SHEEO/Lumina Academy Bios
Fellows
Patrick Alles is Director of Research and Technology with the Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI)
where he leads an active research and policy analysis agenda for the 31 member institutions. Patrick
specializes in longitudinal data systems and developing analytic tools to help institutions make optimal
use of student level data. He joined ICI in 1996 before finishing his Ph.D. in Geography, but promised his
mother he’ll complete the dissertation this year on the riveting topic of “Internationalization at Liberal
Arts Institutions”.
Mike Baumgartner joined Complete College America as its Vice President for Finance and Special
Projects in January 2011. He is CCA’s chief financial officer and is responsible for management of the
Completion Innovation Challenge Grants, which were awarded to ten states; management of CCA/NGA
Common Completion Metrics collection and reporting efforts; and grant administration and compliance.
He is also CCA’s staff lead for four states.
Before joining CCA, Mike served for six years as deputy director and executive deputy director at the
Illinois Board of Higher Education, where he provided leadership for budgeting and planning,
information system, grants, and office financial administration. Mike was instrumental in the
development of the Illinois Public Agenda for College and Career Success, annual higher education
operating and capital budget recommendations, the state longitudinal data system, and a variety of
annual data publications and ad hoc studies mandated by the Illinois General Assembly.
Prior to his work in Illinois, Mike was the Associate Commissioner for Facilities and Financial Affairs at
the Indiana Commission for higher education for five years. At the Commission, Mike was responsible
for the collection and analysis of institutional and agency operating and capital budget requests,
development of the Commission’s budget recommendations to the State Budget Agency and the Indiana
General Assembly, and analysis and recommendations for Commission action on approximately 60
capital projects per year. Mike also developed and collected institutional and statewide performance
indicators adopted in the Commission’s master planning document.
Mike has three degrees in political science: a B.A. from the University of Missouri, an M.A. from The
Ohio State University, and a Ph.D. from Indiana University. He has participated on numerous higher
education advisory panels and in the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education’s Associates
Program. He has also been active in the schools attended by his three children, including an elected
school board term that was tragically cut short by his move to Maryland in 2011.
Carrie Besnette Hauser is a Senior Fellow for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Previous to this
role, she served as President and CEO of Kauffman Scholars, Inc. Before joining Kauffman, she was vice
president for advancement and external relations at Metropolitan State University of Denver and
executive director of its foundation. She also served for nearly seven years as vice president and an
original senior officer of the Daniels Fund. While at Daniels, she was a “loaned executive” for one year
advising Denver’s mayor on a city-wide college scholarship program and assisting the Metro Denver
Sports Commission on an initiative to attract top-tier international sporting events.
Her background includes teaching assignments at UCLA, the University of Denver, and in Colorado State
University’s executive MBA program. She has held research and legislative staff roles as well as positions
with the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education and the University of Arizona, her
undergraduate alma mater. She earned her master’s and PhD degrees from UCLA and is a graduate of
the Wharton Advanced Management Program.
Hauser has served on a number of boards and commissions including the Denver Metro Chamber of
Commerce, the Metro Denver Sports Commission (co-chair, 2012 Women’s Final Four), and the
American Red Cross Mile High Chapter. She received gubernatorial appointments to Colorado’s Blue
Ribbon Commission on Health Care Reform and the Colorado Commission on Higher Education. At the
national level, she is past president of the National Scholarship Providers Association, has served on the
Pathways to College Network executive committee, and is an Educational Policy Institute board
member. In 2008, she was named the 9News Leader of the Year by Denver’s NBC affiliate and the
Colorado Leadership Alliance.
Kristin D. Conklin has a deep background in education policy and advocacy at the state and national
levels. Through leadership roles at the U.S. Department of Education and the National Governors
Association, she has advanced solutions to ensure more people graduate high school and college
prepared to thrive in a rapidly changing economy. Kristin is one of the founding partners of HCM
Strategists, a public policy and advocacy consulting group focused on finding effective solutions in
education and health.
Kristin leads HCM's work for the Lumina Foundation designed to transform the productivity of America's
higher education system and reach the ambitious goal of dramatically higher college attainment rates.
Kristin and the HCM team support other education clients such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,
the Bush Institute, College Board’s Advocacy & Policy Center, Complete College America, the Institute
for Higher Education Policy, and the National Math & Science Initiative.
Kristin earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from California Polytechnic State University (Cal
Poly) in San Luis Obispo and her master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University.
Diane C. Duffy Since October 2006, Diane C. Duffy has served as Vice-President of Finance and
Administration for the Kansas Board of Regents, which governs the state’s six state universities and
coordinates these institutions, along with the state’s 19 community colleges, 10 technical colleges and
schools, and municipal university. In addition, the Board administers the state’s student financial aid,
adult education, GED, and career and technical education programs. The Board also authorizes private
proprietary schools and out-of-state institutions to operate in Kansas. Prior to this position, she held
budget and finance positions at two higher education institutions. She served as Assistant Dean for
Finance and Administration of the University of Kentucky’s College of Art and Sciences and as Chief
Operating Officer at the Voinovich Center for Leadership and Public Affairs at Ohio University. Diane
began her career in state government working for the Kansas Legislature conducting fiscal and policy
analysis. She was the state’s cash management specialist in the Kansas State Treasurer’s Office and
served the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Serves as Chief Financial Officer and Deputy
Secretary. Diane graduated from the University of Kansas School Of Law and earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree from the University of South Dakota.
