Tom Begich *

Executive Director, Nick Begich Scholarship Intern Fund

Tom Begich is the Executive Director of the Nick Begich Scholarship Intern Fund, a position he has held since 2002. Under Begich, the Fund, a public charity, has provided over $530,000 in scholar support for students pursuing postsecondary degrees for careers in the fields of education and public service. He is also the owner/operator of CW Communications, a firm devoted to strategic planning, facilitation, and communications. Begich specializes in the areas of juvenile justice, education, substance abuse, and government relations. He has served as the Government Affairs Director for the Coalition for Education Equity. He is currently a faculty member and coach with Reclaiming Futures, a national juvenile justice/substance use/mental health initiative. Begich is a nationally recognized trainer/facilitator in the fields of justice, youth, substance abuse, mental health, and education, working extensively in Alaska and throughout the nation.

Begich is the former Alaska State Senator for District J. First elected in 2016; he was selected as Senate Minority Leader by his colleagues from 2018 to 2023. In the State Senate, he served on the Education, Health and Social Services, Rules, World Trade, and Ethics committees and helped found the Innovation Caucus.

Begich has served twenty years and three terms as chair of the Alaska Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee and served in leadership positions for the Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ) from 1995 – 2008 and as National Chair in 1997. He is also a 2023 recipient of the John Dewey Award for Distinguished Public Service from his alma mater, Bard College. He is a published poet and professional musician with seven CDs and one book of poetry and continues to perform and write throughout the country.

Pearl Brower

President and CEO, Ukpeagvik Iñupiat Corporation

Pearl K. Brower serves as the president and CEO of Ukpeagvik Iñupiat Corporation. Prior to this, she was at the University of Alaska, serving as the senior advisor for Alaska Native success, institutional diversity, and student engagement. In October 2020, Brower left the presidency of Iịisaġvik College, Alaska’s only Tribal college, where she had been in the administration for 13 years, with the last eight serving as president.

Brower grew up in both Barrow, Alaska, and northern California, practicing a subsistence lifestyle in both areas. She and her husband, Jesse Darling, have two daughters, Isla and Sindri. Brower was named one of Alaska’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2015, the First Alaskans Institute Young Alaska Native Leader in 2019, and received the 2019 YWCA Women of Achievement Award. Brower is active around Alaska and beyond. She serves on various boards and commissions, notably Alaska Airlines Community Advisory Board; Foraker Group’s Governance Board, where she serves as chair; Cold Climate Housing Research Center; Storyknife Writers Retreat; and the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI).

Brower has earned multiple degrees from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, including a bachelor’s degree in anthropology, a bachelor’s degree in Alaska Native studies, a master’s degree in Alaska Native and rural development, and a doctorate in Indigenous studies with an emphasis in Indigenous leadership.

Sean Parnell

Chancellor, University of Alaska Anchorage

Chancellor Sean Parnell leads the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), Alaska’s largest institution of higher education. Since his appointment in 2021, the Chancellor has advanced UAA’s role as Alaska’s largest workforce provider, and the flagship university for health and Arctic public policy. Under his leadership, the university has pursued key initiatives focusing on college affordability, student success, and positioning UAA as a trusted community partner.

Prior to becoming Chancellor, Parnell was an attorney practicing law in Alaska for twenty-five years. Parnell served as the 10th Governor of the State of Alaska from 2009-2014. His leadership expanded funding for education, helped combat domestic violence and sexual assault, and lifted Alaska to record economic prosperity and employment. The Chancellor previously served in the Alaska State Legislature, and he was elected Lieutenant Governor in 2006.

Chancellor Parnell is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University (BBA), and earned his juris doctor from Seattle University School of Law.

Kathleen Goeppinger *

President/CEO, Midwestern University

Kathleen H. Goeppinger, Ph.D., has since 1995 been president and chief executive officer of Midwestern University, an upper-division institution specializing in graduate-level health professions with two campuses (in Downers Grove, IL and Glendale, AZ) enrolling 7,200 students. Previously, Goeppinger had been a tenured professor and director at Loyola University Chicago for the Institute of Industrial Relations and Center for Organizational Development. Prior to her time in academia, she worked in the private sector as a management consultant in health care and organizational development and held corporate management roles in human resources and training. She has served Midwestern University since 1985, initially serving on the board of trustees and as chairman of the board. She is a member of numerous boards of directors in the Greater Phoenix and Downers Grove areas, and among other honors was named as one of 25 most admired CEOs by the Phoenix Business Journal for her leadership, dedication to, and impact on higher education. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Carthage College in Kenosha, WI, and her master’s degree in industrial relations and doctorate in comparative international policy from Loyola University in Chicago.

Todd Haynie

President, Eastern Arizona College

President Todd Haynie’s roots run deep in the area Eastern Arizona College serves. He was born in Morenci, lived in Payson, graduated from Thatcher High School, and is a proud alumnus of Eastern Arizona College. Prior to becoming the 22nd president of EAC in 2018, President Haynie worked in private industry as a producer for the Educational Management Group and as a software engineer for IBM. He was recruited by EAC to become an admissions counselor and was later promoted to the College’s director of marketing and public relations.

Under his leadership, President Haynie has guided EAC through a comprehensive strategic planning process, launched new initiatives to strengthen programming in campus diversity, and transformed the College’s approach to developmental education. President Haynie’s guiding pillars for his administration are student success, community engagement, and financial responsibility. President Haynie was awarded a bachelor’s degree in film studies from Brigham Young University and a Master of Business Administration from Northern Arizona University.

