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NC-SARA Board of Directors Announces Leadership Changes

Updated by on Tue, 11/07/2023 - 09:48

The National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) Board of Directors announces today that Dr. Lori Williams will no longer serve as the organization’s President and CEO effective immediately. Dr. Marianne Boeke, who currently serves as Vice President, Research and State Partnerships, will temporarily step in as Acting President and CEO, to be followed in the coming weeks by an interim leader from outside the organization’s current staff. Additionally, the Board will immediately begin the search process for its permanent leader, which will include the engagement of an executive search firm that will lead a comprehensive, national search.

“The NC-SARA Board of Directors convened during our recent retreat and have come out of those working sessions energized and with a refreshed sense of purpose and direction.” said NC-SARA’s Board Chair Ed Ray, President Emeritus of Oregon State University.

“Moving forward, the Board is focused on positioning NC-SARA as an effective and collaborative partner in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement,” said Ray. “Now more than ever, NC-SARA is committed to providing distance education students with access to quality educational opportunities, with appropriate attention to protecting the interests of distance education students. The changes announced today are simply the first of many steps in a larger, strategic realignment that, I am confident, will benefit distance education students, institutions, and states as we move forward together toward a bright future.”

The Board took a number of additional steps to advance the mission and strategic direction of the organization, including the creation of three new Board committees: Governance, to improve governance structure and practices; Strategic Planning: the initiation of first steps toward a comprehensive strategic planning process; and Policy: which started with the adoption of a more transparent and inclusive policy revision and adoption process.  Furthermore, the Board created a task force to explore potential improvements in student online consumer protections and initiated additional efforts to enhance Board oversight.

“As we move forward, we will continue to keep our partners informed of meaningful developments. But in the meantime, rest assured that the important work of NC-SARA continues uninterrupted. The staff and the Board are united in a shared commitment to the mission of the organization and a vibrant future for distance education nationwide,” added Ray.