Carol Frost joined the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Wyoming in 1983
after receiving her Ph.D. in Earth Sciences at Cambridge University. Frost’s published research record
includes more than 100 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals and books reporting the results of
over $11 million in contracts and grants.
Recognitions include the Carnegie Foundation/CASE Wyoming Professor of the Year and the University
of Wyoming's George Duke Humphrey Distinguished Faculty Award, which recognizes teaching
effectiveness, distinction in scholarly work, and distinguished service to the university and state.
Frost’s administrative appointments include director of the School of Energy Resources, Associate Vice
President for Research and Economic Development. She is now Vice President for Special Projects in the
Office of the President. Frost also serves as Science Editor for the Geological Society of America’s
journal, Geosphere.
In her current role she led a successful effort to strengthen UW’s admissions criteria; she established a
coalition of humanities faculty members to develop a unifying, cross-disciplinary humanities initiative;
she was convener and consensus-builder in a cross-college faculty task force to design an institute
focused on biodiversity; and she developed a plan for enhancing the institution’s commitments to and
support for doctoral education. She is also centrally involved in laying foundations for the university’s
next strategic plan, and for developing plans to manage forecasted reductions in UW’s state funding
including designing a system for institution-wide management of non-academic staff positions.
Dr. Matt Gianneschi is the Deputy Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education,
which is currently headed by Colorado Lt. Governor Joe Garcia. Prior to joining the Department of
Higher Education, Dr. Gianneschi was the Vice President of Student Services and Enrollment
Management at the Community College of Aurora, a medium-sized, public urban community college.
From 2007 – 2009, Dr. Gianneschi served as the senior advisor for education policy to Colorado
Governor Bill Ritter, Jr., then chairman of the National Governors Association’s committee on Early
Childhood, Education, and Workforce. Dr. Gianneschi also served as the senior policy analyst for the
State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) association, chief academic officer for the Colorado
Department of Higher Education, and a director of the Daniels College Prep and Scholarship Program in
the Daniels Fund, the Rocky Mountain region’s largest philanthropic foundation. Dr. Gianneschi is an
alumnus of the Denver Public Schools and received Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from the
University of Denver and a Doctor of Philosophy from the Center for the Study of Higher Education at
the University of Arizona. In 2011, Dr. Gianneschi was the recipient of a Marshall Memorial Fellowship
from the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
Maria Harper-Marinick, Ph.D., is Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost for the Maricopa Community
College District in Arizona. Dr. Harper-Marinick provides oversight for curriculum; academic research;
student affairs; strategic planning and institutional effectiveness; university relations and transfer
articulation; grants development; international education; faculty professional development; high
school to college pathways programs; workforce development; and small business development. Dr.
Harper-Marinick also works closely with the Chancellor in three major areas: definition and
implementation of the District’s strategic plan and allocation of resources; leading initiatives to enhance
access and increase student success; and building the stature and recognition of the District and its ten
colleges locally, nationally, and internationally.
Dr. Harper-Marinick serves on national and local boards and advisory committees including Arizona
Minority Education Policy Analysis Center, Chair; National Community College Hispanic Council,
President-Elect; Western Alliance of Community College Academic Leaders, Chair-Elect; American
Association for Community Colleges’ Commission on Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity; American College &
University President’s Climate Commitment-Academic Committee; Arizona Business and Education
Coalition; Arizona Higher Education Engagement and Communication Committee for PARCC; Arizona
Public Engagement Task Force; Corporate Voices Community College Advisory Board; Florence
Crittenton of Arizona; Getting Ahead Arizona, Policy Review Committee; Latino Advisory Committee and
CTE Advisory Committee for the Morrison Institute for Public Policy; and the League for Innovation in
the Community College.
Originally from the Dominican Republic, Dr. Harper-Marinick came to Arizona as a LASPAU-Fulbright
Scholar to attend Arizona State University. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Technology and a M.A. in
Instructional Media from ASU.
Monte Kramer was born and raised in South Dakota. I was one of eight children and the only family
member to attend college. After completing my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at the
University of South Dakota in 1983, I returned to my hometown, Pierre, the capital city of South Dakota.
I started working for state government, mostly in financial positions.
My first job in higher education was as a budget analyst for the Board of Regents in 1985. I left in 1994
as the Asst. Director of Finance, and returned to the University of South Dakota as the Comptroller. I
held the position for six years, during which time I completed my MBA. As part of my job, I worked with
students on meeting their financial obligations, which is where I came to appreciate public higher
education and recognize the impact it could have on individuals.
