The American College Personnel Association honored Jon Dooley, vice president for Student Life and associate professor of education, for his support and guidance throughout Jonathan McElderry’s presidency.
Jon Dooley, vice president for student life and associate professor, has been named a recipient of the 2026 Anne S. Pruitt Presidential Citation Award for his support and guidance during the ACPA Presidency of Jonathan A. McElderry, dean of student inclusive excellence and assistant professor.
Named after the first Black woman to serve as ACPA President, the Anne S. Pruitt Presidential Award is an honor given by the sitting president to someone who has played an influential role during their presidency.
McElderry expressed that becoming ACPA president was not a long-term goal. However, after learning that his name was being circulated as a potential candidate, Dooley played a pivotal role in encouraging him to pursue the opportunity.
“When I first mentioned to him that my name was even being mentioned as a potential candidate in various spaces, he said, without me even finishing, ‘You have to do it. I support you,” McElderry said.
That early encouragement gave McElderry the confidence to move forward with the nomination and election process, ultimately leading to his election as president-elect in November 2023.
Throughout McElderry’s leadership within ACPA, Dooley remained a steadfast champion, offering flexibility, guidance and trust as McElderry balanced the demands of leading a national association alongside his responsibilities at Elon.
“I think he understands all that it takes to not only serve a national association, but to lead one,” McElderry said. “It’s literally like another full-time job.”
McElderry said Dooley consistently created space and capacity for him to lead, whether through flexibility around travel and meetings, providing resources or serving as a trusted sounding board.
“He’s been emotionally supportive,” McElderry said. “He’s somebody that I can bounce an idea off and receive trusted feedback.”
That encouragement was evident through Dooley’s actions, which included hosting a reception for the ACPA board, organizing gifts and working with Megan Noltemeyer, assistant to the vice president for student life and director of strategic initiatives; and Susan Lindley, executive assistant to the vice president for student life and project manager for student life budgets and operations, to ensure materials were shipped to the ACPA convention in Long Beach, Calif.
“Not only is he supportive,” McElderry said, “but I feel like I have the division and the institution behind me.”
ACPA Executive Director Chris Moody expanded on McElderry’s remarks, noting that Dooley created space and capacity for McElderry to lead in ways that reflect Elon’s values and position the university as a thought leader in the field.
“Jon and Elon’s overall support has reinforced what is already well known about Elon being a place that values involvement, professional development and the ongoing education of its staff,” he said.
Those same values are reflected in the work of the American College Personnel Association (ACPA), a national organization that brings together student affairs professionals committed to leadership, learning and the advancement of student affairs. Founded in 1924, ACPA now represents more than 6,500 members across the higher education and student affairs community.
Dooley will be recognized as one of two award recipients at the 2026 ACPA Convention in Baltimore in March.