Committees

 

The NAICU Board sponsors seven committees comprised of board members and select members of the association membership. Four committees deal with public policy issues, while three operational committees focus on internal NAICU policies and procedures

Read more about the Association Governance Structure. Committee members for the current year are:


Executive Committee

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

Robert L. Manuel Ph.D.
President
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Vice Chair

Constance Ledoux Book Ph.D.
President
Elon University
Elon, NC
Past Chair

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

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

Roger D. Drake Ed.D.
President
Central Methodist University
Fayette, MO
Audit Committee Chair

José D. Padilla J.D.
President
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, IN
Accountabilty Committee Chair

Richanne C. Mankey Ed.D.
President
Defiance College
Defiance, OH
Policy Analysis and Public Relations Chair

John E. Cech Ph.D.
President
Carroll College
Helena, MT
Student Aid Committee Chair

Elizabeth L. Paul Ph.D.
President
Nazareth University
Rochester, NY
Tax Policy Chair

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

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

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

Audit Committee

Roger D. Drake Ed.D.
President
Central Methodist University
Fayette, MO
Chair

Constance Ledoux Book Ph.D.
President
Elon University
Elon, NC
Audit Committee

Mary Dana Hinton Ph.D.
President
Hollins University
Roanoke, VA
Audit Committee

Vonda Dickson
Director of Finance and Administration
National Association of Independent Colleges & Universities
Washington, DC
Staff Liaison

Committee on Accountability

José D. Padilla J.D.
President
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, IN
Chair

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

Sarah Bolton
President
Whitman College
Walla Walla, WA
Class of 2027

Constance Ledoux Book Ph.D.
President
Elon University
Elon, NC
Class of 2023

Robert J. Boyd Esq.
President
Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida, Inc.
Tallahassee, FL
Class of 2027

Xavier A. Cole Ph.D.
President
Loyola University New Orleans
New Orleans, LA
Class of 2027

Philip E. Dearborn Ed.D.
President
Association for Biblical Higher Education
Orlando, FL
Class of 2027

Nora Demleitner J.D., LLM
Collegewide President & President
St. John's College
Annapolis, MD
Class of 2026

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

Mary Dana Hinton Ph.D.
President
Hollins University
Roanoke, VA
Class of 2024

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

Joseph G. Marina S.J.
President
The University of Scranton
Scranton, PA
Class of 2026

Robert McCarron J.D.
President
Association of Independent Colleges & Universities in Massachusetts
Bellmont, MA
Class of 2025

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

Barbara McDonald
President
The College of St. Scholastica
Duluth, MN
Class of 2027

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

David L. Poole
President & Chief Executive Officer
San Diego Christian College
Santee, CA
Class of 2027

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

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

Jane Wood Ph.D.
President
Bluffton University
Bluffton, OH
Class of 2025

Jody Feder J.D.
Director of Accountability and Regulatory Affairs
National Association of Independent Colleges & Universities
Washington, DC
Staff Liaison

Committee on Student Aid

John E. Cech Ph.D.
President
Carroll College
Helena, MT
Chair

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

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

Tracy Y. Espy Ph.D.
President
Mitchell College
New London, CT
Class of 2026

Montserrat Fuentes Ph.D.
President
St. Edward's University
Austin, TX
Class of 2025

Eric W. Fulcomer Ph.D.
President
Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
Madison, WI
Class of 2026

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

Joseph J. Helble
President
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA
Class of 2026

Brian L. Johnson
President
Warner Pacific University
Portland, OR
Class of 2026

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

D. Michael Lindsay
President
Taylor University
UPLAND, IN
Class of 2027

Robert L. Manuel Ph.D.
President
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Class of 2025

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

Karen K. Petersen Ph.D.
President
Hendrix College
Conway, AR
Class of 2027

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

Beck A. Taylor
President
Samford University
Birmingham, AL
Class of 2027

Matthew vandenBerg Ed.D.
President
Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, OH
Class of 2027

Dwaun J. Warmack Ed.D.
President
Claflin University
Orangeburg, SC
Class of 2025

Jennifer Widness J.D.
President
Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges
West Hartford, CT
Class of 2026

Stephanie T. Giesecke
Senior Director for Budget & Appropriations
National Association of Independent Colleges & Universities
Washington, DC
Staff Liaison