I was recruited back to the SD Board of Regents office as the Director of Finance in 2000. I recently
completed my Doctorate in Educational Administration. My thesis was titled: State Funding of Higher
Education: Looking for the Pieces to the Puzzle. My current position with the Board is the System VP for
Finance and Administration. I oversee the traditional finance and budget areas and also have oversight
of System Information Technology for the six public universities.
I just celebrated my 23rd wedding anniversary. My wife, Pat, is a Spanish teacher at the local high
school.
Dan Layzell is Vice President of Finance and Planning at Illinois State University, where he has been since
2009. In this role, he serves as the University’s chief financial officer/chief operating officer, overseeing
financial management and treasury operations, planning and budgeting, capital planning and facilities
management, human resources, administrative IT, and general business operations (e.g., procurement,
parking and transportation). Immediately prior to joining the University, he served as Associate Vice
President for Planning and Administration at the University of Illinois. Dr. Layzell also served as Deputy
Director of Planning and Budgeting for the Illinois Board of Higher Education. He formerly was a partner
in the higher education practice of MGT of America, Inc., a consulting firm based in Tallahassee, Florida,
Director of Policy Analysis and Research for the University of Wisconsin System, and a fiscal analyst for
the Arizona Legislature. Dr. Layzell has also been an adjunct faculty member in the graduate programs
in higher education administration at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Florida State
University, and University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Dr. Layzell has a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Florida State University, a master’s degree in Labor and
Industrial Relations from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a bachelor’s degree in
Economics and Business Administration from Illinois College. He is the author or co-author of various
articles, book chapters, monographs, and conference papers dealing with topics related to higher
education finance, strategic planning, and public policy.
Dr. Karen Marrongelle is Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Standards and Collaborations for the
Oregon University System (OUS). Dr. Marrongelle supports the Vice Chancellor for Academic Strategies
in the areas of PK-20 academic standards, student learning assessment, teacher education,
diversity/equity efforts, and offers support for the academic role of OUS faculty. Her work includes an
emphasis on national, statewide and OUS initiatives directed at monitoring and enhancing the success of
students as they move into and through OUS institutions.
Dr. Marrongelle previously served as Assistant Dean for Research in the College of Liberal Arts &
Sciences at Portland State University. She was an active faculty member in the Fariborz Maseeh
Department of Mathematics & Statistics at Portland State University from 2001-2011 and currently
holds the rank of Professor of Mathematics & Statistics at Portland State University. From 2007-2009,
Marrongelle served on a rotation as a program officer at the National Science Foundation in
Washington, D.C.
Dr. Marrongelle has led numerous grants and has collaborated with researchers nationally and
internationally to improve undergraduate mathematics education and K-12 mathematics professional
development. Dr. Marrongelle is active in the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the
Mathematical Association of America, serving on committees for these organizations. She serves on the
Board of Directors for Teachers Development Group and is Oregon’s Higher Education lead for the
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium.
Marrongelle received a Ph.D. in Mathematics Education from the University of New Hampshire; an M.S.
in Mathematics from Lehigh University; and a B.S. in Mathematics/Philosophy from Albright College.
Dr. Neil Matkin is currently transitioning to the position of executive vice president of the Louisiana
College & Technical College System (LCTCS) from a nearly four-year tenure as president of San Jacinto
Community College District’s 16,000 student Central Campus. Dr. Matkin begins at LCTCS in late June
2012. He came to San Jacinto College from the Virginia Community College System (VCCS), where he
was the vice chancellor for information technology services and chief information officer for the
statewide system of 23 community colleges located on 40 campuses. Prior to the VCCS, Dr. Matkin was
the founding chief administrative officer for the Illinois Century Network under the aegis of the Illinois
Board of Higher Education where he previously served as associate director. Dr. Matkin has held posts as
a faculty member, department chair, and division dean with Ambassador University in Big Sandy, Texas.
Dr. Matkin holds a doctorate in higher education from Texas A&M University in Commerce; an MBA
from the University of Dallas in Irving; a master’s degree in telecommunications management from
Golden Gate University in Los Angeles; and bachelor’s and associate’s degrees in liberal arts/theology
from Ambassador College in Pasadena, California, and Big Sandy, Texas, respectively. He was chosen
recently to serve a one-year term in the position of Associate with the National Center for Public Policy
and Higher Education.
Dr. Matkin hales from Orange, Texas and is married to Janyth (Clemons) Matkin of Odessa, Texas.
Married 26 years, they have three grown sons.
Dr. Susan McCracken is the Director of External Affairs for Appalachian State University. Dr. McCracken
previously was Appalachian’s Director of Sponsored Programs in the Office of Research and Sponsored
Programs. From 2004-08, she directed GEAR UP North Carolina for The University of North Carolina
General Administration. Under her leadership, North Carolina received a $19 million GEAR UP state
grant in 2005 and $3.7 million for the College Access Challenge Grant in 2008. As GEAR UP North
Carolina director, she piloted the first-ever North Carolina College Application Week expanding the
effort statewide, and spearheaded the development of a longitudinal data tracking system for GEAR UP
and other college access programs. From 1992 to 2004, she directed Appalachian’s College Awareness
Programs including GEAR UP, Upward Bound, and the Appalachian Higher Education Access Network.
