Excelsior University Board of Trustees
The Excelsior University Board of Trustees is the governing body for Excelsior. The board comprises individuals from across the United States who are prominent in the fields of business, education, government, and the professions.
Don Dea
Chair, 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.
Kent A. D. Clark
Treasurer, Board of Trustees
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.
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 executive vice president, Executive Networks, and was a founding partner of Future Workplace, an HR advisory and research firm. She 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.
Helen Benjamin
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.
Charlene Dukes
Charlene Dukes is the president emerita at Prince George’s Community College. Dukes was previously the first female president of the community 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 is a motivational speaker and volunteers with The Guide Dog Foundation and America’s Vetdogs.
Jennifer Gentry
Jennifer Gentry serves as Central Division chief nursing officer for Providence St. Joseph Health-Oregon.
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 a purpose-driven, strategic and digitally savvy executive and board director with more than 30 years of global leadership experience. He has served as CEO of ISACA, the Biomedical Engineering Society, and SECURE.
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.
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
Mark Bowman
Mark Bowman works for NASA as the Soyuz spacecraft systems and crew operations lead, responsible for maintaining engineering knowledge of Russian spacecraft and launch vehicles to ensure the safety of U.S. astronauts during Soyuz flight operations.
Gretchen Schmidt
Gretchen Schmidt is the faculty program director overseeing the criminal justice and cannabis control programs at Excelsior University. As a para-academic, she combines criminal justice and legal experience with her passion for learning to create engaging and rigorous courses and programs.
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 CEO of Ocean Vista Advisors in Alexandria, Virginia.
