HLC President to Keynote Commencement

Barbara Gellman-Danley HLC

We are proud to announce that the President of the Higher Learning Commission, Barbara Gellman-Danley, Ph.D., will be our California Commencement speaker on August 23, 2015 in Sacramento.

Barbara Gellman-Danley assumed the presidency of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) on July 7, 2014. The Higher Learning Commission, a nonprofit regional agency that accredits more than 1,000 colleges and universities in 19 states stretching from West Virginia to Arizona. HLC is the nation’s largest regional accrediting organization and is a commission of the North Central Association in Chicago, Illinois.

Throughout her academic career, she has been known for her effective leadership, her focus on public policy and advocacy, and her unrelenting commitment to academic excellence and transparency. Prior to joining the Commission, Dr. Gellman-Danley was the president of University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College from 2009-2014. She has also served as a vice chancellor at the Ohio Board of Regents, and president at Antioch University McGregor. Dr. Gellman-Danley also has 15 years of experience in community college leadership in New York and Oklahoma, including serving as vice president at Monroe Community College, and vice chancellor at the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

Dr. Gellman-Danley also has experience in distance learning and educational technology, and held leadership positions with the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority and Cox Cable Communications in Oklahoma City. Her past involvement with HLC includes serving as a peer reviewer for 10 years.

Dr. Gellman-Danley served on several boards and commissions in her career, including the Association of Governing Boards (AGB) Council of Presidents, the American Council on Education (ACE) Commission on Education and Attainment, the Council on Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) board and the ETS National Community College Council. As president at two institutions, she served on the boards of local Chambers of Commerce and economic development groups. Dr. Gellman-Danley consulted at over 30 institutions on strategic planning, the role of technology in higher education, distance learning and related topics.

Dr. Gellman-Danley holds a Bachelor of Science from Syracuse University, a Master of Library Science from Simmons College, a Master of Business Administration from Oklahoma City University, and a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Oklahoma. She also did post-graduate work at New York University and earned continuing education credit from Cornell University, Harvard University, and the University of Chicago.

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