Meet the LEAD Team

Former faculty at Georgia State University and US Fulbright Scholar to Honduras, Kris came to Purdue in 2016 and helped to found the Center for Intercultural Learning, Mentorship, Assessment and Research. She holds a masters in Linguistics and a PhD in Communication and is a well-published thought leader in transformative learning, assessment, and leadership development. She is also an award-winning instructor and curriculum designer and is certified as a PCC-level International Coaching Federation and Gallup Strengths coach.

Kris takes the lead on: 

• Strategic planning and new initiatives
• Team management 
• Campus partnerships and donor relations  
• Research and grants 

Fun fact: With the help of her draft horses and mules, Kris produces nearly all her family's diet, including meats, veggies, dairy, bread, honey and more. Her Jersey cow Miss Molly is very friendly, if you ever want to come visit for some cow cuddling.

Jesus has been at Purdue for the last decade serving as a leadership educator in multiple capacities. He has an M.A. in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Western Michigan University and a B.A. in Ethnic Studies from UC San Diego. Jesus is also a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach so he loves hearing students talk about their Top 5 CliftonStrengths and having those “a-ha” moments. 

 Jesus is responsible for: 

• Gallup CliftonStrengths Institutional Liaison
• LEAD Staff Operations 
• Student Life Collaborations 
• Alumni Engagement 

Fun Fact: During his free time, Jesus loves supporting local small business and walking to the Farmer’s Market in Downtown Lafayette (ask him for food recommendations). 

Journey Reabe is a Purdue alum with a B.A. in Communication. Formed by her past experience as a Steps to Leaps student leader, she is fascinated by the intersection between leadership, well-being, and success. She is passionate about building programs that allow students to define leadership in their own terms. As a lifelong learner, Journey hopes to bring varying perspectives to the table with a collaborative and student-centered approach.   

Journey’s LEAD projects include: 

• Leadership Experience at Purdue (LEAP)
• Emily Mauzy Vogel (EMV) Sophomore Leadership Retreat
• Student facilitator training and coordination  
• Assessment and program evaluation 

Fun Fact: When not at work, Journey enjoys playing DnD and hanging out at her local game store. Journey commonly plays characters that are sneaky rogues, mischief makers, and crafters of chaos. Journey welcomes other adventurers to talk about their craziest campaign exploits and will gladly share her own.

Leslie Fairchild returned to Purdue University in 2026 to support leadership development initiatives in Leadership and Professional Development within Student Life. She previously worked at Purdue in Agricultural Education and the John Martinson Honors College. Leslie brings more than 20 years of experience in agricultural education and authored a national food science and safety curriculum for agricultural educators. She recently completed a master’s degree in Agricultural Education at Purdue. 

Leslie’s main responsibilities include: 

• Executive Leadership Initiative (Coaching and Workshops) 
• Leadership Summit 
• LEAD Portraits
• Externships

Fun Fact: Leslie enjoys collecting early fruit jars and hunting for historic pieces to add to her collection. When she’s not searching for the next find, she’s usually keeping up with her two Labrador Retriever puppies and a little yap dog. 

Adam believes in the transformational potential of higher education and brings a values-aligned, student-centered, and theory-integrated approach to his work with LEAD. He received an M.A. in Higher Education from the University of Michigan as well as a B.A. in Transformative Educational Studies from Boston College. His experiences supporting students in exploration- and development-oriented programs at both public and private institutions inspire his practice to be inclusive, reflective, and action-oriented.

Adam’s portfolio focuses on: 

• Purdue in Indianapolis programming  
• Executive Leadership Initiative (Mentoring and Coaching)
• Leadership development for students and staff
• myStrengths coaching

Fun Fact: Adam is an avid rock climber and climbs often at the “Co-Rec”. If you see him there, feel free to say hi and either ask him about our programs or share climbing betas.

With a background in landfill engineering and research, Jorge transitioned into leadership development after recognizing the importance of developing tomorrow’s leaders. His passion for leadership grew through experiences as a supplemental instructor, tutor for at-risk high school students, and mentor in Purdue’s chapter of the International Student Mentorship Program (ISMP). Jorge holds a B.S. in Biological Systems Engineering and a M.S. in Civil Engineering from Florida A&M University, as well as an M.S. in Agricultural & Biological Engineering from Purdue University. Jorge is ready to use his engineering and industry experience to grow you into a confident and effective leader of tomorrow! 

Jorge's main responsibilities include:

• myStrengths programming
• Executive Leadership Initiative (Workshops and Modules)
• Lunch & Learn series
• Professional Development Days

Fun Fact: Jorge's ideal day includes doing lawncare and grilling!