He serves in many roles within the community but considers the role of husband and father his greatest responsibility.

Chad Sampson

Executive Director, Arizona Board of Regents

The Arizona Board of Regents named Chad Sampson executive director in August 2024. He joined the board in 2010 as associate general counsel and transitioned to vice president of strategic planning before serving most recently as vice president of academic affairs and institutional analysis. A member of the State Bar of Arizona since 2002, Sampson has also worked in private law practice with Quarles & Brady and in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office as counsel for the Arizona Department of Education.

Sampson is active in the education community, serving on the WestEd Board of Directors. He has previously served on the board at Tempe Preparatory Academy, Center for After School Excellence and the Arizona State Board of Education’s Professional Practices Advisory Committee. He has also worked as an adjunct professor at Mesa Community College.

Sampson earned bachelor’s degrees in sociology and political science from the University of Utah and a juris doctorate from the University of Iowa College of Law. Sampson and his wife, Amber, have five children.

Ellen Junn

President Emerita, California State University, Stanislaus

Ellen Junn is the President Emerita of Stan State, as the  11^th president of California State University she has established a strong reputation for displaying a focus for implementing new and innovative programs for student success, especially for non-traditional students, supporting a number of initiatives including Freshman Convocation, Freshman Year Experience seminars and Design Your Life courses, as well as building new state-of-the art technology-enhanced Active Learning Classrooms (ALCs). Other initiatives support faculty success with enhanced funding for research, scholarly and creative activity, use of high impact practices, and supporting numerous faculty learning communities. Another key area of focus has been promoting institutional inclusion.

Dr. Junn has a remarkable and extensive 35-year history with the CSU, having worked at five other CSU campuses prior to joining Stan State. She served as provost and vice president at CSU Dominguez Hills, provost and vice president at San Jose State University, associate provost at Fresno State, associate dean of the College of Health and Human Development at CSU Fullerton, and assistant professor at CSU San Bernardino. She also served as a visiting professor at Indiana University.

President Junn earned a bachelor’s degree in experimental and cognitive psychology from the University of Michigan, where she graduated cum laude and received high honors in psychology. She obtained both a master’s and Ph.D. in cognitive and developmental psychology from Princeton University. In addition, she holds a Management Development Program Certificate from Harvard University. She is widely published and has written numerous peer-reviewed research and journal articles on topics, such as supporting the success of underserved students, the importance of university-community engagement and strategies for supporting non-tenure-track faculty — especially women and minorities, as well as promoting innovative teaching strategies. 

She is the first Korean-American woman president appointed in the US to a four-year public institution.

Robert Shireman *

Director of Higher Education Excellence and Senior Fellow, The Century Foundation

Robert Shireman is a senior fellow at The Century Foundation, working on higher education policy with a focus on affordability, quality assurance, and consumer protections. In addition to serving as a WICHE commissioner, he advises the U.S. Department of Education on accreditation issues through his appointment to the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI). 

Shireman served in the Obama administration as deputy undersecretary of education, having previously worked in the U.S. Senate and at the National Economic Council in the Clinton Administration. In 2004 he founded The Institute for College Access & Success, and in 2011 launched the policy organization California Competes.

In his various roles since 1989 Shireman has led successful efforts to reform student loans, streamline the financial aid process, promote campus diversity, and protect consumers from predatory colleges. He has shepherded the evolution of the nation’s income-based student loan repayment system from its initial adoption in 1992 to its expansion and improvement by President Barack Obama. He organized the federal response to emerging signs of predatory for-profit career training in 2009, leading to a widely discussed set of regulatory reforms and enforcement actions. He led an effort that, in 2010, significantly simplified the process of applying for federal college aid by establishing a link to IRS data. He pressed for and ultimately won the elimination of costly middlemen from the federal loan programs so that more grant aid could be made available to low-income students.

Shireman holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley, a Master’s in Education from Harvard, and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of San Francisco.

Jim Chavez

Executive Director, Community College of Denver Foundation and Governmental Affairs

Jim Chavez is the executive director of the Community College of Denver Foundation and Government Affairs. 

Chavez has worked much of his professional life for education-related causes. As a board member and staff member of the Colorado Student Obligation Bond Authority, he was instrumental in creating Colorado’s first prepaid college tuition program, now known as CollegeInvest, and then worked across the U.S. to develop and implement numerous state college savings programs, or Section 529 plans. He began his career as a certified public accountant with Ernst & Young.

Chavez is a member of the board of commissioners for the Denver Housing Authority and a member of the board of directors for the Colorado Nonprofit Association. He is a former trustee for the Clayton Early Learning Center, past board member for the Rocky Mountain Public Broadcasting Corporation, and a past member of the board of trustees for the University of Northern Colorado. He is a graduate of Colorado State University.

Antwan Jefferson *

WICHE Immediate Past Chair, Associate Dean and an Associate Teaching Professor, University of Colorado Denver

antwan jefferson is an associate dean and associate teaching professor in the School of Education & Human Development at the University of Colorado Denver. In his administrative work, jefferson is working to advance an infrastructure that supports faculty, staff, and students, while ensuring the development of an inclusive community of scholarship and practice. In his teaching, jefferson’s focus is on youth, families, and communities, with particular interest in the ways in which institutional and historical practices result in status differences, differential access to resources, and unequal educational opportunities. jefferson also is the founder of Education and Community, a Denver-area nonprofit organization that explores issues in public education through the perspectives of the region’s families and community members.

