Staff and Senior Advisors

​​Sherita C. Ashmon joined CIC in November 2010 as conference and program coordinator and was promoted to conference manager in June 2016. She is a graduate of Delaware State University from which she earned a BA in communications and has completed some graduate work in communications management at Towson University. She previously served as membership coordinator for the Community Technology Centers’ Network and as operations and membership manager for the Neighborhood Funders Group (NFG), both in Washington, DC. In her last position, Ashmon managed all aspects of conference registrations for NFG’s annual meeting and provided programmatic support for NFG’s work groups.​​

Allison Blackburn joined CIC in October 2005.  As director of conferences, her responsibilities include contract negotiations and logistical management of CIC’s conferences. A native of Trinidad and Tobago, Blackburn brings with her a wealth of experience and training, including a master’s degree in Tourism and Travel Management from New York University, professional certification in meeting planning, and more than 15 years of experience in planning events. Prior to joining CIC, Blackburn served as manager of conferences and meetings for the International Life Sciences Institute where she worked for eight years with responsibility for managing multiple international conferences each year, both large and small.​​

​David Brailow became CIC’s vice president for development in August 2016. He is responsible for the solicitation and management of corporate sponsorships and foundation grants and oversees selected CIC leadership and faculty-development programs. Previously, he served for 15 years as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college at Franklin College (IN), and in 2016 he was awarded the rank of professor emeritus at Franklin. Brailow was professor of English and served in various administrative roles at McKendree College, now McKendree University (IL), from 1982 to 2001. In the last several years, he has been active in CIC initiatives, including the Workshop for Chief Academic Officers in Their Third or Fourth Year of Service, the Degree Qualifications Profile Consortium, and the CIC/Walmart College Success Awards program. Brailow has served on the boards of arts and education organizations and has published articles and book chapters on general education reform, faculty scholarship, and contemporary performances of Shakespeare. He received his BA in English from Amherst College and his PhD from the University of Oregon.

​Alana K. Cassidy joined CIC as development manager in February 2017. Her duties focus on enhancing CIC’s relationships with corporations and foundations. She also works closely on CIC’s leadership development programs, including the Executive Leadership Academy and the Senior Leadership Academy. Previously, Cassidy spent more than five years as director of business development for Academic Search, Inc., serving as the lead proposal writer and point of contact to secure new contracts for the executive search firm. She also established the firm’s overall marketing presence and served as a representative at national conferences, including CIC’s Presidents Institute and the Institute for Chief Academic Officers. Earlier, Cassidy held positions as events operations manager and as marketing assistant at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business marketing and a minor in Spanish from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.

Sheila Cooper is administrative/membership assistant at CIC. She works with the president and executive vice president and with the membership director on the Tuition Exchange Program (TEP). She joined the Council in 2001 as administrative assistant and began assisting the membership director this spring. Sheila is responsible for preparing office correspondence and other written materials, maintaining files, scheduling appointments, and coordinating mailings. She also maintains TEP annual reports and registration forms. Prior to CIC, Sheila held numerous positions in human resources and sales in the hotel industry in the DC area.

​Christopher Dodds serves as director of digital communications and strategy after joining CIC through the merger with the Foundation for Independent Higher Education in 2010. His responsibilities include CIC's website, listservs, email communications, and overall digital strategy. Dodds previously held research positions for several policy and research organizations, including the Commonwealth Foundation, Americans for Tax Reform, and the U.S. Army War College. Dodds studied international business and political science at Messiah College (PA) and, upon completing his bachelor’s degree, moved to China where he studied economics at Xiamen University and taught English as a foreign language. Dodds also holds a master's degree in applied economics from Johns Hopkins University.