During that time, she secured over $5 million in external funding to expand college opportunities to
youth in the Appalachian region of North Carolina.
Dr. McCracken works closely with Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock to advance the University’s mission
and secure funding for the institution’s highest strategic priorities. She is responsible for relationships
with local, county, state and federal elected officials. She represents the university as governmental
affairs liaison to the N.C. General Assembly, the UNC General Administration, the U.S. Congress and
federal agencies, the Watauga County Commissioners, and Boone’s Town Council. Dr. McCracken has
served on numerous national and state boards and committees. Currently, she serves on the following
committees: State Advisory Board for the NC State Employees Combined Campaign, Town of Boone
Planning Commission and External Agency Funding Board, and the Western North Carolina Community
Foundation Board.
Dr. McCracken has an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, an Ed.S. in Higher Education Administration, and
a Masters of Arts in Student Development from Appalachian. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in
American Studies from UNC Chapel Hill.
Rusty Monhollon is Assistant Commissioner for Academic Affairs at the Missouri Department of Higher
Education. Before joining the MDHE, Monhollon was Associate Professor of History and Director of the
Masters of Arts in Humanities program at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland. He also has held
teaching appointments at Washburn University, Rockhurst University, the University of Kansas, and the
University of Missouri-Columbia. He has received research support from Hood College, Duke University,
the Rockefeller Archives, and the Kansas State Historical Society, among others. His book “This is
America?”: The Sixties in Lawrence, Kansas (Palgrave, 2002), received the Edward H. Tihen Publication
Award from the Kansas State Historical Association in 2003. He also the editor of Baby Boom: People
and Perspectives, published by ABC-Clio in 2010.
A native Kansan, Monhollon was a welder and machinist before embarking on a career in higher
education. He received his baccalaureate degree summa cum laude from Washburn University, and
master’s and doctoral degrees with honors from the University of Kansas. He and his wife Sonja Erickson
have four children (two still at home) and three grandchildren.
Dr. Sharon E. Morrissey, As the Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Services and Chief
Academic Officer for the North Carolina Community College System, Dr. Sharon E. Morrissey initiates,
develops and administers state-level policies and strategies to improve student access, enhance
program quality, and increase student success. She is responsible for state-level coordination of literacy
and foundational skills education, academic programs, student success policies, federal basic skills and
technical education grants, and related resource development activities.
Dr. Morrissey leads several system-wide initiatives designed to support student success in the 58
community colleges. She is the state lead for a Developmental Education Initiative designed to
accelerate students’ completion of remedial coursework and their success in gateway college courses.
She also leads the development of system policies to support the Gates Foundation’s Completion by
Design initiative in NC. In 2011, Dr. Morrissey collaborated with the Governor’s office and the
Department of Public Instruction to develop the Career and College Promise legislation that streamlines
high school student dual enrollment pathways, and she developed policies to allow adult basic skills
students to dual enroll in occupational courses leading to credentials.
Dr. Morrissey has over 20 years of experience in the North Carolina Community College System,
including President of Richmond Community College, Vice President for Instruction at AshevilleBuncombe Technical Community College, Vice President for Academic and Student Services at
Fayetteville Technical Community College, and Associate Vice President for Academic and Student
Services at the NCCCS. She began her community college career as an English instructor at Central
Carolina Community College.
In her previous work at the System Office, Dr. Morrissey led the state-wide community college
conversion from a quarter calendar to a semester calendar. She also led the development of the
statewide comprehensive articulation agreement between the North Carolina Community College
System and the University of North Carolina.
Among other awards, Dr. Morrissey is a recipient of North Carolina State University’s I.E. Ready
Distinguished Graduate Award for Leadership Excellence in Adult and Community College Education.
Lee Nimocks is chief of staff for the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, where she works
closely with the president and board in the areas of policy and budget development, public relations,
agency operations, and legislative affairs. Lee came to CPE in 2004 from the Association of Independent
Kentucky Colleges and Universities where she was vice president in charge of state relations,
communications, and policy research. Before that, she served as an English professor and director of
public relations at Sue Bennett College in London, Kentucky. Lee holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in
English from Rhodes College in Memphis, a master of arts in English from Vanderbilt University, and has
completed coursework toward a doctorate in Higher Education Policy Studies at the University of
Kentucky.
Brian T. Prescott is the director of policy research in the Policy Analysis and Research unit at the
Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). In this role, he co-manages WICHE’s
Policy Analysis and Research unit, with primary responsibility for obtaining and analyzing education and
workforce data with public policy relevance. Author of the most recent edition of Knocking at the
College Door, WICHE’s widely-used projections of high school graduates by state and race/ethnicity, he
also has experience working with states on financial aid redesign, access and success, and data systems
development. Prescott earned his Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Virginia.
