Excelsior College Board of Trustees
The Excelsior College Board of Trustees is the governing body for the College. The board comprises individuals from across the United States who are prominent in the fields of business, education, government, and the professions.
Helen Benjamin
Chair, Board of Trustees
Helen Benjamin was chancellor of the Contra Costa Community College District from 2005 until her retirement in December 2016. She began her career at the District in 1990 when she joined Los Medanos College as dean of language arts and humanistic studies and related occupations.
Don Dea
Treasurer, Board of Trustees
Don Dea is a recognized authority on the internet, association and nonprofit organizations, online education, mobile, and technology deployment, Don Dea is the cofounder of Fusion Productions.
Rose Wang
Vice Chair, Board of Trustees
Rose Wang is a serial entrepreneur and is the founder of Binary Group, an IT consulting firm providing enterprise solutions.
Jeanne Meister
Secretary, Board of Trustees
Jeanne Meister is a founding partner of Future Workplace, an HR advisory and research firm, and is the best-selling author of four books—two on the launch and expansion of corporate universities and two on the future of work.
David Baime
David Baime is the senior vice president for government relations and policy analysis for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). He previously served as director of education funding for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and as assistant director of government relations for the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Kent A. D. Clark
Kent A. D. Clark is an experienced chief executive officer and military veteran certified in board and advisory work across the spectrums of cybersecurity, governance, finance, audit, strategic planning, and development for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations.
Charlene Dukes
Charlene Dukes is the president emerita at Prince George’s Community College. Dukes was previously the first female president of the college which is the home of the National Cyberwatch Center, an advanced technology education site funded by the National Science Foundation and designated a 2010–2015 and 2015–2020 Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance at the two-year level.
Gretchen Evans
Gretchen Evans is a Texas command sergeant major (ret.) and serves veterans as a board member of several organizations. Evans volunteers with The Guide Dog Foundation and America’s Vetdogs.
Jennifer Gentry
Jennifer Gentry serves as chief nursing executive at the Providence Portland Medical Center in Portland, Oregon, where she is responsible for nursing strategic plans, quality outcomes, caregiver wellness, and all strategic, budgetary, and operational aspects of the nursing enterprise.
Karen Kocher
Karen Kocher is Microsoft’s global general manager of 21st Century Jobs, emphasizing powering the planet through sustainable individual employability and organizational strategic talent pipelines.
Matt Loeb
Matt Loeb is the principal of Optimal Performance Seekers, LLC, with nearly 30 years of global experience in the technology, learning, information, and nonprofit sectors working with select enterprises and their executive leadership teams to build and mature organizational capabilities.
KH Maman
KH Maman has more than 25 years of experience in the field of information systems security, telecommunications, systems design and integration, network consulting, PCI credit card security, breach investigation, business continuity planning and disaster recovery, and more.
Karim Merchant
Karim Merchant is the vice president of Strategic and Major Giving at the Cancer Support Community (CSC), the largest nonprofit network of cancer support worldwide, dedicated to ensuring that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action, and sustained by community.
Quintessa Miller
Quintessa Miller is a highly experienced plastic surgeon practicing at the Orlando Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Miller Plastic Surgery in Destin, Florida. Her areas of specialty include breast reconstruction, massive weight loss surgeries, wound care, body contouring, facial cosmetic surgery, Mohs reconstruction, generalized reconstruction, and injectables.
Clar Rosso
Clar Rosso is chief executive officer of (ISC)², the world’s largest nonprofit membership association of certified cybersecurity professionals.
Gretchen Schmidt
Gretchen Schmidt is the faculty program director overseeing the criminal justice and cannabis control programs at Excelsior College. As a para-academic, she combines criminal justice and legal experience with her passion for learning to create engaging and rigorous courses and programs.
Pamela J. Tate
Pamela J. Tate is the former president and CEO of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning.
Khori Whittaker
Khori Whittaker is the president and CEO of Lighthouse Academies, a network of K–12 charter academies serving students in under-resourced communities in several states.
Alec Whitters
Alec Whitters is the CEO and co-founder of Higher Learning Technologies (HLT), an organization that develops high-rated, engaging study apps for students.
Ex-Officio Trustees
Kane Tomlin
Kane Tomlin is an executive consultant with the Florida Department of Transportation, teaches applied cybersecurity at Tallahassee Community College, and has been managing projects and project offices for 20 years in information technology, military operations, and law enforcement.
Chair Emeriti
Arthur Gregg
Arthur Gregg has more than 44 years of professional experience, having held senior-level management and command positions in the military and industry.
Jerry Neff
Jerry Neff (ARNGUS, Ret.) enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard in May 1960, at the age of 18, and soon after also set off on a banking career.
Joshua L. Smith
Joshua L. Smith is a prominent leader in higher education, was a professor and director of the Program in Higher Education and Center for Urban Community College Leadership, School of Education, New York University until 2000.
Richard Yep
Richard Yep is executive director and CEO of the American Counseling Association (ACA), a post he has held since 1998. ACA is composed of more than 45,000 professional counselors and counselor educators.<
Trustee Emeriti
William Cox
William Cox is president and cofounder of Cox, Matthews and Associates Inc., a Fairfax, Virginia, firm specializing in publishing, satellite television production, training, education, and consulting.
William G. Harris
William G. Harris serves as the CEO of the Association of Test Publishers (ATP), the leading international organization for publishers of assessment programs.
Mary O’Connor
Mary O’Connor is a professor of nursing at Notre Dame of Maryland University where she teaches RN to BSN and MSN courses. She also works per diem in nursing administration as a nursing supervisor at Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie, Maryland.
Jean Smith
Jean Smith is a former vice president of Chase Community Development Corporation and has worked in the banking and financial industry since 1978.
Lawrence Vertucci
Lawrence E. Vertucci previously held the position of executive vice president and regional president of the Capital Region for HSBC Bank.
John R. Wetsch
John R. Wetsch is the program director for cloud computing at Wake Technical Community College.