Richard Ekman has served as president of the Council of Independent Colleges since 2000. During this time, Ekman has led the 50 percent growth in CIC’s membership and participation in CIC’s major programs. He has initiated many new programs and services to colleges and universities on major issues in independent higher education. During his tenure, CIC has formed partnerships with the American Academic Leadership Institute to offer the Executive and Senior Leadership Academies, and with the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation to manage the Visiting Fellows program. Also, Ekman facilitated the merger into CIC of the Foundation for Independent Higher Education—with 29 state-based affiliates and the distribution of approximately 550 scholarships each year funded by the CIC/UPS Educational Endowment. CIC also created and manages the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education, which now has more than 200 college and university members. Under Ekman’s leadership especially generous financial support has been obtained for CIC’s programs from foundations including Lilly Endowment Inc., Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, UPS Foundation, Lumina Foundation, Walmart Foundation, and Strada Education Network.

Previously, Ekman served as vice president for programs of Atlantic Philanthropies and as secretary and senior program officer of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. In his early professional life, he was at the National Endowment for the Humanities, successively as director of the Division of Education Programs and the Division of Research Programs; at Hiram College as vice president and dean, where he also was a tenured member of the history faculty; and at the University of Massachusetts at Boston as assistant to the provost. He currently serves as a member of many boards, including those that provide guidance to the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, Harvard University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, American Academic Leadership Institute, Emeriti Retirement Health, and Project Pericles. He has been awarded honorary degrees by Alvernia, Otterbein, St. Edward’s, and Marywood Universities, and Alderson-Broaddus, Bethany, Davis & Elkins, Georgetown, Hastings, and Ursinus Colleges, and is a recipient of the W.E.B. DuBois Medal of Harvard University. He is co-author, with Richard E. Quandt, of Technology and Scholarly Communication (University of California Press, 1999). His essays have appeared in the Chronicle of Higher Education, University Business, Inside Higher Ed, Carnegie Reporter, and Washington Post. Ekman earned his AB in history and PhD in the history of American civilization from Harvard University.

​Michelle Friedman serves as director of programs for CIC with primary responsibilities for the day-to-day management of the Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellows program and supporting roles within CIC meetings and events including the Presidents Institute and the Presidential Vocation and Institution Mission seminar. A staff member since 2007, her original duties focused on logistical administration of CIC meetings but have expanded. Previously, she served in positions related to membership and meetings at the International Real Estate Federation. Friedman graduated magna cum laude from The George Washington University (GWU) and majored in American studies with a minor in American art history. During her time at GWU, she held internships with The National Museum of Women in the Arts and The National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institute. She recently earned her MBA from University of St. Francis (IL).

​Stephen Gibson, CIC’s director of programs, oversees a wide range of projects, including the Davies-Jackson Scholarship, Art History Seminars, Ancient Greece Seminars, American History Seminars, and the Information Fluency Workshops. He began at CIC in 2001, serving as projects coordinator, and later as projects manager, for an array of CIC programs, including assisting with the Consortium for the Advancement of Private Higher Education. Before joining CIC, he served as editor and office assistant at Swobo Clothing in San Francisco, California, and earned an MFA in creative writing from the University of Washington, Seattle.

​Philip M. Katz returned to CIC as director of projects in September 2013. Trained as an American historian, he has taught at Princeton and the University of Maryland University College, rose from program officer to acting executive director of the New York Council for the Humanities, and directed a national study of graduate education for the American Historical Association. He also helped develop the American Graduate Fellowships program as a CIC senior advisor. Most recently, he served six years as assistant director for research at the American Alliance of Museums, where he helped create the Center for the Future of Museums. Katz was educated at Harvard and Princeton Universities and is the author of the award-winning book, From Appomattox to Montmartre: Americans and the Paris Commune.

​​Lilia LaGesse joined the CIC staff as publications coordinator in March 2007 and was promoted to publications manager in June 2008. Previously, she was a designer for Miami University’s (OH) special collections library, as well as Northwestern University’s French and Italian departments and university relations department. She came to CIC from CoStar Group in Columbia, Maryland, where she served as research analyst/news editor. LaGesse completed a master’s degree in publications design at the University of Baltimore in December 2007. She received the Charles A. Buerger Award for the top thesis in her graduating class, yielding an exhibition at the University of Baltimore art show. She received her undergraduate degree with honors at Northwestern University in 2004 and had majors in art theory and practice and communication studies.