Angie Paccione

Executive Director, Colorado Department of Higher Education

Angie Paccione was appointed executive director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education by Gov. Jared Polis in January, 2019. Paccione has more than 20 years of experience in secondary and postsecondary education. She was a high school teacher, coach, and administrator at Smoky Hill High School before earning a doctorate in education and human resource studies from Colorado State University. Paccione served on the CSU faculty for nine years as a teacher educator in the “Project Promise” program and conducted research in the teacher education field, examining educators’ life events that led them to commit to issues of diversity and inclusion. Her findings, which informed a teacher preparation program, were published in Teacher’s College Press and have been cited in more than 75 academic papers.

In 2002, Paccione elected to two terms in the Colorado House of Representatives, rising to become house majority caucus chair. She served on the education committee during all four years in the legislature, helping guide Colorado’s education environment. In 2006, she ran for U.S. Congress and came within 2.5 percent of unseating the incumbent.

From 2007 through early 2019, Paccione worked for Verus Global, where she specialized in leadership development, diversity and inclusion, talent development, and change management. She has worked with leaders from the shop floor to the C-suite in 40 countries and all 50 states and has co-authored two books on leadership.

Growing up biracial in New York City, attending college in California and residing in Colorado, Paccione bridges many divides. She was raised to believe you can accomplish anything to which you set your mind. Playing basketball at Stanford University and professionally in the 1980s, Paccione likes to say that she is as committed to your success as she is her own.

Terrence George

President and CEO, Harold K. L. Castle Foundation

When you move from the prairies of Minnesota at age three to the urban sophistication of Tokyo in 1961, it’s hard to move back. This is what happened to Terry, who has spent most of his life in archipelagoes: the world’s largest (Indonesia), the second largest (the Philippines), and the absolute finest (Hawai’i). Vibrant democracies also seem to be a theme for him, with much work to deploy private philanthropic dollars to improve social justice and good governance in the world’s first democracy (the United States), one of its most raucous (the Philippines), and its largest (India). Along the way, he has studied and forgotten eight languages, made thousands of grants to hundreds of nonprofit organizations and universities in 14 countries, and eaten a lot of good street food.

Terry is a 1976 graduate of Punahou School. He received his bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, his master’s degree in law and diplomacy from Tufts University, and his executive MBA from the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawai’i.

From 1989 to 1998, Terry served in the Ford Foundation’s field offices in Manila and New Delhi as program officer for rights and social justice, local governance, and regional security and cooperation. Terry moved back to Hawai’i in 1998 to marry his wife, Julie, a first-grade teacher at Kamehameha Schools, and to raise their two children, Gracie and Geoffrey. From 1998 to mid-2003, Terry was chief program officer for the Consuelo Foundation in Hawai’i.

Terry is president and chief executive officer of the Harold K. L. Castle Foundation, which he has served since 2003. The foundation invests about $7 million a year in grants to schools, universities, and nonprofit organizations throughout Hawai’i to achieve its mission of:

•            Closing the achievement and preparation gaps in public education

•            Restoring nearshore marine ecosystems

•            Increasing communities’ ability to adapt to climate change

•            Strengthening the vibrancy of Windward Oahu’s communities.

Terry lives in Kaimuki in a three-generation household. He serves on the boards of the Hawaii Business Roundtable, Hawaii P20 Council, HMSA, and Hanahau’oli School. Terry also serves on the Summer Internship Selection Committee for the Hawaii Carpenters Apprenticeship and Training Fund. He is past chair of the board of the National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii and past president of the Rotary Club of Honolulu. Terry enjoys spending his spare time reading, cooking, and hiking.

David Lassner *

President Emeritus, University of Hawai'i

David Lassner served for more than 10 years as the 15th president of the University of Hawai‘i (UH), where he led the 10-campus UH system, the state’s sole provider of public postsecondary education, and Hawai‘i’s flagship research university, UH Mānoa.

Lassner has an ongoing focus on helping more Hawai‘i residents, particularly those who have historically been left behind, earn college degrees and credentials with a focus on critical areas of workforce shortage such as in education, health care, technology, energy, and the skilled trades. He is committed to strengthening the state’s economy by leveraging UH research and innovation to create and fill more high-quality jobs locally. Lassner is advancing UH’s commitment to become a model Indigenous-centered university that cares for Hawai‘i, Native Hawaiians and all of Hawai‘i’s people as it weaves together modern science and education with the traditional Indigenous wisdom, values and practices that made the Hawaiian islands a model of self-contained sustainability before Western contact.

Under Lassner’s leadership, metrics of student success showed steady improvement across the UH System and enrollment has remained strong. A restructuring of the relationship with UH has led to record philanthropic investment. A focus on research that matters to and is grounded in Hawai‘i has led to record extramural funding. And strong management practices have ensured financial stability through recessions and a pandemic.

Lassner began working at UH in entry-level roles in information technology (IT) in 1977, eventually becoming UH’s first chief information officer and then its first vice president for IT. He was appointed interim president in September 2013, and the “interim” was removed in June 2014. Lassner is also a member of the university’s cooperating graduate faculty and has taught both online and in-person at UH Mānoa in computer science, communications, business, and education.

Lassner is a current commissioner and former chair of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), as well as a member of the Board of Governors of the East-West Center. He serves on the National Science Foundation (NSF) Advisory Committee on Cyberinfrastructure and on the boards of the Pacific International Center for High Technology Research (PICHTR), the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), the ‘Iole Stewardship Center, and the Blood Bank of Hawai‘i. He also serves on the boards of the Mountain West and Big West intercollegiate athletic conferences.

