Development Day 2025
Join us on May 22 for the fourth annual Development Day!
The first half of Development Day will be held in person at the LBJ Grand Ballroom. It will also be streamed live via Zoom for anyone wanting to attend the event virtually.
The event agenda will be available soon.
Development Day Keynote Speaker
Dr. Mamta Motwani Accapadi
Dr. Mamta Motwani Accapadi is a mom first. She currently spends most of her time in a dance studio, or on the floor… figuring out high school AP assignments with her daughter, Saaya. She has been known to jump into spontaneous Bollywood dance choreography in public places much to the embarrassment of her daughter.
Mamta is a member of Huron Consulting, where she works as a Higher Education Consulting Director. Prior to this role, Mamta served in a variety of roles in higher education over the past 25 years. Most recently, she was the Vice Provost for University Life at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to that role, she was Vice President for Student Affairs at Rollins College. She has served as a leader and educator at Oregon State University, University of Houston, Schreiner University, and The University of Texas at Austin.
Mamta is recognized for her impact in higher education- particularly for her sustained leadership and focus on advancing social justice and equity issues for historically and systemically under-represented communities. In 2020, Mamta was recognized as one of the top 35 women leaders in higher education by Diverse Issues in Higher Education.
She attended The University of Texas at Austin, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in microbiology, as well as a master’s and Ph.D. in higher education administration.
Development Day Speakers
Tabitha N. Walker, M.Ed.
Tabitha N. Walker, M.Ed. is a seasoned higher education professional with over 15 years of leadership experience, specializing in student development, crisis management, and accessibility. Currently serving as the Associate Director for Disability Services at Texas State University, Tabitha brings a deep commitment to holistic student engagement, advocacy, and inclusion.
Her career has spanned a variety of impactful roles—from fraternity and sorority life to academic success coaching—each reflecting her passion for fostering student growth through intentional programming, leadership development, and supportive supervision. She is also a dedicated educator, having taught University Seminar courses since 2014, guiding first-year students in academic confidence and career readiness.
An engaging and dynamic presenter, Tabitha has facilitated over two dozen presentations and workshops at the local, state, and national levels, including NASPA, TABPHE, and TACUSPA. Her recent talks cover topics such as leadership development,
Tabitha has been recognized with multiple accolades, including Staff Member of the Year, Champion of Student Success, and the Bobcat Preview Den Namesake Award. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Education in College Student Personnel from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Dr. Terrance McClain
Dr. Terrance J. McClain is the Director of the new Student Success Center at the McCoy College of Business, effective Aug. 28, 2023. In this role, Dr. McClain will provide leadership and oversight for the center and be responsible for the development and implementation of student success programs for undergraduate students in McCoy College.
Dr. McClain has served as Associate Director of Success Coaching at Texas State University since 2022. Prior to that, he held roles as a student development specialist with the university's Career and Financial Education (CAFE) program from 2016 to 2022, was previously an academic advisor and an academic coach. He has also taught courses as a University Seminar instructor since 2014.
Dr. McClain earned a BBA in marketing from the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University, followed by an M.Ed. in Student Affairs in Higher Education and a Ph.D. in Adult, Professional, and Community Education, both from Texas State. The new Student Success Center is the first of its kind at Texas State University and among only a handful of such centers in business schools across the nation. Located on the first floor of McCoy Hall, the center will be one of the focal points of the college, elevating the entire student learning experience.
Cynthia (Cindy) Keilers and Ernesto (Ernie) Rendon
Cindy conducts workplace investigations, provides guidance for the grievance process, promotes conflict resolution, and other ER services in order to advance the concerns of staff employees at Texas State. This includes collaborating with university partners, conducting research, tracking, analyzing, and reporting data. Cindy also supports the new Performance Management process.
Ernie conducts workplace investigations and provides advice on all employee relations topics. This includes maintaining positive employee relationships and ensuring compliance with employment laws. Ernie handles employee records, facilitates training, and provide guidance on HR policies and procedures.
Elma Clarke
Elma is a Principal Customer Success Manager with LinkedIn, supporting Higher Education customers. She has also worked with major corporations and government accounts.
Elma has been with LinkedIn for almost 11 years. However, she started with Lynda.com and was part of the acquisition by LinkedIn a few years ago. One small fact… Elma worked as a Kindergarten teacher for 5 years, while my son was in elementary school, which makes me a Proud “Helicopter Mom”.
Elias Martinez and Callie Lewis
Elias Martinez serves as AVP for Marketing at TXST, leading the AMA's 2022 Higher Education Marketing Team of the Year. While at TXST, his team has been recognized by the CASE Circle of Excellence and the Webby's Anthem Awards, honoring the best purpose and mission-driven work. Before joining TXST, he served as AVP for Brand Strategy at Colorado State University, where he led brand marketing. The UCDA named his group at CSU "Best In-House Team" in 2016. Before working in higher education, Elias helped solve business problems for Nike, Google, General Mills, Cheerios, Betty Crocker, Wheaties, Purina, and Nordstrom at Zeus Jones, a digital marketing and branding firm. His work has been featured on Good Morning America, NPR, ESPN, Esquire, Sports Illustrated, Fast Company, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Ad Age, Communications Arts, and the front page of Reddit.
Callie Lewis is the Project Manager in TXST's Division of Marketing and Communications. Callie has over ten years of experience in event management and planning, which she leverages to manage over 200 concurrent projects and traffics all incoming work within the unit. In her time at TXST, Callie has led the team through the first campus-wide brand training conference, two on-campus brand activations, and the launch of a brand templating platform. A proud TXST alum, she graduated with honors with a degree in Mass Communication with a focus in public relations.
Dr. Kimberley Conner:
Meet Dr. Kimberly Conner, who takes the intimidation factor out of technology at Texas State University. As IT's Digital Strategy Lead, Kim speaks both "tech" and "human," making innovation accessible to everyone. With a unique blend of experience in law, education, and information technology, she helps students, faculty, and staff discover how emerging tools can work for them — not the other way around. Kim puts people first, and her human-centered approach empowers Bobcats to embrace emerging technologies with confidence and purpose.
ComPsych:
Speaker information coming soon!
TRS:
Speaker information coming soon!