ACE Women's Network Executive Council

Who We Are

The ACE Women’s Network Executive Council (WNEC) supports state networks through mentorship, leadership development and as a liaison between the network and the American Council on Education (ACE). The Council advises ACE on issues pertaining to the overall functioning of the ACE Women’s Network and women’s leadership needs in higher education. Members also serve as speakers and facilitators at ACE and state network events.

The Women's Executive Council stands in front of a backdrop for a group photo in 2023

2023 Women's Network Executive Council | left-to-right: Jann Joseph, Luoluo Hong, Marsha Krotseng, Maria Gallo, Madlyn Hanes, Mary Churchill, Ardis Eschenberg, and Gailda Davis (ACE).

Our Regions

History

The name of the WNEC has changed, however they have largely functioned under the same mission. The WNEC started out in 1979 as the Senior Associates of National Identification Program (NIP). Associates were past presidents and served as mentors for women within the NIP program. The group was originally funded by the Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education. In 1991 they were named the National Executive Board of NIP and their mission was established to “promote cross fertilization among the state programs and increase the available support of their efforts" (Shavlik, 1991). The leadership of the WNEC helped to establish initiatives such as Moving the Needle and the Women's Leadership Legacy Fund.

Members

Active Members

Kelli Brown
Chancellor
Western Carolina University
828-227-7176 | kbrown@wcu.edu
Assistant: Jessica Wood (jmwoods@wcu.edu)

Mary Churchill
Associate Dean of Strategic Initiatives and Community Engagement in the Wheelock College of Education and Human Development
Boston University
617-353-2128 | machurch@bu.edu

Arezu Corella
Director
Arizona Community Colleges Leadership Academy
520-329-2829 | arezucorella@azsuccess.org

Holly Craider
Vice President, Curriculum and Academic Quality
Cuyahoga Community College
holly.craider@tri-c.edu

Ardis Eschenberg (Chair)
Chancellor
Windward Community College
808-235-7402 | ardise@hawaii.edu
Assistant: Christine Pang (cmlpang@hawaii.edu)

Kelly Ferris Lester
Vice Provost for Faculty Excellence
University of Central Florida
kelly.lester@ucf.edu

Maria Gallo
Former Chancellor
University of Wisconsin-River Falls
352-278-3965 | mariagallo53@aol.com

Tondaleya Green Jackson
Director of Engagement & Outreach
Voorhees University Center of Excellence for Educator Preparation and Innovation
tgjackson@voorhees.edu

Lily Hsu
President
Labouré College
617-322-3500 | lily_hsu@laboure.edu
Assistant: Megan Currivan (megan_currivan@laboure.edu)

Jann Joseph (Past Chair)
President
Georgia Gwinnett College
678-407-5009 | jljoseph@ggc.edu
Assistant: Cheryl Casimir (ccasimir@ggc.edu)

Lori Messinger
Dean
University of Tennessee
865-974-6693| lmessing@tennessee.edu

Ritu Raju
President
South Central College
Ritu.raju@southcentral.edu

Judy K. Sakaki
President Emeritus
Sonoma State University
judy.sakaki@sonoma.edu

Eileen Strempel
Board Governance and Strategic Planning Consultant
Richard Bland College (formerly of William and Mary)

Laura Treanor
President
Virginia Western Community College
president@virginiawestern.edu

Mackenzie Wilfong
Executive Director and Secretary of the Board of Regents
University of Oklahoma
mwilfong@ou.edu

Falecia Williams
President
Prince George’s Community College
301-546-7422 | president@pgcc.edu

Special Appointments

Madlyn Hanes
Senior Vice President and Executive Chancellor for Campuses Emerita
Penn State University
814-863-0327 | Mqh3@psu.edu
Assistant: Melanie Ekdahl (mse1@psu.edu)

Luoluo Hong
Vice President of Student Engagement and Well-Being
Georgia Institute of Technology
404-894-2000 | luoluo.hong@gatech.edu

Marsha V. Krotseng
Trustee
HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College
717-254-6293 | mkrotseng@comcast.net-

Nominate

The Women's Network Executive Council serves in an advisory capacity to the American Council on Education (ACE) on issues pertaining to the ACE Women's Network and women's leadership in higher education. The WNEC supports the state networks by serving as liaisons to the state network chairs and by providing guidance and advice for strengthening state planning boards and the overall vitality of the state network. Nominations are now closed.