In prior positions, Lassner played an active leadership role in a variety of local, national, and international information and communications technology organizations, and has been recognized numerous times for his service and leadership. He chaired Hawai‘i’s Broadband Task Force and served on the boards of Hawai‘i’s High Technology Development Corporation and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) affiliate. Lassner chaired the boards of the Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC) and EDUCAUSE and was a founding steering committee member and past chair of WCET – WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies.

An active principal investigator for more than 25 years, Lassner led Hawai’i’s major statewide project funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce that interconnected all public schools, libraries, and campuses on six islands with fiber optics, and he has had NSF support for more than 25 years focused on research and education networking and cyberinfrastructure in Hawai‘i and the Pacific. He is principal investigator for the Maui High Performance Computing Center and for the Pacific Disaster Center, two major long-term U.S. Department of Defense programs based on Maui. In all, Lassner has served as principal investigator for more than $560 million of extramural funding.

Lassner earned a bachelor’s degree in economics summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa followed by a master’s degree in computer science while supported by a university fellowship at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). He earned his doctorate degree in communication and information sciences at the University of Hawai‘i.

Colleen Sathre

Vice President Emerita, University of Hawai'i

Colleen Sathre is vice president emeritus of planning and policy of the University of Hawaii, where she served the university system as the chief academic planning officer for more than 25 years. She managed efforts that produced university mission statements and strategic plans, tuition schedules, university centers on neighbor islands, performance indicators, a reorganization of university information technology services, and numerous board and executive policies. She co-authored the book, “The Art and Politics of Academic Governance” in 2007 with Kenneth Mortimer, president emeritus of the University of Hawaii and Western Washington University. Sathre holds a B.A. from the College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, MN; and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota.

Rick Aman

Retired President, College of Eastern Idaho

Rick Aman was selected in December 2017 as inaugural president of College of Eastern Idaho, Idaho Falls, created by citizen vote in May 2017; he retired July 31, 2024.  Previously Aman had been president of Eastern Idaho Technical College since July 2015 and interim vice president of student services at Umpqua Community College. He was vice president of instruction and student affairs at the College of Western Idaho from 2008-12, Aman led the then-startup CWI in instruction, curriculum development, and student affairs areas. Aman’s community college administration career began in 1992 at Portland Community College with 16 years of teaching and administrative responsibilities at various campuses around Portland. Originally from Oregon, Aman was commissioned as a U.S. Air Force officer after college and spent four years as an active duty pilot before returning to the Portland area as an Air Force Reserve instructor pilot. He retired as a lieutenant colonel with 21 years of service and 5,000 flight hours. Aman has a doctorate in community college leadership from Oregon State University, a master’s in business administration from Golden Gate University, and a Bachelor of Science in education from Western Oregon University. Aman and his wife of 39 years, Linda, have two grown sons living in Portland.

Matt Freeman *

Executive Director of Relations, Albion Center for Professional Development, Idaho State University

Matt Freeman is the executive director of relations for Idaho State University’s Albion Center for Professional Development. Previously, Freeman was the executive director of the Idaho State Board of Education and served as the board’s deputy director & chief fiscal officer for over five years. Additionally, Freeman spent nine years at the Idaho Legislative Services Office, Budget & Policy Analysis Division; the last four years as principal analyst for higher education. Freeman’s professional experience also includes private sector government relations and communications work, and time in Washington D.C. where he served as counsel/legislative assistant for a member of Congress. Freeman was awarded his J.D. from the University of Idaho and received his B.A. degree in political studies from Whitworth University in Spokane, WA.

Joshua Whitworth

Executive Director, Office of State Board of Education

Born and raised in Idaho, Joshua Whitworth graduated from Idaho State University with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree from Boise State University in business administration.

Prior to assuming his role as executive director of the Idaho State Board of Education, Joshua served as the chief deputy controller of the Idaho State Controller’s office for eight years.

He and his wife, Kala, live in Boise with their two daughters. Joshua and his family also spend time at the family ranch in Mackay, Idaho, which has been in operation for four generations.

Maryrose Beasley

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Homestead Veterinary Clinic

Dr. Maryrose Beasley is a rural, mixed animal practice veterinarian in Roundup, Montana. She grew up on a dairy farm in Little Falls, MN, and moved to Montana in 1975. In Helena, she worked full-time as a telephone operator and later as an installer/technician for US West while earning her BA in Accounting, Business Finance, and a minor in Chemistry from Carroll College. Shortly after graduation, she left the phone company to become a legislative auditor for the State of Montana. She returned to college again, to earn her DVM degree in 2000, from Washington State University, in Pullman, WA. Helping veterinarian students gain on-the-job experience has been a passion of hers for years.

Dr. Beasley and her daughter operate a small black Angus and Quarter Horse ranch outside of Roundup.  She enjoys spending time with her family, animals and working on the ranch.

Clayton Christian *

Commissioner of Higher Education, Montana University System

For over a decade, Clayton Christian has proudly served the students of Montana. During his tenure on the Board of Regents (May 2006 – December 2011), Christian was a champion for common course numbering, tuition freezes, and other system initiatives aimed at increasing student access, success, and affordability. As chair of the Board of Regents, he continued to focus on implementing measures to improve system accountability, transparency, productivity, and increased confidence in higher education. He was and continues to be an advocate for increased opportunities in distance learning, a measure that continues to have a significant impact on a state that encompasses over 147,000 square miles. In 2012, Christian was asked to continue his service to Montana as the Commissioner of Higher Education. Under his leadership and on behalf of the Board of Regents and in partnership with university presidents, he has elevated Montana’s educational system that serves nearly 45,000 students and 9,000 faculty annually at 16 public colleges and universities. As commissioner, Christian has leveraged public and private partnerships to dramatically increase growth in workforce development, implemented innovative state investments which yielded record amounts of university-based research, and implemented performance-based funding with institutional incentives for student retention.