Travis Reindl oversees the postsecondary education work area in the National Governors Association’s
Center for Best Practices. His concentration is on postsecondary access and completion. He is also the
lead on the 2010-2011 NGA Chair's Initiative, which focuses on increasing college completion and
productivity. He most recently served as state policy and campaigns director at CommunicationWorks,
L.L.C., a Washington, D.C.-based public affairs firm. From 2006 to 2008, he served as program director
at the Boston-based Jobs for the Future, where he led Making Opportunity Affordable. Previously, Travis
headed the state policy analysis unit at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and
oversaw government relations and institutional research for the South Dakota Board of Regents. A
native of South Dakota, Travis holds a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and an M.P.P. from the
University of Maryland-College Park.
Diane “Di” Saunders has been Director of Communications for the Oregon University System since
2002. Di is the official spokesperson, public affairs director, and executive cabinet member for the
System and State Board of Higher Education, directing positioning and messaging, media relations and
public communications and outreach. She manages numerous, often sensitive issues, and a variety of
system and policy issues from college costs and access to system performance, governance and
accountability. Di works closely with the Board to develop and accomplish committee goals and
deliverables, develop legislative policy options, develop and disseminate reports, organize convenings,
and ensure effective outcomes. She manages OUS’ reputational capital through consistent
communications and branding, including legislative communications, policy briefs, research reports,
media/editorial board outreach, web presence, collateral, speech writing, presentations, and all
messaging.
From 1999 to 2002, Di was Vice President of Communications & Public Affairs for Nellie Mae Education
Foundation in Boston where she managed communications outreach and activities, education research
projects, and policy development. Previously, she was Vice President for Communications and Public
Affairs for Nellie Mae Student Loan Corporation from 1987 to 1999, managing all marketing
communications, research, and outreach on student loan debt and related issues.
From 1981 to 1987, Di was a Peace Corps teacher and later a private consultant for the Ministries of
Education and Local Government and Lands in Botswana, Africa. Saunders has a B.A. in English and
Secondary Education Teaching Certificate from Portland State University; and an M.S. in
Communications Management from Simmons College in Boston.
Amy Sherman is Associate Vice President for Policy and Strategic Alliances at the Council for Adult and
Experiential Learning (CAEL). Her work focuses on increasing access to adult learning and improving its
quality. Amy engages in policy research and analysis, coalition-building, advocacy, and technical
assistance to state and federal policy leaders. She works closely with legislators to promote policy to
strengthen America's workforce.
Amy is a national and international speaker. Her diverse areas of expertise range from supporting
veterans to promoting access and degree completion through Prior Learning Assessments. Amy also
leads CAEL's national initiative to advance Lifelong Learning Accounts (LiLAs), which are employermatched educational accounts to finance lifelong learning for working adults.
Prior to joining CAEL, Amy was Executive Director of the Manufacturing Workforce Development Project
(MWDP), a Chicago Federation of Labor project funded by the U.S. Dept. of Labor. The MWDP built a
consortium of influential business and labor leaders, educational providers, and public officials. The
MWDP published a well-received report with recommendations on how to improve the regional system
in the manufacturing sector. The MWDP helped to set the stage for the establishment of the Chicago
Manufacturing Renaissance Council and Austin Polytechnic High School.
Amy earned her law degree with honors from Northwestern University. While serving as Dean of
Students at Northwestern, the Student Bar Association established an annual Amy Sherman Student
Leadership Award. Amy practiced at major Chicago law firms in the area of employment law. Early in her
career, Amy managed Emergency Services at the UIC Medical Center.
Nancy Shulock is Executive Director of the Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy (IHELP) at
Sacramento State University, and a professor of Public Policy and Administration. The Institute conducts
applied policy research to help state policymakers and educators improve California higher education. It
also engages in projects of national focus to advance the understanding of student success in higher
education and improve state public policy. She has authored numerous reports and articles on higher
education policy and performance, finance policy, community college student success, transfer policy,
accountability, policy analysis, strategic planning, and legislative decision making. Prior to the
establishment of the Institute in 2001, Nancy was associate vice president for finance and then associate
vice president for academic affairs at Sacramento State. She began her state policy work with the
California Legislative Analyst’s office, where she worked on K-12 and higher education issues. She holds
a masters of public policy from UC Berkeley and a doctorate in political science from UC Davis.
Jeff Stanley joined HCM in 2011 as a seasoned higher education professional, and he supports account
work for Achieve, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Complete College America, State Higher
Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) and Lumina Foundation.
He most recently served as associate vice president for SHEEO where he managed a project for
Complete College America that provides policy and data systems support to states working to increase
college completion rates. As a consultant to Lumina Foundation, he managed initiatives in Indiana and
Ohio to help strengthen productivity in their higher education systems.
For nearly a decade, he served as associate commissioner for policy and planning for the Indiana
Commission for Higher Education. There, he oversaw the development and management of the state's
strategic plan for higher education. He also held leadership positions at Indiana University PurdueUniversity Indianapolis, where he managed alumni relations, guided the reorganization of the student
affairs division, and supported the vice chancellor for undergraduate education.
Jeff was a social services counselor for The Villages, the Indiana's largest nonprofit children and family
services agency. He earned his bachelor's degree from Purdue University and his master's in social work
from Indiana University. He is an active member of his church and community, and volunteered as a
soccer coach, Scout leader and coordinator for the local Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Race
for the Cure and the Indiana AIDS walk. He and his wife, Jennifer, have two children and reside in
Broomfield, Colorado.
