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​Thomas W. Krise has been president of Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, since June 2012. He also holds a full professorship with tenure in the Department of English at Pacific Lutheran. Previously, Krise was dean of the college at the University of the Pacific and chair of the English department at the University of Central Florida. He also served 22 years in the U.S. Air Force, retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Krise was founding director of the Air Force Humanities Institute at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs; senior fellow of the Institute for National Strategic Studies in Washington, DC; and vice director of the National Defense University Press. He is a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy and has worked and lectured on six continents. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, Krise earned a BS in history from the Air Force Academy, an MS in administration from Central Michigan University, an MA in English from the University of Minnesota, and a PhD in English from the University of Chicago. Krise was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica.

​Frank Romeo serves as vice president of the UPS Foundation and is responsible for the operations and management of its global philanthropic and corporate relations programs. He has more than 42 years of experience with UPS and has held positions in Operations and Human Resources. Like many UPSers, Romeo began his UPS career while in college as a part-time package handler. Before specializing in HR, he worked in several operations management positions and in industrial engineering. He also spent more than 11 years in UPS’s international operations, helping the company expand operations in Europe and the Americas. In 2004, Romeo became head of UPS’s Global Employee Relations group. He assumed his current role in 2012.

Romeo will discuss the UPS Foundation’s long partnership with the State Councils in advancing the Foundation’s commitment to expanding college access and success for first-generation students. He is particularly proud that CIC’s UPS Scholarship program has helped to make a private college education possible for more than 19,000 students from underserved populations.

​Steve Moore is the chief executive officer of the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, a foundation with more than $1 billion in trust assets that has helped fund more than $850 million of investments in nonprofit organizations. He is responsible for all programs and activities of the Trust, which serves individuals, families, and communities across the Pacific Northwest through organizations whose missions strengthen the region’s educational, spiritual, and cultural base in creative and sustainable ways. Moore joined the Trust in 2006 after serving in senior leadership positions at Asbury Theological Seminary, Baylor University, Seattle Pacific University, Texas Tech University, and Texas Tech Wesley Foundation. He received a PhD from the University of Michigan and is a widely published author and frequent speaker.

​Richard Ekman has been president of the Council of Independent Colleges since 2000. He previously served as vice president for programs of Atlantic Philanthropies and as secretary and senior program officer of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. From 1982 until 1991, he was at the National Endowment for the Humanities, successively as director of the Division of Education Programs and the Division of Research Programs. His previous experience includes service as vice president and dean of Hiram College and assistant to the provost at the University of Massachusetts at Boston. 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, and American Academic Leadership Institute.

​James Plourde is vice president of the Collins Group, a division of Campbell & Company, which provides services in both sustainable fundraising and capital campaigns. A Certified Fund-Raising Executive, Plourde’s expertise includes major gifts, strategic direction, case development, and volunteer management. With more than 30 years of development and marketing experience and several successful multimillion dollar campaigns to his credit, Plourde has expertise in higher education, healthcare, independent schools, and faith-based nonprofits.

​Mark Dederer joined the Biller Family Foundation as executive director in 2016. Previously, he served as senior vice president and community affairs manager for the Wells Fargo Foundation, overseeing the charitable giving program and team member involvement throughout the Washington region. He also managed community affairs in Oregon and Alaska. Before rejoining Wells Fargo, he was vice president and director of the Safeco Insurance Foundation and developed its national contributions program. Dederer serves on the board of Philanthropy Northwest, the Virginia Mason Hospital board of governors, the commission for the Seattle Center, and the Central Washington University Business School advisory board, and is past board chair of Seafair.

​Cat Martin oversees the corporate responsibility efforts at JPMorgan Chase & Company. She manages the firm’s global philanthropy strategy and activities for the Pacific Northwest and Utah State region. With a background in both private and nonprofit sectors, Martin has extensive experience in community relations and philanthropy, including external affairs positions with U.S. Bank, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Pratt Fine Arts Center, Frye Art Museum, and Oklahoma Arts Institute. Martin currently serves on the board of trustees of the Mercer Island School District Fine Arts Advisory Council. Representing JPMorgan Chase, Martin serves on the Enterprise Pacific Northwest Leadership Council, Cascadia Foodshed Finance Project Steering Committee, and the Seattle University Youth Initiative Advisory Committee.

​Ken Thompson is a philanthropic sector consultant and a senior fellow at the Aspen Institute’s Forum on Community Solutions. Previously, Thompson was a senior program officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where his most recent work focused on integrated, community-wide approaches to increasing success in school and college. His work at Gates spanned 18 years, including helping to start and develop several giving initiatives across many issues, including libraries, the digital divide, youth development, and higher education. He has master’s degrees in fine art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and in information science from the University of Washington’s Information School.