Llew Jones

Representative, Montana State Legislature

Patricia Charlton

Interim Chancellor, Nevada System of Higher Education, (NSHE)

Catherine (Cathy) Dinauer

Executive Director, Nevada State Board of Nursing

Catherine (Cathy) Dinauer, MSN RN, FRE, BC-NE, is the Executive Director of the Nevada State Board of Nursing. In her role, she has overall responsibility for the regulatory agency’s daily operations, which licenses/certifies approximately 65,000 RNs, LPNs, CNAs, and APRNs in Nevada. Before her role as executive director, Ms. Dinauer was the Chief Nursing Officer at a 200-bed facility in Nevada. She has over 40 years of experience as a registered nurse in education, emergency nursing, and leadership. She is a Fellow of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Institute of Regulatory Excellence, a Graduate of the Advisory Board Academy Fellowship, and was the 2017 recipient of the Northern Nevada Nurse of Achievement in Nursing Leadership.

Fred Lokken *

Professor, Truckee Meadows Community College

Fred Lokken is dean of WebCollege and a tenured professor of political science at Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno. He served as chair of the Nevada Distance Education Directors Group for seven years and has been a board member of the Instructional Technology Council (ITC)—an affiliated council of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) since 2003. He also served as chair-elect, chair and past-chair of the ITC. Lokken also currently serves as chair of the Coalition of Affiliated Councils (COAC) of the AACC. He has been a member of the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies (WCET) National Academic Integrity Task force for the past two years. He received a B.S. in political science from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, a master’s in political science from Washington State University, and completed coursework in political science toward a doctorate from the University of British Columbia.

Barbara Damron *

WICHE Chair, and Professor, College of Nursing and School of Medicine, Senior Advisor to the Director of Project ECHO, University of New Mexico

 Barbara Damron is a tenured professor at the University of New Mexico (UNM) College of Nursing and the UNM School of Medicine’s Department of Family & Community Medicine; she is also the senior advisor to the director for Project ECHO®. Prior to that, she served as the chief government relations officer for UNM. She was also New Mexico’s Cabinet Secretary of Higher Education for four years.

On the national level, Damron has been a National Academy of Medicine/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Congressional Fellow in the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP); an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow in the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions; a Congressional Fellow for Senator Lamar Alexander; Commissioner of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE); Commissioner of the Education Commission of the States; and sits on the Board of Directors of Complete College America.

Damron’s long professional history spans over 45 years (26 in New Mexico), including being a leader in education, a healthcare executive, an advanced practice nurse, a college professor, an international consultant, and a cancer scientist. She has built positive and extensive relationships within the state’s higher education community, as well as within the legislative and executive branches. She has also worked alongside community and state leaders on the promotion of civic engagement and was featured as a panelist at the Hispanic Leadership Institute’s (USHLI) “Latinas in Politics” forum previously at UNM.

Damron received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska, a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and a doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Texas at Austin.

Bill Soules

Senator, New Mexico State Legislature

Bill Soules was appointed to the WICHE Commission in May 2023. He was born and raised in the Mesilla Valley, and has been a lifelong advocate for the interests of students. He has served as a state senator since 2013, taught in the Las Cruces Public Schools for 16 years, and served as president of the New Mexico School Board Association and a member of the Las Cruces School Board. Soules serves as the senate representative to the New Mexico Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NM EPSCoR), a statewide consortium expanding the state’s capacity to conduct scientific research and train a diverse, highly qualified STEM workforce.

Patricia Sullivan

Associate Dean, College of Engineering, New Mexico State University

Patricia Sullivan is the Associate Dean, of the College of Engineering at the New Mexico State University  where she directs statewide engineering outreach services under the college’s Engineering New Mexico Resource Network in areas including technical engineering business assistance, professional development, and educational outreach programs. She also provides direction for the college’s corporate relations and student career services. Sullivan is the New Mexico affiliate director for Project Lead the Way, a national program to expand the STEM pipeline. She is also a member of the board of directors for Enchantment Land Certified Development Company (a program that certifies SBA 504 loans in support of economic development). Sullivan received her Ph.D. in industrial engineering with a focus on renewable energy regulatory policy, a master’s degree in public utility economics, and a bachelor’s degree in biology, all from NMSU.

Danita Bye

Board Member, North Dakota State Board of Higher Education

Danita Bye was appointed to the State Board of Higher Education in May 2020 to fill the remainder of an open term vacated by a previous member.

Danita has been a business consultant and leadership coach since 1997 for small- to medium-size businesses in science, technology, engineering, and manufacturing industries. She previously worked as an investor and sales manager for Micro-Tech, a medical device manufacturer, and in sales and sales management for Xerox Corp., a global company best known for innovative digital products and services.

She currently serves on the board for the North Dakota Petroleum Council, as well as the board for The Triple T, Inc., and TTT Minerals, LLC, both oil and gas companies. She also served on the North Dakota Economic Development Foundation. Bye obtained degrees in Biology and Psychology (1981) from the University of Sioux Falls (Sioux Falls, S.D.) and an M.A. in Transformational Leadership (2012) from Bethel University (St. Paul, Minn.).

Danita’s been married for 36 years to Gordon Bye. They have three millennial children and five grandchildren. They currently live in Stanley, N.D.

