Mark P. Becker, president of Georgia State University, has been elected chair of the Board of Directors of ACE, the major coordinating body for the nation’s colleges and universities.
Becker became board chair today during a webinar with ACE members, and his term will begin in March 2019, after ACE2019, ACE’s 101st Annual Meeting, March 9-12, in Philadelphia. He succeeds Barbara R. Snyder, president of Case Western Reserve University (OH), and will serve for one year. Before assuming the role of ACE Board chair, Becker served as vice chair.
ACE's membership also elected Paul J. LeBlanc, president of Southern New Hampshire University, vice chair; and Gail O. Mellow, president of LaGuardia Community College (NY), secretary.
“ACE’s mission is to mobilize the higher education community to shape effective public policy and foster innovative, high-quality practice, and we are fortunate to have leaders from across the diverse landscape of American colleges and universities who are dedicated to helping us achieve these goals,” said ACE President Ted Mitchell. “I deeply appreciate the willingness of Mark, Paul, and Gail, along with the entire ACE Board of Directors, to serve in this role and thank Barbara for her service.”
“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as chair of the Board of Directors of the American Council on Education, following in the footsteps of some of the most influential and dynamic leaders of higher education,” Becker said. “I embrace my responsibility to help build on their legacy by ensuring that ACE continues to be a powerful force in influencing public policy and fostering bold and innovative higher education initiatives and programs that serve the public good.”
Since beginning his tenure as Georgia State University’s seventh president in January 2009, Becker has led the university into an unparalleled period of growth and advancement. Reflecting his vision of the modern public research university, Georgia State adopted a dynamic 10-year strategic plan that has fueled its emergence as one of the nation’s premier urban research universities. A first-generation college student who began his educational career at a community college, he is personally and professionally committed to ensuring that students of all economic backgrounds succeed.
LeBlanc has been president of SNHU since 2003. Under his leadership, SNHU has grown from 2,500 students to over 135,000 students around the world, making it the largest nonprofit provider of online higher education in the country, and the first institution to have a full competency-based degree program untethered to the credit hour or classes approved by a regional accreditor and the U.S. Department of Education. Washington Monthly has named him one of America's 10 most innovative university presidents.
Mellow has served as LaGuardia’s president since 2000. A member of the City University of New York system, LaGuardia is a recognized leader among community colleges for conceptualizing and launching programs and teaching methods that have become pilots for the nation. A community college graduate, Mellow is ardent in her work to raise the profile of community colleges.
Also elected to the ACE Board of Directors during today’s ACE business meeting were:
Term Ending March 2022
- Ronald A. Crutcher, president, University of Richmond (VA)
- Raynard S. Kington, president, Grinnell College (IA)
- Linda A. Livingstone, president, Baylor University (TX)
- Elaine P. Maimon, president, Governors State University (IL)
- Eloy Ortiz Oakley, chancellor, California Community Colleges
- Scott Pulsipher, president, Western Governors University
- Michael Rao, president, Virginia Commonwealth University
Term Ending March 2021
- Rebecca Chopp, chancellor, University of Denver
- James B. Milliken, chancellor, The University of Texas System
Term Ending March 2020
Designated Members:
Designated Associations (Term Ending March 2022)
- National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
Roger N. Casey, president, McDaniel College (MD)
- Council of Independent Colleges
Chris Kimball, president, California Lutheran University
Designated Washington Higher Education Secretariat Associations (Term Ending March 2022)
- Shirley V. Hoogstra, president, Council for Christian Colleges & Universities
- Kevin Kruger, president, NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education
Washington Higher Education Secretariat Designated Representative (Term Ending March 2020)