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Higher Ed Pulse
Episode 128: What Your Chief of Staff Knows That You Don't
EP
128
August 3, 2026
Episode 128: What Your Chief of Staff Knows That You Don't

What Your Chief of Staff Knows That You Don't

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About the Episode

Lindsay Nyquist, Chief of Staff at Occidental College, and Dr. Miriam Merrill, Chief of Staff at Hamilton College, join Mallory to discuss the inaugural Chief of Staff Summit, where 50 higher-ed chiefs of staff met at Colorado College in Colorado Springs for closed-door, case-based peer problem solving. They explain the chief of staff role varies widely by president and institution, often centering on supporting decision-making, execution, and human impacts. Summit topics included cabinet politics, crisis leadership, managing up without formal authority, board relations, burnout, career trajectories, strategic planning, and AI. 

Register for Next Year’s Chief of Staff Summit:  www.chiefofstaffsummit.org

People in this episode

Host

Mallory Willsea

Mallory Willsea is a strategist and consultant working at the intersection of higher education.

Interviewee

Lindsay Nyquist

Chief of Staff, Occidental College

Miriam Merrill

Chief of Staff and Secretary to the Board of Trustees, Hamilton College

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