John N. Gardner, Executive Chair and Founder, Gardner Institute

John Gardner is universally regarded throughout the national and international higher education community as the initiator and leader of an educational reform movement, spanning more than four decades, to improve the retention and graduation rates of college and university students.

His work has focused especially on two critical student transitions during the undergraduate years: the first-year experience and the senior-year experience. Gardner is the founder of two higher education research and professional development educational centers, the University of South Carolina’s  National Resource Center on The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition and the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education.

He is also Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Library and Information Science and Senior Fellow at the University of South Carolina. He is a widely published author and scholar whose work has been recognized with numerous awards including twelve honorary doctoral degrees. Gardner brings fifty years experience working in higher education to his presidency.

Besty O. Barefoot, Senior Scholar and Founder, Gardner Institute

Betsy Barefoot is a Founder of the Gardner Insitute where she currently serves as a Senior Scholar.

Prior to 1999 was Co-Director for Research and Publications for the University of South Carolina’s National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition. She has extensive university teaching experience at undergraduate and graduate levels. Her special area of expertise is the scholarship of efforts to improve the beginning college experience. She is widely published and is universally regarded as a leading scholar in her field.

She is also highly regarded for her editorial and management skills in the production of higher education publications. She has twenty-five years of experience working on issues of first-year student success at the national level.

Lou Albert , Retired President, Pima County Community College – West Campus & Professor of Practice in the Division of Educational Leadership at Arizona State University

Lou Albert is a Professor of Practice in the Division of Educational Leadership and Innovation at Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. 

Prior to his appointment at ASU, Lou served as President of the West Campus of Pima County Community College in Tucson, Arizona from 2003 until his retirement in 2015.  He is a former academic Vice Chancellor of the San Jose/Evergreen Community College District (1998-2003); and former Vice President of the American Association for Higher Education (1982-98), a not-for-profit membership association where John Gardner served as a member of its Board of Trustees.  At AAHE, Lou was responsible for organizing the annual National Conference on Higher Education, and for special initiatives that focused on school/college partnerships, service-learning and civic engagement, and instructional technology. 

Lou was also a faculty member and senior administrator at Essex Community College, now a part of the Community College of Baltimore County.  Lou’s board service includes two terms on the National Board of Campus Compact, a consortium of nearly 1,200 college and university presidents committed to advancing the civic mission of higher education.  

He also served for six years as Chair of the Board of Trustees for the International Partnership for Service-Learning.  In Tucson, he is a past Board Chair for the United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona.  

Lou earned his Master of Science in Zoology and Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Maryland-College Park. He holds a B.S. in Biology from Loyola College (now University) of Maryland.   In 2001, he was awarded the Doctor of Humane Letters (Honoris Causa) from Cuttington University in the West African nation of Liberia.

Isis Artze-Vega, College Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs, Valencia College

Isis Artze-Vega, Ed.D. serves as college provost and vice president for academic affairs at Valencia College in Central Florida, a Hispanic-Serving Institution that serves about 70,000 students annually and has long been regarded one of the nation’s best community colleges. She provides strategic leadership for the areas of curriculum, assessment, faculty development, distance learning, career and workforce education, and partnerships for educational equity. Prior to joining Valencia, Isis served as assistant vice president for teaching and learning at Florida International University (FIU), leading such efforts as a gateway course project, a hybrid course initiative, and the comprehensive redesign of teaching evaluation. Prior to joining FIU, she taught English composition and enrollment management at the University of Miami. Most importantly, she is the proud wife of visual artist Sinuhe Vega; the proud mami of Kamilah, 13, and Delilah, 11; and forever indebted to extraordinary parents, Mayra and Elias. Her work is fueled by a commitment to equity and justice, implemented through love and service. 

Wendy Ault, Executive Director, Melmac Foundation

A Maine native, Wendy Ault is a graduate of Bates College in Lewiston, Maine.  She has worked as a reproductive health teacher and the Assistant Director of Admissions at Westbrook College (now the University of New England) in Portland, Maine.  Ms. Ault served as University of Maine at Farmington’s Associate Director of Admissions for seventeen years.  For eight years of her time at UMF, she ran and was elected to the Maine House of Representatives representing part of Kennebec County from 1988 through 1996.  She served all eight years as a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs, serving as its House Chair during her last term.  In September 1999, Ms. Ault became President of the non-profit Maine Educational Loan Marketing Corporation.  When MELMAC was sold to a for-profit corporation in January 2001, the proceeds from that sale created the MELMAC Education Foundation.  Since 2001 Wendy has been the Executive Director of the MELMAC Education Foundation. She lives in Wayne, Maine with her husband.

