The SUNY SAIL Emerging Leaders Academy is a dynamic and immersive leadership development program designed for emerging and established leaders within the SUNY system. This is a 12-week course where participants spend 3-5 hours each week focused on discovering and applying leadership. The academy will be offered beginning October 7, 2025 and concluding March 16, 2026, with a break between November 18, 2025 and February 2, 2026. Throughout six months, participants embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and practical skill application, fundamentally redefining their understanding of leadership.
The academy is a combination of asynchronous and synchronous online learning and includes a license to a fully self-paced online course (Crucial Influence). Through a blend of interactive workshops, personal assessments, coaching, practical exercises, and an applied learning project, the Emerging Leaders Academy will provide participants a rich and supportive online learning environment while also bringing value to their campus. Participants will not only gain an understanding of what leadership means for them but also develop the actionable skills to lead with confidence, creativity, and impact in any professional setting within SUNY.
Registration includes:
- SUNY360 report
- Crucial Influence license
- Final applied learning project and presentation
Participants will have the opportunity to earn the digital Emerging Leaders badge, or earn the badge with distinction by reading and summarizing a select leadership text.
Course Details
Part 1: Discovering Leadership and Part 2: Applied Leadership
Instructor: Dr. Ron Milon
Target audience: This course is intended for institutional leaders that possess the experience, potential and ambition to advance in their careers. This academy is particularly relevant to deans, directors, and other mid-level leaders on your campus.
Course Description: The SUNY SAIL Emerging Leaders Academy is a dynamic and immersive leadership development program designed for emerging and established leaders within the SUNY system. This is a 12-week course where participants spend 3-5 hours each week focused on discovering and applying leadership. The academy will be offered beginning October 7, 2025 and concluding March 16, 2026, with a break between November 18, 2025 and February 2, 2026. Throughout six months, participants embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and practical skill application, fundamentally redefining their understanding of leadership.
The academy is a combination of asynchronous and synchronous online learning and includes a license to a fully self-paced online course (Crucial Influence). Through a blend of interactive workshops, personal assessments, coaching, practical exercises, and an applied learning project, the Emerging Leaders Academy will provide participants a rich and supportive online learning environment while also bringing value to their campus. Participants will not only gain an understanding of what leadership means for them but also develop the actionable skills to lead with confidence, creativity, and impact in any professional setting within SUNY.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Define what leadership means to them (self-discovery) and possess a personalized understanding of their leadership identity and philosophy.
- Effectively lead diverse teams and foster inclusive environments that leverage cultural differences for enhanced innovation, collaboration, and organizational success.
- Inspire, connect, and influence others effectively through the power of storytelling.
- Apply emotional intelligence principles in real-world leadership scenarios including managing their own emotions, understanding team dynamics, and responding effectively to the emotions of others.
- Articulate their personal leadership story and its impact.
- Craft compelling narratives to inspire, motivate, and align teams with organizational goals using stories to foster empathy and understanding.
- Demonstrate an ability to identify, understand, and effectively mitigate resistance to change within their teams, converting it into engagement and collaboration.
- Handle challenging conversations, enabling them to turn potential disagreements into opportunities for alignment, agreement, and positive action.
- Apply what they’ve learned about themselves and leadership to a project and present it to their peers showcasing their work as a leader.
Meet the Instructor
Dr. Ron Milon
Dr. Ronald A. Milon, “Ron” founder of Tensile Mind © is an industry and academic thought leader passionate about developing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging initiatives with 30 years of experience strongly emphasizing a record of strategic partnership formation, project management, leadership development, student success and fiscal management. An innovative leader who can work independently, create effective presentations, and develop opportunities to advance organizational goals.
Dr. Milon was the Executive Director of Diversity and Culture at the Nederlander Production Company of America. As one of the largest owners and operators of live theaters and music venues in the United States, the Nederlander Organization is most well-known for its nine Broadway venues in New York City. As Executive Director, Dr. Milon worked with senior leadership and the DEI committees to oversee and build upon the organization’s ongoing DEI strategy.
Prior to his work with the Nederlander Production Company, Dr. Milon worked in various senior leadership positions in higher education including: Vice President of Administrative Services, Dean of the Meadowlands Campus at Bergen Community College, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Ron has always loved engaging with students, in the classroom as an educator and in workshops as leadership trainer. He has taught American Government, American Presidency, Introduction to Politics, International Relations, and other courses since 1989. His recent training and research focus on diversity and inclusion training and civil rights allows him to create real world application for his students.
Dr. Milon has a PhD in Higher Education with a specialization in Adult Education from Capella University, an MA in Political Science from the New School for Social Research, an MA in History from the University of Buffalo, and a BS in Political Science and in History from SUNY Brockport. For three years, he was a Ralph Bunche Fellow at CUNY Graduate Center.
Program Pricing
How to Pay
Available payment methods are:
- Credit Card (Mastercard or Visa)
- CPD General Points
- SUNY Online+ Points
- Campus Check
- Journal Transfer
CPD General/Technical Points: To pay with CPD General or Technical Points, your campus must be a CPD Member. Check if your campus is a member. It is the responsibility of the registrant to determine if enough points are available to use BEFORE completing the registration process. Please contact your Campus Points Contact to determine points eligibility. If points are denied, the registrant is responsible for the payment.
SUNY Online+: To pay with SUNY Online+ Points, you must receive prior approval and you must submit a request via the SUNY Online+ CPD Points Approval Form
Campus Check: Prior campus approval is required. Make check payable to SUNY Center for Professional Development. Mail to SUNY CPD at the address below.
Journal Transfer (State Operated Campuses Only): Prior campus approval is required. An account number with authorizing signature for Journal Transfers is required within 48 hours. You must print and return the invoice that is included with the registration confirmation email.
Important: FULL payment is required 30 days from the date of registration. For more information click CPD Payment Terms and Conditions.
Registration
Fall 2025 Dates
-
- Part 1: Discovering Leadership, Oct. 7 – Nov. 17, 2025
- Part 2: Applied Leadership Feb. 3 – March 16, 2026
Deadline to register is September 30, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Contact Us
For programming questions, please contact Carolyn Mattiske, Director, SAIL. For registration questions, please contact Michaela Rehm, SUNY CPD Delivery and Services Manager.
The SUNY Center for Professional Development (CPD) supports a wide range of professional development opportunities for the academic, technical, and leadership communities across the SUNY System.