Meet the
Westfall Executive Advisors team.
Westfall Executive Advisors’ associates have deep experience in senior and executive-level institutional leadership, career planning and development, teaching and research, and academic publishing, among other areas. Plus, those who provide coaching are certified through the International Coaching Federation.
In addition, we have experience with a wide array of assessments for individuals, teams, and groups. We bring competence, curiosity, creativity, and a sense of humor to all that we do.
Sarah B. Westfall, Ph.D., PCC, Principal
After 35 years as a college administrator, Sarah Westfall established Westfall Executive Advisors. Most recently, she served as Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students at Kalamazoo College, a position she retired from after 15 years. Her career includes service in residential life (Ohio University), as Assistant Dean of Students (Carleton College), Coordinator of Admission and Financial Aid (Ivy Tech Community College), Director of the Freshman Interest Groups Program (Indiana University), and Dean of Students (Denison University).
Sarah has consulted on a wide array of issues with The College of Wooster, Endicott College, the University of Puget Sound, Gustavus Adolphus College, Berry College, Grinnell College, Hartwick College, Dominican University of California, Whitman College, Al-Akhawayn University (Morocco), Blackburn College, and Albion College. She has written extensively, taught graduate courses (Indiana University and Iowa State University), and has been active in NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education for over 30 years.
Deeply involved in accreditation work with the Higher Learning Commission, Sarah has been a peer reviewer, team chair, Institutional Actions Committee member and chair, and trainer for new peer reviewers and team chairs. In this capacity, she has worked with over 25 institutions and their leaders.
Some of Sarah’s honors include being named to the Fulbright Senior Specialist roster, being designated a Pillar of the Profession by NASPA, receiving the Robert H. Shaffer Distinguished Alumni Award (Indiana University Department of Higher Education and Student Affairs), and receiving a Peer Corps Hero Award and the 2022 Peer Corps Recognition Sine Qua Non Award by the Higher Learning Commission. She received her bachelor’s degree in communication from DePauw University, her master’s and doctoral degrees from Indiana University, and completed the Management Development Program at Harvard University. Sarah is an executive coach certified through the International Coaching Federation and an affiliate member, Institute of Coaching, at McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Sarah is certified to offer and interpret Hogan Assessments.
Her abiding interest is the success and vitality of colleges and universities.
Pamela Coburn-Litvak, Ph.D., PCC, HLC
Pamela Coburn-Litvak is a neuroscientist, author, speaker, and certified executive coach. Drawing on 25 years of research and teaching the effects of stress on mental health, Pam helps administrators and leaders manage their work stress in terms of time and priorities management, communication, conflict resolutions, and leading large change initiatives. Her coaching, training, and advising programs help organizations prevent burnout and promote a culture of well-being.
After completing her bachelor’s degree in zoology and molecular biology from Andrews University, Pam earned a Ph.D. in Neurobiology and Behavior from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She worked as a faculty member and administrator for many years, and her research has been published in the peer-reviewed journals Neuroscience and Neurobiology of Learning and Behavior.
In addition, Pam is a certified executive coach through the International Coaching Federation and holds specialty certifications in leadership coaching.
Melissa Haveman, M.A.
Melissa Haveman specializes in working with creative professionals and emerging leaders. She also coaches writers of all types, including faculty, who want to reach their writing goals faster and easier. After completing her bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from Grand Valley State University, she went on to obtain an M.A. in sociology from Southern Illinois University and a certificate in Leading Virtual Teams from Cornell University.
In addition to her education, Melissa has nearly two decades of experience and leadership in instructional design, curriculum development, and writing and developing academic, business, and fiction texts. She is a seasoned short fiction mystery writer and nonfiction ghostwriter with a long track record of publishing success, along with being a certified executive and author coach through the International Coaching Federation.
Melissa is an authorized partner and certified trainer for Everything DISC and accredited facilitator for The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team assessment and development model.
Anne Shields, M.S., BCC, PCC
Anne Shields has worked in higher education since completing her bachelor’s degree in history at Bates College. Her master’s coursework at Western Illinois University combined human development, counseling, and higher education administration. Tasked with developing strategic plans, re-designing staffing structures, and increasing the effectiveness of programs and services, she was recruited to direct the career services programs at Bowdoin, Davidson, and Carleton Colleges. She also led the career center at Carnegie Mellon University at a time when over 400 employers visited campus to recruit graduating seniors, and most recently, the alumni career services program at the University of Rochester.
An experienced career coach, Anne has supported thousands of students and adults in discovering their strengths, setting their directions, and achieving their goals. She has a special focus on working with clients from liberal arts backgrounds and is a certified coach through the International Coaching Federation.
Anne is a certified to interpret the FIRO-B, Strong Interest Inventory, and the MBTI assessments. Anne is also certified to use the Greenwood System for career exploration and assessment.
Gigi Fansler, Ph.D.
Gigi Fansler specializes in all things accreditation. Most recently, she served as Vice President for Accreditation Relations for five years at the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), where she provided one-on-one guidance to over 130 institutions on accreditation processes, including preparations for comprehensive evaluations, sanctions, and substantive change.
Before joining HLC leadership, Gigi served as a member of the HLC Peer Review Corps for 15 years, a trainer for new peer reviewers and new team chairs, and her institution’s Accreditation Liaison Officer. She served as Team Chair, and on the Peer Corps Diversity Committee. Gigi also served on the Institutional Actions Council as a committee member and chair. Through these activities, she worked with over 50 institutions and their leadership teams.
Prior to serving at HLC, Gigi served over 25 years as an administrator in both public and private institutions, working with liberal arts and professional programs serving traditional and nontraditional undergraduate and graduate students in face-to-face, hybrid and online environments. She served from 2011-2017 as Vice President for Academic Affairs at Lincoln College, overseeing all academic programs and academic support units as well as accreditation. Gigi served Illinois State University in various administrative roles prior to her work at Lincoln College.
Gigi earned a Ph.D. in higher education from Illinois State University. She also earned a Post-Graduate Studies Certificate from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education’s Institute of Education Management.