Kyle Davison *

Senator, North Dakota Legislature

Kyle Davison has served as a Senator in the North Dakota Legislature since 2014 and represents District 41 in south Fargo. He currently serves on the Appropriations committee and previously chaired Government Veterans Affairs and was a member of the Education committee for three sessions.

In addition, Senator Davison is the Executive Director of the South East Education Cooperative (SEEC). He has held that position since July 2005. The SEEC serves 36 school districts, nearly 38,000 students and over 3500 teachers by providing support to schools in areas such as professional development, business services, special education, and curriculum development.

Kyle is a graduate of Valley City State University with a degree in Business Administration.

Ben Cannon *

Executive Director, Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission

Ben Cannon has served as the executive director of the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission since 2013. In this position, Cannon oversees state funding allocations, policy setting, and coordination for Oregon’s postsecondary education and training system, including community colleges, public universities, and various workforce boards. Cannon is a former teacher, state representative, and education policy advisor to the governor. Elected three times to the Oregon House of Representatives (2006-11), he chaired House committees with jurisdiction over environment, energy, and water policy. From 2003 to 2011, he taught humanities at a middle school near Portland, Oregon. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and attended Oxford University in England on a Rhodes Scholarship where he earned graduate degrees in comparative and international education and philosophy, politics, and economics.

Hilda Rosselli

Educational Policy Consultant

Hilda Rosselli has an extensive background in higher education with experience as a faculty member and dean in both Florida and Oregon, and policy development for the state of Oregon. She helped create a Chief Education Office where she facilitated development of the state’s definition of College and Career readiness and championed legislation to improve early access to high quality college level courses for high school students. She regularly engaged community leaders, educators and researchers across the state to identify and promote short and long term goals and plans for increasing college access and completion for historically-underserved students working closely with lead staff from the Oregon Youth Development Council, the Oregon Department of Education and the Higher Education Coordinating Commission. She assisted in the creation and launch of the Oregon Equity Lens, established the Educator Advancement Council to prioritize local educator voice informing biennial legislative investments, created a new state-funded scholarship to diversify Oregon’s educator workforce, and developed strong partnerships between higher education and employers. She now consults and writes grants with a focus on equity, access, and excellence.

Lisa Skari

President, Mt. Hood Community College

Dr. Lisa Skari currently serves as the President of Mt. Hood Community College, a role she has held since 2018. Prior to MHCC, she spent 26 years at Highline College (WA) in roles including adjunct faculty, mid-management positions in cooperative education/internships and budgeting, and as Vice President for Advancement.

She earned her Master’s degree in Business Administration from Pacific Lutheran University and her Doctorate in Education from Washington State University. Her research led to the development of a predictive model of community college alumni giving, for which she received the H.S. Warwick Award for Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation.

Prior to her work in community colleges, Dr. Skari spent seven years in the private sector in management, buying, and corporate training.

Nathan Lukkes

Executive Director and CEO, South Dakota Board of Regents

Nathan Lukkes is the Executive Director and CEO of the South Dakota Board of Regents.  Nathan has been a part of the Board of Regents since 2014, beginning as the System Assistant Vice President for Research and Economic Development and later becoming Chief of Staff and General Counsel. Prior to working for the Board of Regents, Nathan served as the Deputy Commissioner of the South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development. He also served in the South Dakota Army National Guard for ten years, deploying to Afghanistan in 2010-2011 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Nathan obtained his juris doctorate and undergraduate degree from the University of South Dakota. He resides in Pierre, SD, with his wife Kate and daughters Betty and Sophie, where he enjoys spending time with family, hunting, and the outdoors. Nathan also volunteers for Junior Achievement of South Dakota, teaching ethics and business to local youth, and serves on the local Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation board.

Larry Tidemann *

Retired, South Dakota Legislature

Larry Tidemann is a former State Senator and Representative from South Dakota. He was elected to the South Dakota Legislature for over 14 years with terms in both the House of Representatives and the State Senate. He represented District 7 in Brookings, SD, which included the community where South Dakota State University is located. He served on the Appropriations Committee throughout all 14 years of his tenure in the legislature and for 11 years he was Chair or Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee. He also was appointed to the Retirement Laws Committee and served as chair of the Legislature’s Executive Board, and the Government Operations and Audit Committee (GOAC), during his time in the legislature.

Larry has a bachelor’s and master’s degree from South Dakota State University. He received an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service from SDSU in 2019. Larry is retired from South Dakota State University where he was an Associate Dean of Agriculture and Director of the South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service.

Ashley Wenger-Slaba

Senior Vice President of Employee Experience, Education & Workforce Relations, Sanford Health

Ashley Wenger-Slaba serves as Sanford Health’s senior vice president of employee experience, education, and workforce relations. Through her leadership of Sanford’s Employee Experience, Leadership Education & Development (LEAD), Employee Relations, and Labor Relations teams, Wenger-Slaba creates synergies across these areas and partners with Sanford leaders to influence operational decisions that reflect Sanford’s core belief that its people are its greatest resource.  A labor and employment lawyer by training and first career, Wenger-Slaba graduated from the University of Nebraska Lincoln in 2004 and the University of Minnesota law school in 2007.

Ashley is active in the Sioux Falls, South Dakota, community where she lives with her four children. Ashley serves on the Board of Directors and Human Resource Committee for Volunteers of America-Dakotas, and sits on the Annual Meeting and Thought Leadership Committees for Sanford Health.

