New Members Elected to HLC’s Board of Trustees

Five leaders with the vision and skills to make accreditation decisions for the benefit of higher education institutions and their students have been elected to the Higher Learning Commission’s Board of Trustees.

The incoming trustees, who will begin a four-year term on September 1, include three university presidents, a college dean and a top financial recruitment leader. They were nominated and approved by leaders at HLC member institutions to join HLC’s governing board. The Board leads HLC’s work in serving institutions, considers policy matters related to accreditation, and takes actions related to institutions’ accreditation status.

Incoming Trustees

Sunem Beaton-Garcia, president of Chippewa Valley Technical College in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The first woman and Latina to lead the college, Beaton-Garcia has focused on strengthening workforce initiatives and building talent supply that meets employer demand. She has been committed to technical education and is an advocate for higher ed-industry partnerships as means for faculty to engage in innovation and students to gain real-world experience.

Ken Bouyer, Ernst & Young Americas DEI Recruiting Leader. Bouyer develops and implements strategy for building and attracting talent pools. He also has been a leader in the firm’s Consulting Services practice and the firm’s spokesperson on diversity and recruiting trends. He serves on a number of boards, including at his alma mater, Manhattan College, and is expected to bring business experience and insight to decision-making as the HLC board’s newest public service member.

Elmer Guy, president of Navajo Technical University, which is one of the largest colleges in the 37-member American Indian Higher Education Consortium. Prior to his presidency, Guy led academics, student services and instruction at the university. He previously was executive director of the Navajo Nation Department of Education, where he developed trusts for the handicapped and vocational education programs, an apprentice school and teacher education programs.

Jodi Eastberg, dean of liberal arts and professional studies at Alverno College in Milwaukee. She leads academics in the college’s Schools of Arts and Sciences and Professional and Graduate Studies, which oversee a variety of departments.  She also has been a leader for academic excellence, working with faculty and staff to provide high-achieving students with opportunities for success. Former head of the Midwest World History Association, she is trained as an HLC peer reviewer.

Daniel J. Phelan, president and CEO of Jackson College in Michigan. He is a leader in the nation’s community college movement who advocates for quality, service, continuous innovation, intentional governance and student success. He chairs boards for Center for Community College Student Engagement and Henry Ford Jackson Health, is past board chair for American Association of Community Colleges and is on the League for innovation in the Community College board.

Outgoing Trustees

As part of the change, five board members also will step down from the Board on August 31. We are grateful for their years of service to HLC.

• Katy Crosby, Chief, Community Engagement & Institutional Accountability, National Community Reinvestment Coalition
• Jackie Elliott, President, Central Arizona College
• Paul Koch, Retired Provost & Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs and Professor Emeritus, St. Ambrose University
• Robert Martin, President, Institute of American Indian Arts
• Henry Smith, President Emeritus, Indiana Wesleyan University

“I would like to thank both our incoming and outgoing trustees for committing to work tirelessly for high-quality accreditation that, above all, puts students first,” said HLC President Barbara Gellman-Danley.

“As higher education continues to evolve, the HLC Board will continue to be a leading voice and advocate for accreditation as the foundation for success.”