Colorado Technical University Board of Directors
Back Row – Left to Right
Jeremy J. Wheaton, SVP Operations Culinary SBU, Career Education Corp.
William E. Richardson, D.Phil., President, Keystone Technology
Mark Handler, Exec. VP, Managing Director, The Walt Disney Company
Wallace Pond, Ph.D., CEO/President of CTU Division and Chancellor of CTU Online
Robert F. Saiz, VP Finance, University SBU, Career Education Corp.
Stanley R. Mengel
Front Row – Left to Right
Mike Graham, CFO, Exec VP, Career Education Corp.
Michael Zawalski, Group President, Marlin Equity Partners
David J. Kaufman, Partner, Duane Morris, LLP
Michael J. Quinlan, Sr. VP, USAA (Retired)
Deborah Lenart, SVP, University SBU, Career Education Corp.
Missing
Vicky Gordon, Ph.D. The Gordon Group
Ron Frieson, SVP of External Affairs, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
Ron Frieson
Ronald E. Frieson is Senior Vice President, External Affairs for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. In this role, Frieson is responsible for marketing, public relations and legislative matters. He is also responsible for leading a statewide wellness initiative focused on the health of Georgia's children. Prior to this role, Frieson served as Interim President and CEO of the Atlanta Urban League. Serving as a volunteer, Frieson is credited with providing needed leadership during a difficult period in the organization's history. Most of Ron's professional career was spent in the telecommunications arena retiring as president of Georgia operations for BellSouth Corporation. As president he was responsible for the regulatory, legislative, public policy and external affairs for the company.
Frieson is currently a member of the 100 Black Men, where he has served as a member of the Board of Directors, fundraising committee member and publicity chairman. His is a board member of American Intercontinental University and SunTrust Bank Atlanta.
Frieson and his wife are owners of WineStyles Cascade, a wine retail and gift store and co-owners of Landon's Restaurant, an upscale casual dining establishment.
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Vicky Gordon, Ph.D.
Dr. Vicky Gordon, Founder and CEO of the Gordon Group, is a national authority on leadership and organizational development. She has over 20 years of experience coaching senior executives on how to lead their organizations to reach new levels of business success at such leading companies as Dell, CNA Insurance, Johnson Controls and PepsiCo.
Vicky is a prolific researcher, author and speaker. Her most recent groundbreaking research involves identifying the challenges facing the next generation of CEOs. She is currently writing a book on what it takes to be an inspiring and influential leader in the 21st century based on the CEO research findings. She has served as a contributing author of several leadership books and her leadership advice has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Woman's World and the Harvard Management Update.
Prior to launching the firm in 1985, she was an assistant professor at Loyola University in Chicago. She also served as a virtual team coach for the Masters of Science in Technology Commercialization at the University of Texas at Austin's IC2 Institute. She received her M.A. in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Communication from the University of Texas at Austin.
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Mike Graham
Mike Graham joined Career Education in September, 2007 as its Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Graham has served in several key financial positions in publicly-traded companies, including R.R. Donnelley, Sears Roebuck & Co., and Aegis Communications Group, where he was Chief Financial Officer. At R.R. Donnelley, a publicly-traded print and print-related services provider with annual revenues of approximately $10 billion, Mr. Graham served as Senior Vice President and Controller, managing a team of more than 100 professionals. He oversaw a range of functions including corporate and SEC accounting, corporate financial planning and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. Mr. Graham was the Vice President and Controller at Sears, spent seven years at the Quaker Oats Company where he progressed through several financial positions, and seven years with Coopers & Lybrand in the audit practice. Most recently, Mr. Graham was the Chief Financial Officer of Terlato Wine Group, a privately held company that specializes in the marketing and production of luxury wines.
Mr. Graham holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, a B.S.C. in accounting from DePaul University, and is a certified public accountant.
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Mark Handler
Mark Handler is executive vice president and managing director of international for the Walt Disney Internet Group. He is responsible for developing and directing the Walt Disney Internet Group's international wire line and mobile strategies for Asia Pacific, Europe and Latin America. Handler oversees a variety of businesses in these regions including: Disney's broadband offerings, downloadable games, 25 localized versions of Disney.com, ToonTown, a multiplayer online game, and Disney Mobile services which are now available in 35 international territories.
Previously, Handler served as the president of Disney TeleVentures, where he was responsible for the development of broadband applications for television as well as fulfilling the creative, programming, marketing and technology functions that Disney performed in connection with Americast®, a joint venture with Ameritech, BellSouth, SBC Communications, and GTE.