Ed Case, Retired Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer for the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

Ed Case is a recently retired senior financial and operations executive with more than 30 years of experience leading health care, academic, and community organizations. In his most recent role as Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer for the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, formerly the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Case led the development of a transformational replacement hospital project.  Case has served on several boards holding the role of Chairman, Audit Committee for public and nonprofit organizations.  Case has also served as a lecturer at the Washington University – St. Louis, Masters Health Administration and University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, School of Public Health programs.

Case earned a BS in Business Administration from the University of Missouri in St. Louis, and a Masters Public Health from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill.

Case was named the “2013 Chicago Nonprofit CFO of the Year” by the Financial Executives International (FEI) association.

Scott Evenbeck, Former President, CUNY Stella and Charles Guttman Community College, Professor, CUNY, Baruch College

Dr. Evenbeck is a retired president of the Charles and Stella Guttman Community College and currently serves as a University Professor at Baruch College. He joined the City University of New York in 2011 as the Charles and Stella Guttman Community College’s founding president. He served as professor of psychology and founding dean of University College at Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis. Scott has long been involved in designing, implementing and assessing programs for students in their first years of university study. He played a major role in various initiatives to support student achievement in Indiana, including efforts to keep students in college. He has given more than 100 presentations on serving students as they enter college, and he has written many articles and chapters on academic achievement and persistence. Scott was a task force adviser for the Foundations of Excellence in the First College Year, a board member of the American Conference of Academic Deans, and a faculty member for the Learning Community Institute of the Washington Center for Undergraduate Education. The National Learning Community conference recognized him with the lifetime achievement award. He has been on accreditation teams for three regional associations, focusing on general education, assessment and programs for entering students.

Jillian Kinzie, Associate Director, NSSE Institute, Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research

Jillian Kinzie, Ph.D. is Associate Director, Center for Postsecondary Research and the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) Institute, Indiana University School of Education. She conducts research and leads project activities on the effective use of student engagement data to improve educational quality and issues of teaching and learning, and serves as a senior scholar with the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA) project.
She is co-author of Assessment in Student Affairs (2016); Using Evidence of Student Learning to Improve Higher Education (2015); One Size Does not Fit All: Traditional and Innovative Models of Student Affairs Practice, Second Edition (2014), and Student Success in College (2005/2010). She is co-editor of New Directions in Higher Education, is on the editorial board of Innovative Higher Education and the Journal of Postsecondary Student Success, and serves on the boards of the Washington Internship Institute and the Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education. She is a peer reviewer for several accreditors and regularly consults with colleges and universities about assessment, effective educational practice, inclusive excellence, high-impact practices, and support for student success. She is excited about a co-edited book nearing completion titled, Delivering on the Promise of HIPs: Research and Models for Achieving Equity, Fidelity, Impact and Scale.
Kinzie earned her Ph.D. from Indiana University in higher education with a minor in women’s studies. Prior to this, she served on the faculty of Indiana University and coordinated the master’s program in higher education and student affairs. She also worked in academic and student affairs at Miami University and Case Western Reserve University.

Andrew (Drew) Koch, Chief Executive Officer, Gardner Institute

Dr. Koch is a child of immigrants who came to the United States in pursuit of a better life for their family. His first language was not English, and postsecondary education was valued by his family as a means for realizing the American Dream. He is a staunch advocate and leader of efforts that increase student access to and, ultimately, completion of postsecondary education. He has worked in and with higher education institutions for nearly 30 years. He has done so since 2010 at the Gardner Institute where he was currently named as Chief Executive Officer.

Leo M. Lambert, President Emeritus, Elon University

Leo M. Lambert is President Emeritus and Professor at Elon University.  Lambert served as president from 1999-2018, leading Elon’s rise to national prominence by promoting a student-centered culture that values strong relationships between students and their faculty and staff mentors. Focused on developing students as global citizens, ethical leaders and creative problem-solvers, Lambert led two strategic plans, creating a model for the modern liberal arts university.

