North Carolina ACE Network of Women Leaders to Receive 2026 ACE State Network Leadership Award
ACE is proud to announce that Gloria D. Thomas, president of Higher Education Resource Services (HERS), has been selected to receive the 2026 ACE Donna Shavlik Award.
“President Thomas has devoted her career to expanding opportunity, strengthening leadership pathways, and building durable networks that support women across higher education,” said ACE President Ted Mitchell. “Her work exemplifies the spirit of the Donna Shavlik Award and reflects a deep, sustained commitment to advancing women as leaders in our institutions and communities.”
ACE established the Donna Shavlik Award to honor the long and exceptional service of Donna Shavlik, past director of ACE’s former Office of Women in Higher Education. First awarded in 1999, it annually recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a sustained commitment to advancing women in higher education through initiatives that enhance leadership and career development, improve campus climate, and foster mentoring.
Thomas has been a leader in advancing women’s leadership in higher education for over two decades. She joined HERS as president in 2021, where she serves as an entrepreneurial and visionary leader, strengthening the organization’s national profile, building strategic partnerships, and expanding HERS’ impact in support of women across the higher education sector.
Prior to leading HERS, Thomas held senior leadership roles at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Michigan, and ACE. At UNC, she served as director of the Carolina Women’s Center and led initiatives focused on equity-centered mentoring as well as curriculum development and facilitator training. Previously, she was executive director of the Center for the Education of Women at the University of Michigan and served at ACE, where she helped to oversee the ACE Fellows Program and ACE’s Women’s Networks.
In addition to her professional leadership, Thomas has been deeply engaged in service at the state and community levels. She recently served as state chair of the North Carolina ACE Network of Women Leaders in Higher Education and has participated on the board of BRIDGES, a professional development program for women in North Carolina higher education. Her community involvement has also included service with the AAUW Orange, Durham, and Chatham Counties Branch, the Chapel Hill–Carrboro NAACP, and volunteer work at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women. She earned a B.A. in English and Black Studies from Swarthmore College, an M.A. in English from Villanova University, and a Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Michigan.
“I am deeply honored to receive the 2026 Donna Shavlik Award,” Thomas said. “As a servant leader committed to advancing women and gender-diverse leaders in higher education, I have been profoundly shaped by the mentorship, vision, and courage of pioneers like Donna Shavlik, whose work created pathways for so many of us to lead. This recognition reflects not only my journey, but the collective efforts of the extraordinary colleagues, partners, and networks who sustain this work every day. I am especially grateful to the communities of the ACE Women’s Network and the HERS Network, whose dedication, collaboration, and belief in one another make meaningful change possible. I accept this award in recognition of all they have contributed and all we continue to build together.”
The ACE Donna Shavlik Award was presented today at the 2026 ACE Women’s Leadership Dinner.
North Carolina ACE Mentoring Network Receives 2026 ACE State Network Leadership Award
ACE is honored that the North Carolina ACE Mentoring Network, a program of the NC ACE Women’s Network, is the recipient of the 2026 ACE State Network Leadership Award.
The ACE State Network Leadership Award, established in 2004, recognizes an extraordinary and innovative program sponsored by an ACE State Network or higher education institution that elevates and supports women and women’s issues in higher education.
The North Carolina ACE Network of Women Leaders, founded in 1977 and revitalized in 2018 as the NC ACE Network, is a statewide model of collaboration and investment in women’s leadership that includes 27 institutions across North Carolina and regularly convenes leaders through conferences that foster learning, mentoring, and community.
In 2023, the Network launched its signature NC ACE Mentoring Network, a relationship-centered initiative supporting mid-career women as they advance in their careers. Led by Eastern Carolina University professor Crystal Chambers, the program pairs structured self-reflection and visioning with cross-institution mentoring relationships that connect participants with experienced higher education leaders statewide.
Through facilitated workshops and guided mentoring, participants clarify career goals and leadership aspirations while developing practical strategies for advancement. Mentees receive an evidence-based mentoring guide and engage in sustained dialogue, reflection, and leadership exposure, including shadowing opportunities.
“A core element of the program is a job-shadowing opportunity in which we match mid-career faculty and professionals with senior women leaders in the roles participants aspire to,” said Crystal Chambers, program chair, NC ACE Network. “In this way, the NC ACE Mentoring Network addresses the challenge of women’s under-sponsorship by connecting participants with women who are well-positioned to advocate on their behalf.”
The program has shown strong early results, with all pilot-year mentees securing new professional roles and participants reporting increased confidence, expanded networks, and meaningful professional growth. The current cohort includes participants from community colleges, private institutions, and public universities.
“The North Carolina ACE Network has built a mentorship model that is both relational and results-driven,” said Kim Lee, ACE’s director of community strategy and engagement. “By connecting women across institutions and career stages, this program is strengthening leadership pathways and creating a durable statewide ecosystem of support.”
“Our State Network identified a clear need to support mid-career women in higher education and recognized that our collective strength positioned us to respond in a meaningful way,” said Ashley B. Allen, state chair of the NC ACE Network. “Dr. Chambers was poised to take on this challenge having dedicated much of her professional career to the advancement and development of women in higher education.”
The 2026 ACE State Network Leadership Award was presented today the Council of Fellows & Women’s Network Joint Reception.