MacGregor Stephenson joined the Coordinating Board in fall 2008 as Assistant Commissioner for
Academic Affairs and Research. MacGregor came to the Coordinating Board from the Texas A&M
University System, where he served as Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. During his tenure
at the A&M System, he also served as interim director of the Tarleton State University System CenterCentral Texas in Killeen.
Prior to joining the A&M System, MacGregor served as Governor Perry’s higher education advisor.
MacGregor holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Texas A&M University and a law
degree from the University of Denver.
In his spare time, MacGregor enjoys reading everything from spy novels to autobiographies, scuba diving
as frequently as possible and hosting dinner parties.
Paul D. Turman (Ph.D. University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2000) is the System Vice President for Research
and Economic Development with the South Dakota Board of Regents which is responsible for the
governance of South Dakota’s six public universities. In his position, Dr. Turman coordinates research
and grant related initiatives and policies for the South Dakota Regental system. The position provides
leadership to advance the research and scholarly goals in the Regental system by working with state
government leadership including the Governor, Executive Agencies, and legislators in making university
research efforts effective for South Dakota. These responsibilities include oversight of state level
competitive research grants, Research Centers, expanding economic development opportunities, as well
as the ongoing management of two areas within the Board of Regents system office: 1) Institutional
Research and Scholarship Program Coordination. Before joining the South Dakota Board of Regents
staff, Dr. Turman taught as an associate professor at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), and was
recognized for outstanding teaching and service at the institutional and national level. Throughout his
academic career he has published 34 peer reviewed research articles at the national and regional level,
as well as co-authored three books.
Bruce Vandal is Vice President for Development and Outreach Director, Postsecondary Education and
Workforce Development Institute. Bruce Vandal provides key leadership at ECS as Vice President of
Development and Outreach. In addition, he coordinates research and policy work as the director of the
Postsecondary and Workforce Development Institute. Currently, Vandal is the director of Getting Past
Go, Lumina Foundation project to more effectively leverage investments in remedial and developmental
education to increase college attainment. Getting Past Go has a comprehensive set of resources for
state, system and institutional leaders who are committed to reforming the delivery of developmental
education to increase student postsecondary attainment. The project provides in depth technical
assistance to states that are engaged in reform processes. He is also directing Boosting College
Completion for a New Economy, a two-year project supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,
which is working with state legislators to spur economic growth in states through increased college
attainment rates. BCC has developed a database of recent legislative enactments associated with college
completion and workforce development. In addition, the project provides technical assistance to higher
education committee chairs on these issues. He was the co-director of the Tennessee Developmental
Studies Redesign Initiative, which was a partnership with the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) to
reform developmental education courses at TBR institutions funded by the U.S. Department of
Education's Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education. Vandal also has directed projects on
aligning education and workforce development policy, teacher preparation, and college access. As Vice
President of Development and Outreach he works closely with other national education policy
organizations and heads up fund development activities at ECS. Bruce has published several reports on
higher education policy and is regularly contributes to two blogs associated with the Getting Past Go and
Boosting College Completion projects. He is also actively uses other social media to include Twitter,
Facebook and Linked In to engage policymakers on higher education policy issues. He earned his Ph.D. in
Education Policy and Administration with an emphasis in Higher Education Administration from the
University of Minnesota.
Facilitators
Dr. John C. Cavanaugh Has served as Chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
since July 1, 2008. PASSHE operates 14 comprehensive universities with a combined enrollment of
nearly 120,000 students. The chancellor works with the Board of Governors to recommend and develop
overall policies for the State System.
Previously, John served as president of the University of West Florida in Pensacola for six years. Before
that, he was provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of North Carolina at
Wilmington and held various positions at the University of Delaware, including vice provost for academic
programs and planning and associate provost for graduate studies.
Among John’s most notable administrative accomplishments are helping create two statewide high
bandwidth fiber optic networks (Florida LambdaRail and PennREN); the Academic Technology Center at
UWF; a broad-based effort on teaching reform including a major grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts to
enhance and expand problem-based learning; the development of the nation’s first web-based graduate
admissions processing system; numerous policy improvements regarding credit transfer, articulation
agreements, learning assessment, and performance funding; and co-founding the Northwest Ohio
Dementia and Memory Center at the Medical College of Ohio at Toledo.
John earned a B.A. in Psychology with high Honors at the University of Delaware and his M.A. and Ph.D.
in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame.
Marshall Hill Is Executive Director of Nebraska’s Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education.
The Commission provides statewide higher education planning, administers financial aid programs,
authorizes academic programs, approves proposals for facilities, and reviews budget requests from the
state’s 14 public institutions. Before coming to Nebraska in 2005, he was Assistant Commissioner for
Universities and Health-Related Institutions at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Dr. Hill
has twice served as a non-federal negotiator on U.S. Department of Education panels convened to
develop rules affecting accrediting bodies and once on a similar panel focused on the integrity of federal
financial aid programs. He has consulted on several large higher education projects in Yemen, Morocco
and Qatar. Prior to his work in Texas and Nebraska, Dr. Hill taught music and conducted choirs and
orchestras at five institutions, including Duquesne University, Utah State University, and Iowa State
University.
