Cinematic Leadership: Russ Poulin's Oscar-Worthy Career

In the world of digital learning policy and practice, few names resonate as profoundly as Russ Poulin’s. Reflecting on a career spanning over three decades, it’s evident that Russ has been a pioneering force and fostered a community of passionate educators and advocates committed to the evolution of online learning.

From his early efforts in 1987, when he organized one of WICHE’s first state meetings in Bismarck, to his instrumental role in groundbreaking initiatives like the Western Governors University and the original State Authorization Network, Russ has remained at the forefront of educational innovation. His influence reaches far beyond policy, rooted in his genuine friendships and unwavering support for colleagues and members.

As we celebrate Russ’s retirement, it’s also a time to reflect on his legacy. His approach to leadership—marked by mentorship, humor, and a relentless dedication to high-quality digital learning—has shaped the experiences and careers of many, including his colleagues at WCET.

Through heartfelt testimonials, we see the professional impact he made and the personal bonds forged throughout the years.

Russ Poulin’s departure is not simply the closing of a chapter; it’s an opportunity for us to acknowledge his indelible impact and to express gratitude for collaboration and leadership.

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Mollie Mcgill, colleague of Russ for 30 years

On a frigid January 1987 in Bismarck, North Dakota, a nice fella organized one of WICHE’s first state meetings to explore interest in interstate cooperation in distance education. In 1987, distance education was being delivered via satellite, land-line state networks, ITFS, and CMS products were not yet on the market. That nice fella was my dear friend, Russ Poulin. We’ve been friends for 37 years.

During his amazing career at WCET, Russ was directly responsible for and/or at the leadership table of several significant, groundbreaking initiatives. A few examples include Technology Costing Methodology in partnership with NCHEMS, Western Governors University in partnership with other major players, No Significant Difference (building on the work of Thomas L. Russell), the original State Authorization Network, the WCET Outstanding Work award, and my favorite EDUTOOLS.

Russ is so skilled at finding solutions and strategies that effectively address the needs of diverse partners and member institutions. On a personal level, Russ has supported his staff 100% of the way. As a retiree from WCET, Russ and WCET were my family. I miss them dearly.

Cheryl Dowd, Senior Director, State Authorization Network & WCET Policy Innovations

Reflections on working with Russ – Wow where do I start? So, I asked ChatGPT. The response was incredibly accurate, pointing to visionary leadership, collaborative spirit, advocacy for access and equity, expert communicator, and mentorship and inspiration.

Fundamentally, the ChatGPT response is all true. What is not shared in the response is the personal aspect. My first encounter with Russ was like many other WCET and SAN members. We all faithfully read his WCET Frontiers posts and watched his webinars, appreciating his commonsense analysis. He always seemed very calm. Fortunately, 9 ½ years ago, Russ hired me.

As a leader to staff, he offered us grace, encouragement, and helpful editing skills for our posts and communications. I am still working on being calm. I am grateful that he found me to be coachable to learn the good lessons of sound policy, and urgency to share concise policy analysis with our members. Finally, I appreciate his humor and his understanding of the benefits of a box of Timbits. Russ is one of a kind! Thank you for everything, Russ!

Sherri Artz Gilbert, Senior Director, Operations and Membership Administration, WCET

Russ has been the one constant at WCET during my 25 years with WCET. He was traveling when I interviewed at WCET, and I often wondered what might have been different if he had taken part in the interview. Well, he was stuck with me regardless. Over the years, Russ has been dramatically outnumbered by women staff, and we often treated him like one of the girls, whether he liked it or not. He didn’t have to read the old classic, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus – he lived it daily! I appreciate having Russ nearby to help with any issues for the last quarter of a century. His logic and gentle advice helped me become a better person professionally and personally. I am going to miss Russ a lot, but I find comfort in knowing that, thanks to technology, no matter where he ventures during retirement, I can track him down almost instantly.

Van Davis, Incoming Executive Director, WCET

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to speak on behalf of the WCET staff at Russ Poulin’s retirement party. I reflected that Russ’s work, especially in developing sane and sound regulations to ensure students have access to quality online education, has undoubtedly impacted hundreds of thousands of students over his 30+ year career.