​Vanessa Long was promoted to manager of CIC’s State Council programs in June 2016 after serving as CIC’s conference and program coordinator since January 2015. In her new role she oversees the annual conference, grant initiatives, scholarship programs, and membership services for CIC’s State Council Members. After assisting with CIC’s NetVUE grant programs, Long brings a year and a half of grant program development and tracking experience to her new position. With over eight years of event planning and administrative experience, Vanessa previously served as office assistant for the American Association of Community Colleges, event and outreach coordinator for the DC Bar, and convention services coordinator for the Omni Shoreham Hotel. Long graduated summa cum laude from Delaware State University with a bachelor of science degree in general management and earned her master of tourism administration degree in event and meeting management from George Washington University.

​Lesley McBain became CIC’s director of research projects in April. Her responsibilities include developing CIC’s research reports, annual benchmarking reports, “Making the Case” resources, and other research and data projects. McBain previously was an assistant director for research and policy analysis at the National Association of College and University Business Officers. Earlier, she was a management and program analyst with the U.S. Department of Education, a research analyst with the Cooperative Institutional Research Program at the Higher Education Research Institute of UCLA, a senior research and policy analyst at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and a senior data editor at the College Board. She earned a BA in English literature from Temple University, an MS in higher education organizational administration and institutional research from Drexel University, and a PhD in higher education and organizational change from UCLA.

​Paula M. Miller is CIC’s editorial and communications director. She has primary responsibility for editing CIC’s print and electronic publications. Previously, Miller worked at the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC) as deputy director and editor of communications and publications. While at USCBC, she edited, managed, and wrote for the China Business Review magazine; edited newsletters, reports, testimonies, and press releases; and co-managed websites and social media platforms. Earlier, she was a China program officer for CET Academic Programs, a division of Academic Travel Abroad in Washington, DC. Miller holds a master’s degree in Asian studies from the University of Michigan and a graduate certificate in Chinese studies from the Johns Hopkins University-Nanjing University Center for Chinese and American Studies. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Chinese language and literature from Michigan State University.

​Cindy Page joined CIC in June 2008. She is responsible for financial statement preparation, institutional budgeting, and human resources oversight. Prior to joining CIC she was the director of finance and administration at The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, a nonprofit, non-partisan organization dedicated to providing pathways of change in communities. Page has also served for the past 20 years as the treasurer for the Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church Nursery School. She is a Certified Public Accountant and earned her bachelors of science in business administration from the University of South Carolina.

​Kerry E. Pannell joined CIC as vice president for academic programs on February 4. Previously, she served Agnes Scott College (GA) as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college as well as professor of economics. While at DePauw University (IN), Pannell was QG Noblitt Professor of Economics and Management and served as dean of the faculty and chair of the department of economics and management. She also taught at Stanford University, Bowdoin College, Kiev Polytechnic Institute (Ukraine), and the University of Colorado-Boulder. Pannell has published many book chapters, articles, and other writings, ranging in subject matter from “Creating and Maintaining a Supportive Environment for Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity” to “Policy Gaps and Theory Gaps: Women and Migrant Domestic Labor.” She has made presentations at many conferences, including for CIC’s Institutes for Chief Academic Officers. Pannell earned a BA and MA in economics from the University of Colorado-Boulder, where she was inducted to Phi Beta Kappa, and a PhD in economics from Stanford University.

