Shree Carter

Shree Carter has more than 25 years of experience at Vanguard University of Southern California, where she has served in roles spanning strategic planning, operations, human resources, conflict management and executive support.

As Chief of Staff, she serves as a strategic advisor and connector across the university, helping translate institutional priorities into coordinated action. An alumna of Vanguard, Carter brings a deep understanding of its people, culture and mission to her work, with a leadership philosophy grounded in service, integrity and purposeful collaboration.

Turning Institutional Priorities into Coordinated Action

Carter’s dexterity across university functions is well-recognized across Vanguard University of Southern California. Her ability to take on complicated projects, deconstruct them strategically and systematically, and build sustainable processes around them has been noticed by university leaders.

She had honed these abilities for more than two and a half decades.

Her capabilities and experiences have led her to become a trusted partner to the university president. Her role is to help translate institutional priorities into coordinated action by strengthening operations, clarifying policies, advancing high-level initiatives and supporting effective decision-making across the university.

She also serves as a bridge between the president, executive leadership, campus departments, faculty, staff, students and external stakeholders. Whether supporting crisis response, improving organizational processes or helping teams align around shared goals, her focus remains on ensuring that Vanguard’s mission, vision and values are reflected in the daily work of the university.

Ultimately, strengthening the student experience matters the most to her. Carter believes the primary purpose of every employee, regardless of position, is to serve students while also engaging with the alumni and donors who help sustain the institution. Keeping students at the center provides an important lens for every decision and process.

Using Experience to Strengthen Governance and Collaboration

Serving Vanguard in a variety of leadership roles has given Carter a perspective that is both strategic and operational. Those experiences have taught her that effective leadership depends on clarity, trust and alignment across the institution.

In board governance, Carter prioritizes creating the conditions for informed, mission-centered stewardship, and not just limit it to compliance or reporting. She has learned that university trustees need thoughtful strategic framing and a clear understanding of the issues to make decisions that support the university’s mission and fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities.

“ When we take time to understand what people care about, we are better able to connect their interests and passions to a larger purpose. “

She also reinforces the importance of shared ownership and collaboration among executive leaders. Her background in human resources, strategic planning and conflict management has helped her listen to different perspectives, identify barriers and help teams move toward coordinated solutions.

Carter also applies holistic thinking to her work. Departments cannot operate in isolation when students experience the institution as one university. This realization early in her career made her strive to create greater collaboration between curricular and co-curricular areas so students would not feel the need to choose between two equally important parts of their development.

Aligning Daily Decisions with Long-Term Goals

Carter believes balancing strategy with execution begins with clarity. People need to understand not only what needs to be done, but why it matters and how it connects to the university’s long-term direction. She fosters that alignment through consistent communication, shared accountability and intentional collaboration. Part of her responsibility as the Chief of Staff is to help remove barriers so leaders can focus on the work that matters most.

Listening is a particularly important trait for Carter. She recognizes that different departments and individuals bring varied experiences and perspectives, and effective collaboration requires creating space to hear those perspectives while keeping conversations anchored in the institution’s mission.

Her distinct conflict management technique has reinforced that difficult conversations do not have to damage relationships. In fact, when handled with transparency, humility and respect, those conversations can strengthen trust. Her approach is to preserve the dignity of everyone involved while helping people move toward clarity and resolution.

Connecting People to a Shared Purpose

According to Carter, bringing people to contribute to a shared purpose begins with listening. Everyone has a story, experiences that have shaped them and something that motivates them. Leaders need to hear them all. When leaders understand what people care about, they can connect those interests and passions to a larger purpose.

Carter realized that fundraising and community engagement create opportunities to turn that connection into participation. People can contribute their time, influence, resources or expertise to a shared purpose. Fundraising, at its best, is not simply about securing resources. It is about inviting people to participate in a cause that can have a lasting impact.

“ Meaningful impact in higher education is not created by title, authority or visibility alone. It is built through consistent choices. “

At Vanguard, that larger purpose is the university’s mission and the students it serves. Whether engaging donors, alumni, community partners, faculty, staff or students, Carter works to build relationships rooted in trust, shared values and mutual commitment.

Protecting Character through Purposeful Leadership

The most important advice Carter offers aspiring leaders is to protect their character and integrity every day. Early in her career, she received the advice to finish each day with her character and integrity intact. That principle has remained with her.

Leadership provides opportunities to influence decisions and shape culture, but that influence must be grounded in trust. Meaningful impact is not created by title, authority or visibility alone. It is built through consistent choices—leading by example, doing the work leaders ask of others, listening carefully and asking difficult questions with humility and respect.

Carter also believes leaders should be willing to say yes to opportunities to serve. Her faith has taught her to go where she is called and serve where she is. Every role she has held at Vanguard has taught her something different and given her another opportunity to contribute.

There will always be good days and difficult ones in an organization. What matters, she believes, is remaining faithful to the mission, disciplined in the work and committed to the people around you.

For Carter, leadership has never been about personal recognition. It is about helping others succeed, developing people and leaving the organization stronger than she found it.