Frankie Eliptico *

Representing CNMI, Vice President, Administration and Advancement, Northern Marianas College

Frankie Eliptico is vice president of administration and advancement at Northern Marianas College (NMC). He previously served as the interim president of the college for three years and led recovery efforts in the aftermath of the unprecedented damage caused by Super Typhoon Yutu, which destroyed nearly 85% of all college facilities. His work on NMC marketing and branding efforts has been recognized nationally, and he was named Communicator of the Year in the District VI (Western U.S.) region of the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations. In addition to being a WICHE commissioner, he is involved in numerous local and regional educational and environmental work throughout the Pacific, and he sits on the board of governors of the Asia Pacific Association for Fiduciary Studies.

Rodney Jacob

Representing Guam, Attorney, Partner, Calvo Fisher & Jacob LLP

Rodney Jacob is a partner in Calvo Fisher & Jacob’s Guam office, past president of the Guam Bar Association and lawyer representative to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Guam. Jacob has worked extensively in leadership positions for schools and universities in the mainland U.S., Guam, Micronesia, and the Philippines to promote access to basic and higher education and for the purpose of advocating for those living on the margins in his community. In 2016 he took the lead in advocating for Guam’s membership in WICHE as part of the U.S. Pacific Territories and Freely Associated States membership. Since that occurred six years ago, Jacob has worked to ensure that Guam’s and Micronesia’s political and educational leaders, students, and other stakeholders know of, and utilize, the benefits provided through WICHE.  

Jacob has also worked extensively to improve the administration of justice within the local and federal courts throughout Guam and Micronesia. He is admitted to the bar in California, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Jacob received his B.S. and J.D. from Georgetown University. He was the law clerk to Judge Lawrence Howard, Arizona Court of Appeals (1989-1990) and to Chief Justice Jose Dela Cruz, CNMI Supreme Court (1993-1995). He grew up in Tucson, Arizona.

Kalani Kaneko

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Senator, Majuro Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands

Kalani Kaneko has served as a Senator in the Republic of the Marshall Islands Legislature since 2016 and represents the Capital City of Majuro Atoll. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Heath, Education, and Social Affairs (HESA) committee and has been a member for two terms.

In addition, Senator Kaneko is currently a member of the Marshall Islands Scholarships, Grant, and Loan Board (MISGLB). The MISGLB serves as oversight for the nation’s scholarship program for postsecondary education locally and overseas.

Senator Kaneko is a graduate of Post University with degrees in Marketing and Business Management.

Patricia Jones

CEO, Women's Leadership Institute

Patricia Jones is the CEO of the Women’s Leadership Institute in Utah, an organization focused on elevating the leadership status of women in the state. Prior to this appointment she was the co-founder and former president of Dan Jones Associates for 35 years, a polling company based in Utah that conducts market research, economic analysis and strategy consulting for a variety of well-known national companies and organizations. Jones also served in the Utah legislature for 14 years, serving in leadership positions 12 of those years.  She was a member of the Utah House of Representatives from 2000-2006 and was elected to the Utah Senate in 2006-2014, serving eight years there, including serving as the first female leader in either party and in either House. Jones currently is a member of the Utah Board of Regents, the Board of Governors of the Salt Lake Chamber, the Intermountain Healthcare Community Care Foundation, and a member of the National Advisory Board of the University of Utah School of Dentistry. Jones has served on the boards of United Way of Salt Lake, Utah Symphony and Opera, St. Mark’s Hospital, Hale Centre Theatre, Columbus Community Center, University of Utah Alumni Association, Coalition for People with Disabilities, This is the Place State Park, Coalition for the Understanding of Substance Abuse Disease, and Zions Bank Women’s Financial Group. She is a communications graduate from the University of Utah.

Geoffrey Landward

Commissioner of Higher Education, Utah System of Higher Education

Geoffrey Landward was appointed commissioner of the Utah Board of Higher Education in March 2024 after having served as interim commissioner since September 2023. He previously served as deputy commissioner and secretary to the Utah Board of Higher Education. In addition to over a decade of public policy work, he has extensive executive leadership experience and 20 years of legal expertise in administrative law, education law, and employment law. He is a graduate of the Brigham Young University (BYU) J. Reuben Clark Law School.

Landward also engages in freelance writing and editing. He recently started using only one space after periods, which has had astonishingly little impact on his life.

He has four children, including two who are applying to college this year, and three cats who mistakenly believe they can pay rent with dead mice and unending looks of disdain.

Ann Millner *

WICHE Vice Chair, Senator, Utah State Legislature

Senator F. Ann Millner represents Senate District 5, encompassing parts of Davis, Morgan and Weber counties in Utah. Elected to the Senate in 2015, she serves as chair of the Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee, Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee, School Security Task Force, and Senate Ethics Committee. Additionally, Senator Millner contributes her leadership and expertise to several legislative collaborative organizations across the nation, including the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Foundation Board of Directors and Executive Committee. She is a distinguished member of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) Commission, Education Commission of the States (ECS) Commission, ExcelinEd Policy Leaders Network member, and chair of the NCSL Higher Education Task Force.

Born in Middlesboro, Kentucky, and raised in Clarksville, Tennessee, Senator Millner’s academic journey includes a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Tennessee, a master’s degree from Southwest Texas State University, and a doctorate from Brigham Young University. She is distinguished as a regents professor of health administration and served as president of Weber State University from 2002 to 2012. Under President Millner’s leadership, Weber State University expanded into a multi-campus institution, saw a nearly 40% rise in enrollment, and strengthened its community partnerships.

