Board of Directors

The NAICU Board consists of 44 members (plus four non-voting members). Twenty-four board members are directly elected to three-year terms by the membership. Twelve additional directors are selected by the board to three-year terms. In addition, the chairs of the National Association of Independent College and University State Executives (NAICUSE) and the Secretariat serve as ex officio members with vote. The president of NAICU also is an ex officio member without vote. Read more about the Association Governance Structure.

Board members for the current year are:

Officers

(See Board Members listing below for officers' full information)

Mary Dana Hinton Ph.D. (Chair)
President
Hollins University
Roanoke, VA

Rob L. Manuel Ph.D. (Vice Chair)
President
DePaul University
Chicago, IL

Connie Ledoux Book Ph.D. (Past Chair)
President
Elon University
Elon, NC

José D. Padilla J.D. (Treasurer)
President
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, IN

Charlie T. McCormick Ph.D. (Secretary)
President
Schreiner University
Kerrville, TX

Barbara K. Mistick D.B.A. (NAICU President)
President
National Association of Independent Colleges & Universities
Washington, DC

Board Members

Rana Altenburg (Class of 2027)
Associate Vice President for Public Affairs
Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI

David A. Armstrong J.D. (Class of 2026)
President
St. Thomas University
Miami, FL

Marie F. Bernardo-Sousa LP.D. (Class of 2026)
President
Johnson & Wales University
Providence, RI

Audrey Bilger Ph.D. (Class of 2026)
President
Reed College
Portland, OR

Connie Ledoux Book Ph.D. (Board Past Chair)
President
Elon University
Elon, NC

Robert J. Boyd Esq. (NAICUSE Vice Chair)
President
Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida, Inc.
Tallahassee, FL

Amy Bragg Carey Ed.D. (Class of 2027)
President
Friends University
Wichita, KS

Brad Rogers Carson J.D. (Class of 2026)
President
University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK

John E. Cech Ph.D. (Class of 2025)
President
Carroll College
Helena, MT

Xavier A. Cole Ed.D. (Class of 2027)
President
Loyola University New Orleans
New Orleans, LA

Barry H. Corey Ph.D. (Class of 2027)
President
Biola University
La Mirada, CA

Philip E. Dearborn Ed.D. (Secretariat Vice Chair)
President
Association for Biblical Higher Education
Orlando, FL

Roger D. Drake Ed.D. (Class of 2025)
President
Central Methodist University
Fayette, MO

George T. French Jr. Ph.D. (Class of 2027)
President
Clark Atlanta University
Atlanta, GA

Jorge G. Gonzalez Ph.D. (Class of 2027)
President
Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo, MI

Ellen M. Granberg Ph.D. (Class of 2027)
President
The George Washington University
WASHINGTON, DC

Jonathan D. Green D.M.A. (Class of 2027)
President
Susquehanna University
Selinsgrove, PA

LaVerne T. Harmon Ed.D. (Class of 2025)
President
Wilmington University
New Castle, DE

Mary Dana Hinton Ph.D. (Board Chair)
President
Hollins University
Roanoke, VA

Sean L. Huddleston Ed.D. (Class of 2026)
President
Martin University
Indianapolis, IN

Paula Johnson M.D., M.P.H. (Class of 2025)
President
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA

Rachelle K. Keck Ph.D., J.D. (Class of 2026)
President
Grand View University
Des Moines, IA

Brian T. Keech (Class of 2026)
Senior Vice President, Government and Community Relations
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA

Robert LeFevre J.D. (NAICUSE Past Chair)
President
Michigan Independent Colleges & Universities
Lansing, MI

Richanne C. Mankey Ed.D. (Class of 2025)
President
Defiance College
Defiance, OH

Rob L. Manuel Ph.D. (Board Vice Chair)
President
DePaul University
Chicago, IL

Gilberto J. Marxuach-Torrós J.D. (Class of 2026)
President
University of the Sacred Heart
San Juan, PR

Charlie T. McCormick Ph.D. (Secretary)
President
Schreiner University
Kerrville, TX

Thayne M. McCulloh D. Phil. (Class of 2025)
President
Gonzaga University
Spokane, WA

Mickey A. McDonald Ph.D. (Secretariat Chair)
President
Great Lakes Colleges Association
Ann Arbor, MI

Elizabeth M. Meade Ph.D. (Class of 2026)
President
Cedar Crest College
Allentown, PA

Dianne Miller J.D. (Class of 2025)
Senior Director, Federal Relations, Washington Office
Cornell University
Washington, DC

Barbara Jean Morris Ph.D. (Class of 2027)
President
Prescott College
Prescott, AZ

Mark R. Nemec Ph.D. (Class of 2027)
President
Fairfield University
Fairfield, CT

Krista L. Newkirk J.D. (Class of 2026)
President
University of Redlands
Redlands, CA

José D. Padilla J.D. (Treasurer)
President
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, IN

Beth L. Paul Ph.D. (Class of 2025)
President
Nazareth University
Rochester, NY

Larry Stimpert Ph.D. (Class of 2027)
President
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney, VA

Paul Stumb IV, Ph.D. (Class of 2027)
President
Cumberland University
Lebanon, TN

Tania Tetlow J.D. (Class of 2026)
President
Fordham University
Bronx, NY

Suzanne E. Walsh J.D., M.S.S.A. (Class of 2026)
President
Bennett College
Greensboro, NC

Jennifer Widness J.D. (NAICUSE Chair)
President
Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges
West Hartford, CT

Marylou Yam Ph.D. (Class of 2026)
President
Notre Dame of Maryland University
Baltimore, MD

Barbara K. Mistick D.B.A. (NAICU President)
President
National Association of Independent Colleges & Universities
Washington, DC