Doe Hentschel
Hall of Fame Class of 2013
For four decades, Doe Hentschel has developed transformative, creative, and pioneering continuing education programs and policies. As a strategist, collaborator, and innovator, Hentschel has distinguished herself in multiple settings. A leader and visionary in the field of adult education, she has consistently initiated, pioneered, and administered unique and internationally acclaimed outreach to diverse populations. Her legendary leadership has been far-reaching, including the development of collaborative training programs and conferences, community leadership training, research and academic contributions, the creation of a Women’s Resource Center, two Centers for Learning in Retirement, a leadership camp for girls, an innovative program to facilitate and support self-directed learning required of all residents of a continuing care retirement community located on a college campus, and currently the direction of the ground-breaking Third Age Initiative, an award-winning project of Leadership Greater Hartford.
She has served as an international consultant, curriculum innovator, manager, evaluator, leadership expert, and academic administrator within a wide range of organizations. Respected by adult development and continuing education experts, Dr. Hentschel has worked with policy developers, practitioners, and leaders in group dynamics, adult reentry and degree completion, aging programs, volunteer leadership, and training. Her expertise focused on exploring the ontological growth and empowerment of each population she has served.
Her service in adult learning is embedded in the history of the field--its innovations, organizations, and community and educational associations. A longtime member and major contributor, she has served as President-elect of the National University Continuing Education Association, executive committee member of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges, Vice President and President-elect of the Continuing Education Association of New York, member of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Adult and Continuing Education, the Executive Board of the Adult Education Association of the USA, and President of the Public Adult and Continuing Education Association of Illinois.
Dr. Hentschel has been the recipient of multiple awards in the field of adult and continuing education, including the Distinguished Service Award from the NUCEA Division of Programs for Women. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Pi Lambda Theta, and Phi Delta Kappa. She has been awarded The Shield Award from Delta Gamma Fraternity and the Preceptor Award from the Association of Leadership Programs. She has contributed more than 50 published articles, chapters, and research papers in the field of adult and continuing education and designed and facilitated numerous conferences, symposia, and lecture series. She has applied for and managed multiple grants and been recognized nationally for her ingenuity in applying research to adult learning communities.
A leader in curriculum design for community leadership training, she has drawn on her expertise to enrich and expand community leadership programming for people of all ages and populations.