Sally M. Johnstone is the Vice President for Academic Advancement at the Western Governors
University, a competency-based, on-line institution headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Prior to
joining WGU, she was the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at a traditional
comprehensive university, Winona State University in Minnesota. She also spent over 15 years at the
Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). Dr. Johnstone’s experiences include
work on policy issues for higher education institutions and system organizations, inter-institutional
collaborations, quality assurance issues, project development and evaluation, plus institutional
management issues. She has worked with UNESCO on education and open educational resource issues
for over a decade, and currently serves on the U.S. UNESCO Commission. Dr. Johnstone also serves on
the editorial boards for Change magazine (USA) and the Journal of Open Learning (UK). She has
authored dozens of articles, books, and reports on issues of integrating information and communication
technology into academics. Johnstone earned her Ph. D. in experimental psychology from the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.
Stan Jones Following three decades successfully reforming higher education in Indiana as Commissioner
of Higher Education, state legislator, and senior advisor to the governor, Stan Jones founded Complete
College America in order to build a network of states committed to substantially increasing the number
of Americans with a postsecondary credential.
Mr. Jones began his longstanding commitment to education in 1974, when, at the age of 24, he was
elected to the Indiana House of Representatives. As a member of both the House Education and State
Budget committees, he developed expertise in higher education and higher-education finance. Stan
served 16 years in the Indiana State Legislature and more than five years as a senior advisor to Governor
Evan Bayh. His service as Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education spanned 12 years and the tenure
of four different governors from both political parties.
As Commissioner, he was credited as a primary architect of several landmark education policy initiatives
in Indiana. These initiatives include the 21st Century Scholars program, an early promise scholarship
program aimed at increasing the number of low-income students attending and completing a
postsecondary education; the development of Indiana’s new community college system; the creation of
Indiana’s Education Roundtable; and the implementation of Core 40, a college prep curriculum that has
contributed to a significant increase in high school seniors going to college.
Tom Layzell Served for 23 years as the chief executive officer of two multi-campus governing boards and
a statewide coordinating board. He was Chancellor of the Illinois Board of Governors Universities
system, Commissioner of Higher Education for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, and
President of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. He has also served as an advisor to the
Louisiana Board of Regents, and as the chief financial officer of a university, and of a multi-campus
university system.
Tom has served as chairman of the SHEEO Executive Committee, president of NASH, a member of the
National Commission on Accountability in Higher Education, co-chaired by former Secretary of
Education Dick Riley and former Oklahoma Governor, Frank Keating, and served two terms on the AGB
Council of Presidents. He currently serves as a facilitator for AGB.
Tom received a BA degree in History from Millikin University, and JD and MAPA degrees from the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He resides in Springfield, Illinois.
Teresa Lubbers Was appointed as Indiana’s Commissioner for Higher Education in 2009. For 17 years,
Lubbers served as an Indiana State Senator and was the Chair of the Education Committee and a
member of the Appropriations, Judiciary and Rules Committees.
As a legislator, Senator Lubbers led in education and economic development issues. She authored
Indiana’s charter school law and spearheaded efforts to ensure high academic standards and
accountability; address the high school drop-out rate; and promote full-day kindergarten. Lubbers also
worked to improve teacher effectiveness and served on the Advisory Board for the National
Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality.
As Indiana’s Commissioner for Higher Education, Lubbers has worked to increase college completion,
improve productivity, and ensure academic quality. Indiana is widely acknowledged as a national leader
in performance funding, paying for student success rather than student enrollment. She has partnered
with policymakers and higher education leaders to implement the state’s higher education strategic
plan, Reaching Higher, Achieving More, and promoted innovative educational models and efforts to
contain college costs.
Lubbers is a member of the Indiana Education Roundtable, Commissioner and former chair of the
Midwestern Higher Education Compact, and a member of the Indiana School for the Blind and the YMCA
of Greater Indianapolis. She is also Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Richard Lugar Excellence in Public
Service Series.
Lubbers has received many honors in recognition of her service, including the Welsh-Bowen
Distinguished Hoosier Award, Government Leader of the Year by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce,
Most Influential Women by the Indianapolis Business Journal, Education Leader of the Year by the GEO
Foundation and the state’s Sagamore of the Wabash Award.
Lubbers’ professional career includes teaching high school English, and serving in communications
positions for Mayor Richard Lugar and in Senator Lugar’s office. She also worked for Inc. Magazine, and
the National Federation of Independent Business. For over 15 years, Lubbers operated Capitol
Communications, a public relations and advertising firm.