Senator Millner’s legislative efforts are driven by a deep commitment to enhancing Utah’s education system and fostering economic development. She has championed policy aimed at strengthening workforce preparation, improving public and higher education, bolstering our aerospace defense industries, and expanding access to affordable healthcare.

John Carmichael

President, Evergreen State College

Dr. John Carmichael was appointed as Evergreen’s seventh president in 2021. John has deep ties to the college, earning Bachelor of Arts and Master of Public Administration degrees from Evergreen. He joined the college’s staff in 1998 as a secretary and served in a variety of roles for more than 20 years, including chief of staff and secretary to the Board of Trustees, and as vice president for finance and operations. John earned a Ph.D. in Education and Human Resource Studies from Colorado State University and attended Harvard’s Finance for Senior Executives program. John is a lifelong Washington state resident and lives in Olympia with his husband, Michael Partlow.

The President is responsible for engaging the campus, community, and external groups in promoting a liberal arts education and learning community models. He represents the college and helps develop and maintain a comprehensive vision for Evergreen’s students, works to build relationships, strengthen partnerships, and collaborate with other college leaders to develop creative solutions.

Michael Meotti *

Executive Director, Washington Student Achievement Council

Michael Meotti was appointed Executive Director of the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) by Governor Jay Inslee in December 2016. Mr. Meotti previously served as Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Higher Education and Executive Vice President of the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education.

WSAC is the state’s higher education agency with the primary responsibility to facilitate the development of state policy on higher education, working with elected officials, colleges and universities, employers, nonprofits, and other organizations interested in increasing higher education attainment. The agency manages Washington’s extensive student financial aid programs, college readiness programs, and the 529 programs, GET, and DreamAhead.

Michael has extensive experience in higher education policy, finance, and innovation. Prior to joining WSAC, he consulted on a number of national higher education initiatives supported by foundations and worked on regional and state strategies to increase student access and success. He taught higher education policy at George Washington University.

Mr. Meotti served in leadership positions in both the nonprofit and corporate sectors. He was the President of the United Way of Connecticut and President of the Connecticut Policy and Economic Council. He also served in the Connecticut State Senate for four terms. Michael holds a bachelor’s and a law degree from Georgetown University.

Gerry Pollet

Representative, Washington State Legislature

Representative Gerry Pollet has served in the Washington State House since December 2011. Pollet is an attorney and faculty member at both the University of Washington School of Public Health and Western Washington University. Pollet serves on the Postsecondary Education, Education, Appropriation and Rules Committees. Pollet was deeply involved in developing and passing the Washington College Grant, accompanied by dedicated funding, to provide one of the nation’s broadest need-based aid programs. He was the author of a program responding to the critical shortage of teachers in Washington, including a grant program to pay tuition for low-income students seeking to be teachers in underserved areas. Pollet has been honored several times as the Legislator of the Year for his work to improve affordable access to higher education and improved student success. He is the House sponsor of The Washington Promise, for free community college tuition.

Fred Baldwin *

Physician Associate

Fred Baldwin, a physician assistant in Kemmerer, and is a retired legislator in the Wyoming State Senate. He was the chairman of the select committee on behavioral health, the Senate’s labor, health and social services committee as well as on the revenue committee. Baldwin is active in his community as Chief of the South Lincoln fire district. He also works with Kemmerer’s suicide prevention group. He is a fourth-generation Wyomingite who graduated from the University of Utah School of Medicine in physician assistant studies and earlier was enrolled in the nursing program at Casper College and pursued studies at the University of Wyoming, the University of Wisconsin Washington County, and Western Oregon State University.

Joseph Schaffer

President, Laramie County Community College

Dr. Joe Schaffer considers himself a community college evangelist.  Far from a success in his early college pursuits, an associate’s degree changed his life for the better.  In repayment, his professional commitment has been to strengthen the mission of the community college locally and nationally.

Dr. Schaffer currently serves as the President of Laramie County Community College (LCCC).  LCCC is an aggressively innovative and comprehensive college with a main campus located in the state capital of Cheyenne, a branch campus in Laramie, and outreach sites located across Southeastern Wyoming.   Since Dr. Schaffer’s arrival at LCCC, the College has completed more than $150 million in facilities improvements, celebrated multiple record-setting graduating classes, and has seen the College’s graduation rates increase by nearly 70%.

Dr. Schaffer is an avid outdoorsman with a deep passion for hunting, fishing, and the great outdoors.   At home, women rule his world, or at least that is what his lovely wife Brooke and daughters Samantha and Lia tell him.

Mike Smith

Vice President for Government Affairs and Community Engagement, University of Wyoming

Mike Smith is the vice president for government affairs and community engagement at the University of Wyoming (UW). In addition to serving as the university’s chief liaison to local, state and federal governments through the Office of Governmental Relations, Smith oversees Institutional Marketing and Communications, and the Office of Engagement and Outreach.

Prior to joining the UW in 2022, Smith was an attorney in several Western regional law firms where his practice included representing clients before the Wyoming Legislature in addition to regulatory and litigation matters. He also spent 12 years in the oil and gas sector as the manager of regulatory affairs at QEP Resources, working mostly in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and North Dakota. He first worked in politics as a college intern with Wyoming’s U.S. Representative Craig Thomas in Washington, D.C. and then served on Representative and Senator Thomas’ staff for five years. His ties to the University of Wyoming run deep. Smith received a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from UW in 1991 and his juris doctorate degree in 1999. Both his parents received degrees from UW, his father worked in the financial aid office for 25 years, and his youngest daughter is currently attending UW. His community service includes over 20 years as a volunteer with Cheyenne Frontier Days.