ACE is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Donna Shavlik Award and the ACE State Network Leadership Award, two prestigious honors recognizing exceptional leadership in advancing women in higher education.
2025 Donna Shavlik Award
Belle Wheelan, president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), is the recipient of the 2025
Donna Shavlik Award. A transformative force in higher education for over five decades, Wheelan has played a pivotal role in reshaping accreditation policies to support student success, institutional accountability, and equity.
ACE established the Donna Shavlik Award to honor the long and exceptional service of Donna Shavlik, past director of ACE’s former Office of Women in Higher Education. Established in 1999 and presented annually, the award highlights an individual who has demonstrated a sustained commitment to advancing women in higher education through initiatives enhancing leadership and career development, campus climate, and mentoring. ACE is grateful to
Fidelity for its support of this award.
As the first African American and first woman to lead SACSCOC, Wheelan expanded leadership opportunities for women and people of color within the organization, ensuring that SACSCOC’s executive leadership reflects the diversity of the institutions it serves.
Belle Wheelan, recipient of the 2025 Donna Shavlik Award, at the Women's Leadership Dinner at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC.
Wheelan joined the accrediting agency after serving for 28 years in community colleges in Texas and Virginia and as secretary of education for the Commonwealth of Virginia. She plans to embark on a well-earned retirement in July after serving 20 years as the agency’s president and CEO.
Wheelan has made major contributions to higher education on both a state and federal level, including serving on the Board of Directors for American College Testing, Inc., the American Association of Community Colleges, the Lumina Foundation for Education, the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame, Excelencia in Education, and the National Student Clearinghouse.
“I am truly humbled and honored to receive the award named in honor of Donna Shavlik, a trailblazer who opened many of the doors through which I have been able to enter,” said Wheelan. “I have been involved with ACE’s Women’s Network in both Virginia and Georgia and know of the great work Donna did in helping move women forward and am pleased to have been able to open some of those doors for others.”
ACE presented the award to Wheelan during its Women’s Leadership Dinner in Washington, DC.
2025 ACE State Network Leadership Award
ACE is also proud to recognize
South Carolina Women in Higher Education (SCWHE) as the recipient of the 2025
ACE State Network Leadership Award for its outstanding commitment to advancing women’s leadership in higher education. This award is generously sponsored by
Sophia Learning.
For more than two decades, SCWHE has dedicated itself to supporting the professional growth and leadership development of women in higher education across South Carolina. In 2022, the organization launched the
Women’s Leadership Academy (WLA), a biennial program designed to equip women with the skills, mentorship, and networks needed to ascend into leadership roles.
Tondaleya Green Jackson (right) receives the 2025 AE State Network Leadership Award from Shawna Thayer, CEO of Sophia Learning.
“The WLA curriculum provides participants with critical training on navigating male-dominated fields, engaging in difficult conversations, and developing strategic leadership competencies,” said Tondaleya Green Jackson, president and state chair of SCWHE and WLA Chair. “The program culminates in a collaborative group project that addresses pressing issues for women in higher education, contributing valuable research and practical insights to institutions across South Carolina.” Green Jackson accepted the award at the ACE Women’s Leadership Conference in Washington, DC.
The program has yielded remarkable results. Over half of the participants from the inaugural 2022 cohort have since secured leadership positions within higher education, with seven members advancing into new roles and four moving into senior leadership at their current institutions. The 2024 cohort includes a diverse group of 20 women from two- and four-year institutions across public, private, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
“South Carolina Women in Higher Education is not only equipping women with the skills and networks they need to succeed but also driving meaningful change across institutions. ACE is proud to celebrate their impact and dedication to fostering the next generation of women leaders,” said Kim Lee, ACE’s director of community strategy and engagement.