Led by President Lambert, Elon built a national reputation for academic excellence across the curriculum, including the sheltering of a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, and for its innovative programs in study abroad, undergraduate research, leadership, interfaith dialogue, civic engagement and community service, and preparing students for meaningful careers and advanced study.

Elon’s campus grew tremendously during Lambert’s presidency. More than 100 new buildings were added, including major investments in the residential campus, building four major neighborhoods, integrating academic and residence life programs and nurturing a flourishing intellectual climate. 

Lambert was a strong advocate for increasing access to higher education for students with high financial need and created the Odyssey Scholars program (for undergraduates attending Elon) and the Elon Academy (to support local high school students in gaining access to higher education).

Division 1 athletics advanced during Lambert’s tenure, including membership in the Colonial Athletics Association, the addition of important facilities such as Rhodes Stadium and the Schar Center, and the adoption of a new athletics identity, the Phoenix.

Lambert has written extensively about post-secondary education and is co-author of The Undergraduate Experience: Focusing Institutions on What Matters Most, published by Jossey-Bass in 2016. He was also co-editor of a book about university teaching that was published by the Syracuse University Press in 2005. His alma mater, the State University of New York at Geneseo, awarded him an honorary doctorate of humane letters in 2002. In 2009, he received the inaugural William M. Burke Presidential Award for Excellence in Experiential Education from the National Society for Experiential Education. His forthcoming book (with Peter Felten) will be published by The Johns Hopkins University Press.

Laura Rendón, Professor, Emerita and Co-Director of the Center for Research and Policy in Education, University of Texas, San Antonio

Laura I. Rendón is Professor Emerita and Co-Director of the Center for Research and Policy in Education at University of Texas-San Antonio. A native of Laredo, Texas, Rendón’s scholarly endeavors have focused on college access and success especially for low-income, first-generation students. Rendón is credited with developing the theory of validation that academic and student affairs practitioners have employed as a student success framework.  Her current research on student success is focused on shattering deficit frameworks, illuminating student assets, and assisting Latinx students succeed in STEM fields. 

Rendón is also a teaching and learning thought leader. She is the author of the book, Sentipensante (Sensing/Thinking Pedagogy): Educating for Wholeness, Social Justice and Liberation, that addresses deep learning experiences employing contemplative tools.  Her current work in this area relates to contemplative education that centers social justice. Rendón earned a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She holds a Master of Arts degree from Texas A&M University-Kingsville and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Houston. Rendón earned an Associate of Arts degree from San Antonio College and also attended Laredo Community College.

Aaron Thompson, President, Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education

Dr. Aaron Thompson is a passionate advocate for higher education. As a first-generation college student from rural Clay County, Kentucky, he experienced first-hand the transformative power of a college credential. As President of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, he works to ensure all Kentuckians have an equal opportunity to improve their lives through postsecondary education. Before taking the helm of CPE, Thompson served as interim president of Kentucky State University and as executive vice president, provost, and faculty member at Eastern Kentucky University. He has extensive leadership experience within the private and non-profit sectors and is a highly sought-after national speaker. Thompson has authored numerous books on diversity, cultural competence, first-year experience programs, retention and student success. Thompson received his doctoral degree in sociology from the University of Kentucky, with an emphasis on organizational leadership. He earned a master’s degree in sociology from the University of Kentucky, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Eastern Kentucky University.

Jessica Williams, Director, Every Learner Everywhere

Jessica is the Director of Every Learner Everywhere, a network of organizations with a mission to help institutions use new technology to innovate teaching and learning and better serve Black, Latinx, and Indigenous students, poverty-affected students, and first-generation students. As Director, she provides leadership and vision for the network and leads the operation of the network strategy. Jessica earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia and earned both her M.A. and Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Princeton University.

Susan Johnston

Dr. Susan Whealler Johnston is president and CEO of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), a position she has held since August 1, 2018. Prior to joining NACUBO, she was at the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB), and for 12 years she served as its executive vice president and chief operating officer, responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization as well as strategic planning. While at AGB, she led national projects on a range of topics including college costs, shared governance, institutional risk, educational quality, and student success. She was also a regular contributor to Trusteeship magazine.

Prior to joining AGB, Susan was professor of English and dean of academic development at Rockford University. She also served as associate dean at Regent’s College, Rockford’s London campus. While at Rockford, she served as department chair, chaired the university’s strategic planning effort, and created grant-funded programs connecting the institution and the community on such topics as girls and STEM, women in the arts, and civic engagement.

