Campus Compact is excited to announce Jessica Howard, president of Chemeketa Community College has been named chair of the Campus Compact Board of Directors and that four higher education and civic leaders have joined our board—Jennifer Cowley, president of The University of Texas at Arlington, Lane Glenn, president of Northern Essex Community College, Cheryl Nixon, president of Berea College, and Brad Rourke, chief external affairs officer and director of DC operations at the Charles F. Kettering Foundation. Additionally, Stephanie Fujii, president of Arapahoe Community College, and Antonio Tillis, chancellor of Rutgers University-Camden, have agreed to serve second terms on our board. Each will serve a three-year term as members at large.
We are also pleased to announce that Lisa Freeman, who joined our board of directors in 2024, will now serve as vice chair.
We are excited for President Howard’s leadership and for our four new members to lend their knowledge and expertise to strengthen our board. We are further grateful to our entire board of directors for their leadership at a time when strong vision and advocacy on behalf of the public purpose of higher education has never been more critical—and as we continue to pursue the goals laid out in our 2025-2030 strategic plan.
“It is my honor to serve as Board Chair for Campus Compact, an organization committed to supporting, engaging, and challenging colleges and universities to realize their public purpose,” said Jessica Howard, president of Chemeketa Community College and new chair of the Campus Compact Board of Directors. “In these uncertain times, I believe that building capacity for people, campuses, and communities to partner in furthering equity, justice, and collective prosperity could not be more important. With Campus Compact, this work continues and grows, and I am excited to lead the Board as the organization leans in to meet the moment and build upon its 40-year history of advancing higher education’s role in a just democracy.”
“In this moment, leaders committed to the public mission of higher education matter more than ever,” said Campus Compact President Bobbie Laur. “We are grateful to have President Howard chairing the board of directors in the coming years and to have leaders such as President Cowley, President Glenn, President Nixon, and Mr. Rourke join as new members of the board to help us further our mission. Their expertise, depth of knowledge, and deep personal and professional commitments to the critical role of higher education in our democracy will help make Campus Compact stronger and more effective.”
About the new members of the Campus Compact board of directors:
Dr. Jennifer Cowley is the first female president of The University of Texas at Arlington and the 10th overall, also serving as a professor of public affairs and planning. She is a passionate advocate for public higher education and UTA’s role in shaping the Dallas-Fort Worth region by preparing the next generation of talent. Cowley has led at national research universities, advancing student success, community engagement, strategic collaboration, and innovation. Before joining UT Arlington in 2022, she was provost and vice president for academic affairs at the University of North Texas and spent 16 years at Ohio State in leadership and faculty roles. Prior to academia, she worked in city government in Amarillo and College Station. She holds a Ph.D. in urban and regional science, multiple master’s degrees from Texas A&M and UNT, and is a fellow of both the American Institute of Certified Planners and the National Academy of Public Administrators.
Read more about Jennifer Cowley
Dr. Lane A. Glenn has been president of Northern Essex Community College (NECC) since 2011. He is focused on student success and passionate about helping students achieve their educational goals, especially those underprepared for college. He has led significant expansion of NECC’s Lawrence campus and helped grow partnerships with local schools and colleges. As the longest serving president in the Massachusetts community college system, he took on the mantle of bringing free community college to the Bay State, working with stakeholders across the commonwealth to ensure this policy was adopted by lawmakers. Dr. Glenn remains an involved and active member of the local community, serving on the Board of Trustees of Lawrence General Hospital. He is also a researcher, author, and avid runner who hosts the Campus Classic 5K and leads the NECC President’s Running Club.
Read more about Lane Glenn
Dr. Cheryl Nixon is Berea College’s 10th President and the first woman to serve in the role. She is honored to serve the first racially integrated, co-educational college in the South, which provides every student with free tuition. Her career has been dedicated to bringing the transformative power of learning to students who face barriers to higher education. She is a passionate advocate for educational access, excellence, and inclusion. This fall, she held a “listening and learning” tour that gathered ideas for shaping Berea’s future. She brings experience from rural and urban institutions, creating student success programs and launching initiatives in nursing, experiential learning, and career readiness.
Read more about Cheryl Nixon
Brad Rourke is the Kettering Foundation’s chief external affairs officer and director of DC operations, leading efforts to amplify the foundation’s impact. He regularly posts video interviews with newsmakers on current issues. Rourke has experience advancing democracy through government, politics, public affairs, ethics, journalism, and civic participation. Before joining Kettering in 2013, he led a public issues firm, founded Rockville Central, and held leadership roles at the Harwood Institute and Institute for Global Ethics, plus staff roles with California’s Controller Gray Davis and US Representative Jane Harman. He serves on the board of Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement, writes for major publications, and holds a BA from UC Berkeley and an MPA from American University.
Read more about Brad Rourke