everything I do has shaped who I am today.

Success is not defined solely by titles or accomplishments, but by how closely your career aligns with your values and purpose. Gina believes that setbacks are not failures—they are opportunities for growth, learning, and becoming stronger.

The first piece of advice I would give is do not underestimate the value of your voice. Don't ever underestimate your value. Too often women will wait until they feel perfectly qualified before they speak up, pursue an opportunity, or share ideas, but really, some of the most impactful contributions can come from people who are willing to ask thoughtful questions and offer different perspectives. I say that because Dr. Latazia Stewart was one of my initial mentors who encouraged me to apply for the Associate Dean position, and I wasn't sure if I would get it, but I ended up getting it as the youngest Associate Dean at the time for Fortis College. Second, find those mentors, and just as importantly, find champions, because mentors will offer guidance, but champions will advocate for you when you're not in the room. Their support can change the trajectory of your career. I'm so blessed to have Debbie Robbins as a mentor, LaTasia Stewart as a mentor, and Karen Cost as a champion. Third, understand that setbacks do not disqualify you from success. Life will bring challenges, grief, and disappointments, and there will be moments when progress feels like it stopped and you feel like you're being left behind. But those experiences should not diminish your potential - they can often deepen your potential and help you grow in ways you have no idea until after the fact. Finally, remember that success is not measured by titles, degrees, or accomplishments. Success is building a life for yourself that reflects your values and contributes to others, and that allows you to be fully present for the people in your life, whether that's your family or your colleagues. Your career is very important, but your humanity is even more important. Bring them together and align them.

One of the greatest opportunities right now, and challenges, is the rapid integration of AI. I've been doing a lot of synchronous and asynchronous modules and learning on the most effective ways to guide organizations on the integration of AI. The future from an organizational change management perspective will belong to organizations who balance innovation with empathy and efficiency with humanity. We're at the tip of the iceberg with what can be done in this area. AI is changing how we work, and the challenge is going to be to ensure that organizations don't simply implement it, but that their staff understand it and trust it and leverage it successfully and responsibly. As a change management practitioner, that's something I'm very excited to learn more about and to grow in that area.

The values that guide me most are integrity, compassion, resilience, and without a doubt, continuous learning. Integrity means doing the right thing, even when it's difficult, or when it's invisible - if someone has no idea that you're doing it, you're still doing it because it's the right thing to do. Compassion means recognizing that every person carries challenges that we may never see. Some of the most important leadership lessons I've learned have come from my personal loss and understanding how much grace people often need, and being so appreciative of the grace I was given during that time. Resilience is the belief that difficult experiences can shape us without defining us. It's the ability to continue to grow while carrying both joy and sorrow, and remembering those that we've lost in a way that honors them. My daughter's name was Nora, and every time I think of Nora, I feel like I'm honoring her by remembering her and finding that her life has had a purpose. Finally, I believe deeply in lifelong learning, whether it's through formal education, professional development, mentorship, or just simply listening to others and having the patience to just listen to other people. I strive to remain curious, and I think that growth really does begin when acknowledging that there's always more to learn. What I value most is that when people remember their experience with me, whether they've worked with me for a long time or a short time, they remember not just what I accomplished or what we accomplished together, but how I treated them along the way and how they felt and the quality of that experience interacting with me.