Susan chairs the board of trustees of Rollins College, a private liberal arts college in Florida, and she serves on the board of visitors of Radford University, a comprehensive public university in Virginia. She is immediate past chair of the board of the Southern Education Foundation, and she is a member of the advisory committee of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE).

Susan writes and speaks on a range of topics including higher education, governance, leadership, and Jane Austen. She earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in English from Purdue University and her B.A. summa cum laude in English from Rollins College. She has an honorary doctorate from Rockford University.

George Mehaffy

George Mehaffy serves as a Senior Advisor to Sova Solutions, a higher education consulting firm that builds capacity for institutional transformation and large-scale change in higher education, focused primarily on increasing student success.  His current project involves designing and launching a cohort-based Provost Roundtable for provosts at institutions belonging to the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU).  

Prior to his work at Sova, George served for 20 years as the Vice President for Academic Leadership and Change at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) in Washington, D.C., representing 375 public colleges and universities and their 3.2 million students. His division was responsible for developing and managing programs for member institutions in areas such as leadership development, undergraduate education, technology, international education and teacher education. In that role, he directed a variety of projects, including international programs with a Chinese higher education association, a technology transformation project with EDUCAUSE, an articulation project with community colleges, and two national studies of student success. In 2003, he launched the American Democracy Project, a civic engagement initiative with 228 colleges and universities, a partnership with The New York Times. His concluding work at AASCU involved a focus on student success, with projects over 4 years that received more than $12 million in funding.    

Before going to AASCU, George was a faculty member and administrator at universities in New Mexico and California for 19 years.  He also served for 33 years in the United States Coast Guard Reserve, retiring as a Captain.  

Charlie Nelms

Dr. Charlie Nelms currently serves as President-in-Residence, United Negro College Fund. Dr. Nelms is a transformational servant-leader, a motivational speaker, and a consultant with expertise in higher education. He has more than 40 years of experience and leadership in student access, retention, and graduation; institutional effectiveness; and strategic planning.

The former chancellor of universities in North Carolina, Indiana, and Michigan, Nelms serves as a board member for leading educational associations and foundations across the U.S., including the C.S. Mott Foundation. He is currently a senior scholar at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, specializing in providing assistance to minority-serving institutions (MSIs) and Senior Advisor to the United Negro College Fund. In addition to serving as an executive coach, he has been a consultant to nearly 100 colleges and universities and education-related organizations.

Nelms is the recipient of numerous awards for his accomplishments in higher education, including two honorary doctorates and fellowships from the American Council on Education and the Ford Foundation. In 2012, President Obama honored him with the MLK Drum Major for Service Award for helping to address the most pressing needs in our communities and nation. He is a founding member of the Millennium Leadership Initiative, and vice president and professor emeritus at Indiana University. Nelms founded the Destination Graduation Initiative, which aims to increase retention and graduation rates at HBCUs, and in 2011, he published A Call to Action, a policy directive intended to spur a national dialogue concerning the revitalization of HBCUs.

Nelms earned a B.S. degree and a master’s of education degree from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and an Ed.D. from Indiana University. He is a blogger for the Huffington Post and HBCU Lifestyle, he tweets, and is a frequent guest on podcasts and radio talk shows around the nation.

Martha Nesbitt

Dr. Nesbitt is President Emerita of Gainesville State College, one of the 34 constituent units of the University System of Georgia. Prior to that she was Vice President of Academic Affairs of Georgia Perimeter College. She has been a two-year college leader of first-year experience improvement efforts since 1985 when she began working with Director Gardner on various professional partnerships. She is a doctorally trained historian as well. Her expertise in the fastest growing sector of public higher education (the community college) is especially valuable to the Institute.

Francine McNairy

Dr. McNairy is President Emerita of Millersville University of Pennsylvania, where she previously served as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Millersville is one of the fourteen constituent units of the State System of Higher Education of Pennsylvania. President McNairy has been working with John Gardner since 1978 on a multiplicity of improvement, publishing, development activities. She is a doctorally trained expert in communications as well. Her type of institution is the institutional type that has been most engaged in the activities of the Institute, said institutional type known as the regional, comprehensive, public university. There are 430 of these in the US and they collectively educate four million students. Her advice on serving this institutional type, with special attention to minority and underrepresented groups is particularly valuable to the Board and the Institute.