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

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

Tania Tetlow J.D. (Vice Chair)
President
Fordham University
Bronx, NY

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

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

Board Members

Bradley Andrews Ph.D. (Class of 2026)
President
Brevard College
Brevard, NC

Michael J. Beals Ph.D. (Class of 2027)
President
Vanguard University of Southern California
Costa Mesa, CA

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

Megan Arleth (Class of 2028)
Assistant Vice President for Federal Relations
Stanford University
Stanford, CA

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

Christon G. Arthur Ph.D (Class of 2028)
President
La Sierra University
Riverside, CA

Vanessa B. Beasley Ph.D. (Class of 2028)
President
Trinity University
San Antonio, TX

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

Sarah R. Bolton Ph.D. (Class of 2028)
President
Whitman College
Walla Walla, WA

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

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

Isabelle Cherney Ph.D. (Class of 2028)
President
Mount Mary University
Milwaukee, WI

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. (Class of 2027)
President
Association for Biblical Higher Education
Orlando, FL

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

Brian L. Friedrich M.Div., Ph.D. (Class of 2028)
President
Concordia University-Saint Paul
St. Paul, MN

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

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

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

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

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

Rob L. Manuel Ph.D. (Class of 2025)
President
DePaul University
Chicago, IL

John P. Marsden Ph.D. (Class of 2028)
President
Midway University
Midway, KY

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

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

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

Cheryl L. Nixon Ph.D. (Class of 2028)
President
Berea College
Berea, KY

Vincent D. Rougeau J.D. (Class of 2028)
President
College of the Holy Cross
Worcester, MA

Lisa Marsh Ryerson (Class of 2028)
President
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, NH

Nayef H. Samhat Ph.D. (Class of 2028)
President
Wofford College
Spartanburg, SC

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

Beck A. Taylor Ph.D. (Class of 2028)
President
Samford University
Birmingham, AL

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

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

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

Jenna M. Colvin J.D. (Class of 2028)
President
Georgia Independent College Association
Atlanta, GA

Mildred A. Mihlon Ph.D. (Class of 2028)
President
Felician University
Rutherford, NJ

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

Deborah Obalil (Class of 2028)
President & Executive Director
Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design
Providence, RI