Policy work isn’t always immediately rewarding; we rarely see how it directly impacts students. But Russ’ tireless work, first in North Dakota and later at WCET, has impacted countless students. And it’s also impacted countless colleagues. I’ve lost count of how many years I’ve known Russ, but I can tell you that over those years, he has been a gracious and valued mentor who has taught me more about policy, collaboration, and movies than is imaginable.

At our last Annual Meeting, I got to see just how much of an impact Russ has had on digital learning and our members, as person after person, told stories and thanked him. So, thank you, Russ, for all that you have done for students, institutions, and digital learning. And thank you for your friendship and mentorship all these years.

Laura DaVinci, Director, Every Learner Everywhere

Russ is not only an amazing supervisor who cares deeply about his team and the work being done, but he is also a wonderful person you can count on for consistent advice. I’ve always appreciated his leadership approach and ability to ask incisive questions that steer us toward the best decisions. Russ’s unwavering commitment has been a guiding light for our team throughout various transitions, evolving requirements, and legislative changes. His extensive experience has made him a crucial resource in navigating policy complexities and understanding their unintended consequences. The high-quality guidance he provides has been invaluable not just to institutions and WCET members, but also to us personally. Thank you, Russ, for believing in us and exemplifying what true servant leadership and compassionate guidance look like.

Lindsey Downs, Assistant Director, Communications and Community, WCET

When I started at WCET, one of my new duties was to help post articles on the WCET Frontiers blog.  

I don’t know if you know this, but Russ established Frontiers fourteen years ago to share policy analysis, guest commentary on policies, trending buzz-worthy topics for the field, a place for some “thinking out loud,” and a place for fun! Russ opened the introductory post with: 

While I was thrilled to help format and post the blog articles, Russ increasingly involved me in writing, editing, and planning posts for Frontiers over time. Eventually, he handed the blog over to me, although he remained one of the main authors of posts. It has been a tremendous honor to be trusted with this – blog, which has become one of the highest-regarded sources of information on digital learning policy and practice in higher education today. Many of the articles are cited consistently as foundational sources of information in other scholarly works and references in courses.  

Not only has it been amazing to learn from Russ about writing in the specific context of Frontiers – balancing education and knowledge sharing in an easy and fun writing style – but I’ve appreciated Russ’ trust and support with all my work here at WCET. Russ is one of the most supportive individuals I’ve ever worked with – he is always willing to help, brainstorm, problem solve, or find the tools you need to get something done. He asks excellent questions to get you to consider additional things or other options that you may not have considered. Plus, he readily lets you work independently when he knows “you’ve got this.” That’s a tricky balancing act, and Russ does that well. 

I know I’ll miss Russ’ humor, stories, thoughts and commentary, and movie reviews – but I also know that Russ has done a great job preparing the WCET team to keep our cooperative going strong. Thanks for everything you’ve done for the WCET community, team, and for me. I’ll hold you to breakfast in Boulder and a visit to Montana! 

Megan Raymond, Senior Director, Membership and Programs

It is difficult to go last and offer anything that my colleagues haven’t already said about Russ. He truly is one-of-a-kind, and I’m so fortunate to have worked with him for the past 17 years. Contrary to Sherri’s interview, Russ was present for mine. During that interview, my pen sprung a leak. Unbeknownst to me, I got black ink streaks all over my face. Sherri and Russ were compassionate and brought the embarrassing issue to my attention with kindness and humor. These two adjectives, humor and compassion, punctuated my experience working with Russ for the past 17 years. Thank you for your humor and compassion all these years, Russ!

In closing, I leave you with a traditional parting limerick bestowed upon retiring colleagues:

Seldom is a movie buff and stats nerd,

as capable of leading such a motley herd.

From his start pioneering courses via videos in the mail,

to the emergence of AI and Department of Ed rules that are large-scale,

Russ is always intrepid in his leadership and will be missed.

Wishing him all the best, and may his retirement be bliss-ed.

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Post written by Megan Raymond, WCET