Justin Monk
Director of Student and Institutional Aid Policy
National Association of Independent Colleges & Universities
Washington, DC
Staff Liaison

Committee on Policy Analysis and Public Relations

Richanne C. Mankey Ed.D.
President
Defiance College
Defiance, OH
Chair

Michael Beals
President
Vanguard University of Southern California
Costa Mesa, CA
Class of 2026

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

Lola W. Brabham M.P.A.
President
Commission on Independent Colleges & Universities
Albany, NY
Class of 2027

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

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

Gary B. Crosby Ph.D.
President
Saint Elizabeth University
Morristown, NJ
Class of 2025

Sharon DeVivo
President
Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology
Flushing, NY
Class of 2026

Mason Dyer
President
Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges & Universities
Frankfort, KY
Class of 2026

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

Jeffrey Gingerich Ph.D.
President
St. Bonaventure University
St. Bonaventure, NY
Class of 2027

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

Robin Helene Holmes-Sullivan Ph.D.
President
Lewis and Clark College
Portland, OR
Class of 2026

Joseph Hopkins
President
Campbellsville University
Campbellsville, KY
Class of 2026

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

Michael A. McDonald Ph.D.
President
Great Lakes Colleges Association
Ann Arbor, MI
Class of 2025

Suzanne M. Rivera Ph.D.
President
Macalester College
St. Paul, MN
Class of 2025

Ryan Tipton Ph.D.
President
University of the Southwest
Hobbs, NM
Class of 2027

Jamel Santa Cruze Wright
President
Eureka College
Eureka, IL
Class of 2026

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

Pete Boyle
Vice President for Public Affairs
National Association of Independent Colleges & Universities
Washington, DC
Staff Liaison

Elizabeth Bishop Gemoets
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
National Association of Independent Colleges & Universities
Washington, DC
Staff Liaison

Committee on Tax Policy

Elizabeth L. Paul Ph.D.
President
Nazareth University
Rochester, NY
Chair

Bradley Andrews
President
Brevard College
Brevard, NC
Class of 2026

Timothy J. Collins Ed.D.
President
Walsh University
North Canton, OH
Class of 2026

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

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

Katie Gamble
Executive Director
Independent Colleges and Universities of Missouri
Jefferson City, MO
Class of 2027

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

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

Robert LeFevre J.D.
President
Michigan Independent Colleges & Universities
Lansing, MI
Class of 2025

John P. Marsden Ph.D.
President
Midway University
Midway, KY
Class of 2025

Charlie T. McCormick Ph.D.
President
Schreiner University
Kerrville, TX
Class of 2025

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

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

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

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

Janet L. Rapelye
President
Consortium on Financing Higher Education
Cambridge, MA
Class of 2027

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

Elissa Tenny Ed.D.
President
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, IL
Class of 2025

Karin L. Johns
Director of Tax Policy
National Association of Independent Colleges & Universities
Washington, DC
Staff Liaison

The Legal Services Review Panel 


The Legal Services Review Panel evaluates legal issues affecting independent colleges and universities, and advises members on the implications of precedent-setting litigation.

Legal Services Review Panel

Stephen D. Sencer J.D.
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Chair

Robert J. Boyd Esq.
President
Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida, Inc.
Tallahassee, FL
Class of 2025

Paul Cerkvenik J.D.
President
Minnesota Private Colleges
St. Paul, MN
Class of 2026

Janine P. DuMontelle
Vice President of Legal Affairs & General Counsel
Chapman University
Orange, CA
Class of 2027

Darron C. Farha J.D.
Vice President and General Counsel
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, IN
Class of 2026

Joshua D.K. Figueira J.D.
Executive Director
American Association of Presidents of Independent Colleges & Universities
Provo, UT
Class of 2025

Sharmaine Bradham LaMar J.D.
General Counsel
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA
Class of 2025

Dickens "Deke" Mathieu J.D.
General Counsel and Secretary
Trinity College
Hartford, CT
Class of 2027

Alexandra Schimmer
Vice President & General Counsel, Secretary of the University Board of Trustees
Denison University
Granville, OH
Class of 2026

Omar A. Syed
Vice President and General Counsel
Rice University
Houston, TX
Class of 2027

Donica Varner
Vice President and General Counsel
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY
Class of 2027

Jody Feder J.D.
Director of Accountability and Regulatory Affairs
National Association of Independent Colleges & Universities
Washington, DC
Staff Liaison