​Jo Ellen Parker joined the CIC staff as vice president for communications in February 2019. As vice president for communications, she serves as the lead for CIC’s media relations activities, oversees all print and electronic communications, and plays an important role in articulating the case CIC makes for the liberal arts and private higher education. As a member of CIC’s leadership team, she will play a key role in developing new CIC programs and services. Parker brings extensive experience to this position, including appointments as president of Sweet Briar College, founding executive director of the National Institute for Technology and Liberal Education, president of the Great Lakes Colleges Association, and associate dean at Bryn Mawr College. In addition, she served beyond the field of higher education as president of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. She has contributed as author and editor to many education and scholarly publications, writing on subjects from George Eliot’s early novels to digital pedagogy, and has authored numerous newspaper op ed pieces, interacted with many journalists, and led in creating some of the more important innovations that are now taken for granted in campus technology and social media. Throughout her career, Parker has championed collaboration and innovation to strengthen private colleges and universities, with a focus on advancing the liberal arts in the digital age. Parker earned a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in English literature and is a Bryn Mawr College graduate.

​Leslie A. Rogers-Brown is CIC's conference manager. She joined the Council in June 2001 as administrative assistant to CIC's Consortium for the Advancement of Private Higher Education (CAPHE), and she was promoted to conference coordinator in fall 2004. Soon after, she was promoted to conference manager and is responsible for maintaining registration databases, arranging the myriad logistical details involved in each event, and staffing workshops and conferences on-site. A native of Washington, DC, Leslie attended the University of the District of Columbia for two years before entering the work force. Prior to coming to CIC, Leslie was a secretary at the U.S. Department of Justice, and she worked briefly for the GED Testing Service of the American Council on Education.

​In September, Samantha Sabalis joined CIC as development officer through the Mellon/ACLS Public Fellows program for recent PhDs in the humanities. During her two-year fellowship at CIC, Sabalis will work on grant proposals and reports, along with other development activities, and assist with program management. Sabalis received a PhD in English from Fordham University in 2017 and was a postdoctoral teaching fellow at Fordham during the 2017–2018 academic year. Before that, she served as coordinator of a National Endowment for the Humanities-funded project at Fordham. She also chaired a professional development grant committee for the university and worked as an educator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Morgan Library and Museum in New York. Sabalis received an undergraduate degree in English from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and an MPhil in medieval language, literature, and culture from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.

​Kelsey Sherman Creech joined CIC in August 2014 as staff assistant to the president and the senior vice president. Previously, she was project consultant for the Capacity Group and served as a teaching assistant at Brown University. Earlier, Sherman Creech worked at the Rhode Island Campus Compact as a project manager, meeting and event organizer, researcher, and report author. In addition, she served as an AmeriCorps VISTA for South Carolina Campus Compact at Converse College. Sherman Creech graduated from Oberlin College in 2011 with a bachelor of arts degree in politics and French; she recently completed a master of public policy degree at Brown University.

​Tabitha Truscott was appointed conference and program coordinator in May. She is the lead conference team member for the Institute for Chief Academic Officers and the NetVUE Conference, and she handles registrations, evaluations, and reimbursements for several other CIC workshops. Previously, Truscott served at the Airports Council International-North America as sponsorship and partnerships manager and was responsible for planning and executing events with up to several thousand participants. Earlier, she worked at the American Public Transportation Association as the conference and education department coordinator.

​Keith Wallace has been director of administration at CIC since 2001. He assists with staff hiring, acts as liaison with the building manager and engineers, and oversees office management, administrative, and technical issues for CIC. Prior to joining CIC, Wallace was office manager for the American MidEast Education and Training Services (AMIDEAST) and Phillips Publishing Inc. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of the District of Columbia.

​Kate Webber joined CIC in August 2008 as membership manager. She is responsible for working with the staff and Board of Directors to recruit and retain members, managing CIC’s Tuition Exchange Program, and maintaining CIC’s database. Webber started her professional career at Bank One, holding positions as trainer, business analyst, and auditor. She is a graduate of Wilson College (PA), where she double-majored in psychology and sociology. While at Wilson, she served as student ambassador of the Women with Children program and later as president of the Wilson College Student Government Association.