​William Zumeta is professor of public policy and higher education at the University of Washington in Seattle where he has taught since 1985. Zumeta is a fellow of the TIAA Institute and previously served as senior fellow at the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. In 2009–2010, he was president of the Association for the Study of Higher Education. Earlier, he taught at UCLA as well as the University of British Columbia and Claremont Graduate University. Zumeta’s research touches on many aspects of public policy toward postsecondary education at all levels, and he has studied the private sector of academe extensively. He holds a BA from Haverford College and a PhD in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley.

​Regina Hartley hires hundreds of people each year as a human resources vice president for the UPS technology division and makes human connections with employees immersed in technology. Hartley has gained wide recognition for her TED Talk, “Why the Best Hire Might Not Have the Best Résumé,” on the benefits of adversity, the latest studies on post-traumatic growth, and the fact that those who don’t always look good on paper may be the right hire. Hartley holds a BA in political science from SUNY Binghamton and an MA in corporate and organizational communication from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Her professional certifications include Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and SHRM-SCP. Hartley is chair of the Independent College Fund of New Jersey board of trustees.

​The 2017 recipient of the Charles W.L. Foreman Award is William T. Abare, Jr., president of Flagler College since 2001. Prior to assuming his position as the institution’s chief executive officer, Abare served as the executive vice president and dean of academic affairs at Flagler for 12 years. Abare serves as chair of the Council of Presidents of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF) and previously served as chairman of the ICUF Legislative Committee for seven years. He completed two terms as a member of the board of trustees of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) Commission on Colleges and is called upon frequently to chair visiting committees for institutions seeking reaffirmation of accreditation. Abare was recently honored with the SACS Commission on Colleges James T. Rogers Distinguished Leadership Award—the highest public recognition given by the Commission.

In 2014, Abare received the Evelyn Fortune Bartlett Award from the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation. This award honors an individual whose life exemplifies the guardianship of Florida’s historic properties through philosophy and actions. Under his leadership, Flagler has spent more than $60 million on preservation or adaptation of its 19 historic properties.

Abare is a past president of the board of directors of the Florida Association of Colleges and Universities and a former member of the Board of Directors of CIC. He has served as a member of the Higher Education Funding Advisory Council and of the K-20 Accountability Task Force for the Florida Department of Education. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Mercer University, his master’s degree from the University of North Florida, and his doctorate from Nova Southeastern University.

​Jon McGee is vice president for planning and public affairs at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University in Minnesota. He serves on the cabinet of both colleges and is responsible for research and analysis in support of enrollment and budget decision making, state and federal government relations, and strategic planning. He has worked in higher education research and policy for 24 years. Prior to joining the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University in 1999, he worked as a budget analyst in Minnesota’s department of finance and as vice president for research and policy development with the Minnesota Private College Council.

McGee is a frequent speaker on demographic trends; the economics of higher education; and the intersection of mission, market, and institutional values. He serves as a trustee of the College Board and as chair of the College Board’s College Scholarship Service Assembly Council. He also is a member of the faculty of the Harvard University Summer Institute on College Admissions. McGee is a 1984 graduate of Saint John’s University.

​Julia Weede leads Edelman’s Education Pratice, providing strategic counsel and support to educators, schools, and organizations. With more than 25 years of expertise in education and nonprofit communications strategy, Weede helps education clients communicate their mission, initiatives, and campaigns to stakeholders. She’s an expert in national media relations, platform development, thought leadership, and reputation management, and she leads Edelman’s research on higher education issues.

Weede began her career in enrollment for private liberal arts colleges and later worked in marketing for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the New York Botanical Garden, and Biltmore Estate. A graduate of St. Olaf College, she serves on the advisory council of the Urban Education Leaders Internship Program for DC Public Schools.

​In his role as senior director of endowment and foundation services for TIAA, Michael Collins coordinates the new business development, portfolio management, and client service capabilities for institutional clients. He also acts as a subject matter expert on a variety of topics including investment policy design, spending policy, and nonprofit governance issues, and helps educate and update board members and nonprofit organizations across the country. Collins joined TIAA-CREF in 2010 and recently began his 24th year in the financial services industry.

Prior to joining TIAA-CREF, Collins was a director for Russell Investment Group, leading the Northeast region. He also has held positions at MFS Investment Management and Putnam Investments where he began his career.

Collins received his bachelor of science in finance from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. He is a Certified Investment Management Analyst and holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary designation.