Return to the
ACE Women's Network

Women's Network Executive Council Bylaws

Bylaws and governance upheld by the Women’s Network Executive Council (WNEC)

WNEC Bylaws (PDF)

Connecting with Your State Network

The WNEC encourages faculty and administrators from across the country to join and participate in their respective state network events.

State Networks Directory

Spotlight

February 26, 2027

From workforce development to research breakthroughs, higher education drives economic prosperity in every region.

Spotlight

February 26, 2027

Join the Momentum

Video

June 25, 2026

Join ACE and Second Nature to explore strategies institutions can use to advance equitable climate solutions in uncertain times and keep impacted communities at the center of climate action.

Climate Justice in Transition: Centering Equitable Solutions in a Shifting Policy Landscape

Video

June 25, 2026

Climate Justice in Transition: Centering Equitable Solutions in a Shifting Policy Landscape

Podcast

April 8, 2026

Federal guidance, investigations, and state-level changes are putting pressure on the systems colleges have built to help students vote. ACE General Counsel Peter McDonough explains where the legal lines are and where uncertainty is creating risk.

Student Voting Is Getting Harder. Now What?

Podcast

April 8, 2026

Student Voting Is Getting Harder. Now What?

News

March 23, 2026

ACE, other associations say a Trump administration proposal to require all federal funding recipients to certify they do not have unlawful DEI programs and practices would create significant uncertainty for institutions.

ACE, Other Associations Urge GSA to Rescind Proposed Certification Requirements on “Unlawful DEI” and Other Issues

News

March 23, 2026

ACE, Other Associations Urge GSA to Rescind Proposed Certification Requirements on “Unlawful DEI” and Other Issues

News

March 20, 2026

ACE and 10 other higher education associations submitted an amicus brief yesterday supporting a motion brought by the plaintiffs for a stay of the IPEDS Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement while the court considers and decides the case.

ACTS Deadline Shifts as ACE, Other Associations Support Legal Challenge

News

March 20, 2026

ACTS Deadline Shifts as ACE, Other Associations Support Legal Challenge

News

October 10, 2025

ACE and 37 other higher education associations submitted comments this week urging the Department of Education to significantly revise—or withdraw entirely—its proposed overhaul of federal admissions data collection.

ACE, Other Groups Push Back on Trump Administration’s Admissions Data Collection Plan

News

October 10, 2025

ACE, Other Groups Push Back on Trump Administration’s Admissions Data Collection Plan

News

October 10, 2025

ACE and other higher education associations are asking Congress to reverse the Department of Education’s decision to terminate FY 2025 discretionary grant funding for MSIs.

ACE, Higher Ed Associations Urge Congress to Restore Funding for Minority-Serving Institutions

News

October 10, 2025

ACE, Higher Ed Associations Urge Congress to Restore Funding for Minority-Serving Institutions

Statement

October 10, 2025

American Jewish Committee, ACE, Hillel International, and the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges are deeply alarmed by inflammatory social media posts and rhetoric targeting trustees.

American Jewish Committee, ACE, Hillel International, and the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges Alarmed By Targeting of Trustees

Statement

October 10, 2025

American Jewish Committee, ACE, Hillel International, and the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges Alarmed By Targeting of Trustees

News

August 11, 2025

Framing it as a push for “transparency,” President Trump has ordered the Department of Education to collect new admissions data from colleges and universities, with a primary focus on applicants’ race.