04/16/2024

CSCA Names Dr. Debbie Ford Next Executive Director

At the CSCA 2024 Convention in Grand Rapids earlier this month, the CSCA Executive Committee interviewed candidates to serve as our next Executive Director. We have selected Dr. Debbie Ford to serve in this important role. She will work closely with our current Executive Director, Dr. Tiffany Wang, over the next year and officially transition on July 1, 2025.

Debbie Ford (Ph.D., University of Kansas) is an Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Creighton University. In her current roles she is serving as the interim associate dean for the College of Professional and Continuing Education, as well as department chair for the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies. She served for five years as the associate vice provost for Creighton’s Center for Faculty Excellence. Prior to her work at Creighton, she served as associate dean of student affairs and program director of the leadership programs in the University of Kansas School of Nursing and basic course director at the University of Kansas. In her research and practice, Debbie explores leader development for cultural heritage professionals throughout the world, studies interorganizational collaboration, and is finishing her certification as a leadership coach. Her work has been featured in journals such as Communication Theory, Health Communication, Journal of Leadership Studies, Western Journal of Communication, and Journal of Advanced Nursing, among others. She has presented multiple times at regional, national, and international conferences. She was inducted into the Central States Communication Association’s (CSCA) Hall of Fame in 2024. Debbie’s roles within CSCA have included serving as member-at-large, second vice president, first vice president, president, and past president. She has twice planned the Undergraduate Honors Research Conference and chaired the Organizational and Professional Communication interest group.