Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia Elected ACE Board Chair
March 14, 2016

Judy C. Miner, Chancellor, Foothill-De Anza Community College District Elected Vice Chair

​John J. DeGioia, president of Georgetown University (DC), has been elected chair of the Board of Directors of ACE, the major coordinating body for the nation’s colleges and universities.

DeGioia became board chair during ACE2016, ACE's 98th Annual Meeting, in San Francisco. He succeeds Renu Khator, chancellor of the University of Houston System (UH) and president of UH, and will serve for one year. Before becoming ACE Board chair, DeGioia served as vice chair.

ACE's membership also elected Foothill-De Anza Community College District (CA) Chancellor Judy C. Miner vice chair; and Edward J. Ray, president of Oregon State University, secretary.

“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve as chair of the American Council on Education during this extraordinary time in higher education,” DeGioia said. “I look forward to working closely with my colleagues on the key issues of the moment, from access and affordability to faculty research. “

For nearly three decades, DeGioia has defined and strengthened Georgetown University as a premier institution for education and research. DeGioia served as a senior administrator and a faculty member in the Department of Philosophy before becoming Georgetown's 48th president in 2001.

As president, DeGioia is dedicated to deepening Georgetown’s tradition of academic excellence, its commitment to its Catholic and Jesuit identity, its engagement with the Washington, DC, community and its global mission. Under his leadership, Georgetown has also become a leader in shaping the future landscape of higher education and surpassed a $1.5 billion fundraising goal in its recent campaign dedicated to enhancing the lifelong value of a Georgetown education.

DeGioia is also a leading voice in addressing broader issues in education. He currently serves as the chair of the board of directors of the Forum for the Future of Higher Education and as a member of the board of trustees of the Executive Committee of the Council on Competitiveness. He also serves as a board member of the Carnegie Corporation and as a commissioner on the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics.

Miner brings many years of service in community colleges to her role as the seventh chancellor of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District.

Miner is dedicated to closing the opportunity and achievement gaps among all student populations. She previously served as president of Foothill College for eight years, where she  led a campus-wide student equity agenda that resulted in increased achievement by historically underrepresented students.

Under Miner’s leadership, Foothill College successfully pursued grants, donations and other revenue, resulting in more than $6 million in supplemental funding for campus programs and services. She also formed strong partnerships with the local business community, civic groups and other educational organizations for the benefit of students.

Miner was an administrator at De Anza College for 19 years before assuming the Foothill presidency. Prior to joining Foothill-De Anza, she worked in the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office.

Miner also serves on the board of directors for the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.

Also elected to the ACE Board of Directors during the business meeting were:

Term Ending March 2019:

  • Mark P. Becker, President, Georgia State University
  • Ronald A. Crutcher, President, University of Richmond
  • Catharine B. Hill, President, Vassar College (NY)
  • Leo M. Lambert, President, Elon University (NC)
  • Elaine P. Maimon, President, Governors State University (IL)
  • Gail O. Mellow, President, LaGuardia Community College (NY)
  • Santa J. Ono, President, University of Cincinnati

Term Ending in March 2018:

  • Chris Bustamante, President, Rio Salado College (AZ)

Term Ending in March 2017:

  • Javier Miyares, President, University of Maryland University College

Elected as higher education association representatives for a one-year term ending March 2017:

  • Association of Research Libraries (ARL), Elliott Shore, Executive Director
  • National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), Justin Draeger, President and Chief Executive Officer