Lubbers holds an undergraduate degree from Indiana University and a Master in Public Administration
from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Dewayne Matthews Is Vice President for Policy and Strategy of the Lumina Foundation for Education,
the largest private foundation in the United States focused on higher education access and success. In
this position, he led development of the Foundation’s first strategic plan and directs its policy work at
the state and federal levels. Matthews has served in a variety of higher education leadership roles,
including Senior Advisor to the President and Vice President of the Education Commission of the States
(ECS), Director of Programs and Services for the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
(WICHE), and Executive Director of the New Mexico Commission on Higher Education. He has been a
legislative staff member, faculty member, university trustee in the U.S. and Japan, and a team member
and co-author of OECD and World Bank higher education reviews in Spain, Chile, and Colombia. He
began his career as a first-grade teacher in Taos, New Mexico. Matthews is a graduate of the University
of New Mexico and earned a master's degree in bilingual education at New Mexico Highlands University
in Las Vegas, N.M. He earned a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies at Arizona State
University and received an honorary doctor of humane letters from Marycrest International University.
James H. McCormick Is a senior consultant with AGB Search. Chancellor Emeritus of the Minnesota
State Colleges and Universities system, he served the system from 2001 to 2011. Prior to Minnesota
leadership, he was the founding chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education,
serving from 1983 to 2001, and also holds the title Chancellor Emeritus there. Dr. McCormick was
president of Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania from 1973 to 1983, and earlier was a professor and
administrator at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. McCormick has been national chair for the State Higher Education Executive Officers, served on the
SHEEO Executive Committee, and chaired its Federal Relations Committee. Among other leadership
roles, he also was chair of the Midwestern Higher Education Compact and served as a rotating chair of
the Higher Education Advisory Council for the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. He has chaired the
National Association of System Heads and worked closely with the National Council of State Directors of
Community Colleges. While Minnesota Chancellor, he accepted a rare second term of service with the
Association of Governing Boards' Council of Presidents.
McCormick, recipient of several honors and recognitions, is a frequent speaker, particularly on issues
addressing characteristics of leadership, workforce development, higher education opportunity for the
underserved and underrepresented, and the public higher education access mission in universities and
community colleges.
Dr. McCormick is a graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He earned Master's and Doctoral
degrees from the University of Pittsburgh. He also has completed post-doctoral study at Columbia
University, the University of Michigan, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard
University.
Jamie P. Merisotis Is president and chief executive officer of Lumina Foundation, the nation's largest
private foundation committed solely to enrolling and graduating more students from college. Under his
leadership, Lumina employs a strategic, outcomes-based approach in pursuing its mission of expanding
college access and success, particularly among low-income, minority and other historically
underrepresented populations. Lumina’s goal is to increase the percentage of Americans who hold highquality degrees and credentials to 60 percent by 2025.
Before joining Lumina in January 2008, Merisotis founded and served 15 years as president of the
Washington, D.C.-based Institute for Higher Education Policy, one of the world’s premier education
research and policy centers. He previously served as executive director of the National Commission on
Responsibilities for Financing Postsecondary Education, a bipartisan commission appointed by the U.S.
president and congressional leaders. Merisotis also helped create the Corporation for National and
Community Service (AmeriCorps), and serves on numerous national and international boards of
directors, including Bates College in Maine, Anatolia College in Greece, the Central Indiana Corporate
Partnership, and The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.
Tad Perry's 15 years as the chief executive officer for the South Dakota public university system capped
a 40-year career in higher education. Before joining the South Dakota Board of Regents, he spent 23
years at Ball State University [Ind.) as a political science faculty member and university administrator.
During his professional career, Tad served as chair of the State Higher Education Executive Officers
Association and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. He also served as an officer
for the National Association of System Heads and as a commissioner for the Education Commission of
the States and the Midwestern Higher Education Compact.
His 30 years working with state policymakers in Indiana and South Dakota prepared him well for his
activities after retirement. In 2010, Tad was elected to the South Dakota House of Representatives,
where he has served as a member of the House Education Committee. He is currently a candidate for an
open seat in the South Dakota State Senate. During his first term, he successfully authored the Jump
Start Scholarship program, which provides a state-funded scholarship for students who complete their
high school graduation requirements in three years to attend a South Dakota higher education
institution.
Tad is a graduate of Central Methodist University [Mo.] where he serves as vice chair of the Board of
Trustees. He also holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in political science from the University of Missouri.
Richard Petrick Is the executive director of the Business Alliance for Higher Education and the Economy
in Ohio (BAHEE), a 501 (c) (3) designed to be the voice of business in higher education in Ohio. Petrick
joined the Business Alliance in August of 2011, where he has devoted his time to issues of college
completion, STEM education, and course redesign. Prior to his appointment to the BAHEE, Petrick was a
senior consultant for HCM Strategists. Earlier he had served as Vice Chancellor for Finance and Data
Management for the Ohio Board of Regents, where he was primarily responsible for the development
and administration of the annual $2.5 billion higher education operating budget and biennial $450
million capital budget. His service at the Regents included leadership in designing and implementing a
performance-based subsidy system and an outcomes-based student grant program, and the creation of
the state’s higher education database, called HEI. He also served as vice-chairman of the Ohio Higher
Educational Facilities Commission. Petrick joined the Board of Regents staff in 1990 as Director of
Budgets and Resource Planning and became Vice Chancellor for Finance in 1998.