Prior to Disney TeleVentures, he was senior vice president of sales and marketing for Disney Channel. There, he was responsible for consumer and affiliate marketing, as well as overseeing relationships with more than 8,000 affiliates. Handler was instrumental in moving Disney Channel from a pay TV model to a basic tier cable channel. Before joining Disney, he spent six years with Cox Communications in marketing and general management positions.
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David J. Kaufman
David J. Kaufman serves as co-vice chair of Duane Morris' International Corporate Practice Group and sits on the firm's governing Partners Board. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisition, public and private securities, private equity and general corporate counseling. Mr. Kaufman assists predominantly entrepreneurial clients in developing and implementing creative strategies to accomplish their business and financial objectives. Having led over $8 billion in securities offerings, he represents both issuers and underwriters in primary and secondary offerings of both equity and debt and also represents investors in their security investments in public companies and private equity participants (including fundless sponsors and high net worth individuals) in their transactions. He also regularly advises boards of directors, their committees and officers on their fiduciary duties and other obligations. He also regularly advises financial advisors in connection with their engagements in rendering fairness and solvency and "non-solvency" opinions. He also advises both acquirers and sellers of SEC reporting "corporate shells" and other participants in mergers with these shells. Mr. Kaufman also regularly speaks and writes on these corporate law topics. He has led in excess of $7.0 billion in acquisition and divestiture transactions.
Mr. Kaufman was recognized by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business for Corporate/M&A. He served on the editorial board of the Michigan Journal of International Law and as editor-in-chief of the Michigan Journal of Political Science.
Mr. Kaufman is a 1990 graduate of the University of Michigan Law School and a graduate of the University of Michigan (M.P.P., 1986; B.A., with distinction, Honors in Political Science, 1985).
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Deborah Lenart
Deb Lenart has served as Senior Vice President-University Strategic Business Unit since 2008. From 2006 until joining CEC, Ms. Lenart served as Vice-President, US Segment Leader, Global Communications, Media and Entertainment at Electronic Data Systems Corp (EDS), a global information technology and applications outsourcing firm. Prior to EDS, Lenart led several venture-backed start-up and turnaround portfolio companies as CEO of Callipso and Eziaz. Corporate leadership roles include president of Ameritech's $2B+ Custom Business Services unit and president of New Media. Lenart has also led key legislative and regulatory policy initiatives with state and federal commissions, state legislation and Congress. Her public policy experience includes providing testimony before both the US House of Representatives and the US Senate on telecommunications and media regulatory issues. Lenart holds a B.S. degree in marketing from the University of Illinois and an MBA from Loyola.
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Stanley R. Mengel
Stan Mengel retired after serving 11 years as President and CEO of the Missouri Council on Economic Education and as a member of the Economics Department at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Previously, Mengel was Manager of Public Affairs at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. In Ohio, Mengel was Vice President for Training with Northwestern Mutual Life. Mengel was the Ervin Pietz Professor of Economic Education at Lesley College in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Director of the National Center of Economic Education for Children. At the University of Akron, Mengel held the Firestone Chair and was Director of the Center for Economic Education and while at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, Mengel was Assistant Professor of Economics and later President of the Ohio Council on Economic Education. Mengel was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and a Stanford-Wilson Fellow at Stanford University in the Economics Department earning an M.A. and Ab.D. in Economics. Mengel's undergraduate work was at the University of Missouri-Columbia where he graduated with General Honors and Departmental Honors in both Economics and in Political Science.
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Wallace Pond, Ph.D.
Dr. Pond has been an educator for 20 years. He began his career as a high school teacher and spent six years in the elementary and secondary classroom. Wallace was also a public school administrator and spent another six years as a full time professor and administrator in the not-for-profit higher education sector, working in both on campus and online education. He has also taught as an adjunct instructor at six universities in the U.S. and Europe. Dr. Pond has lived, worked, and studied in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. He has presented nationally and internationally and is the author of numerous articles and the book, The Lights Are On, Is Anybody Home? Education in America.
For the last seven years, Dr. Pond has been a senior executive in for-profit education. He has held the positions of Online Campus President, Corporate Vice President of Internet Learning, and Group Vice President of Academic Affairs for the Academy and Culinary divisions of Career Education Corporation, overseeing all academic operations in approximately two dozen post-secondary schools. He has specifically focused on quality control, customer service, accreditation and program growth. Since November, 2005, Dr. Pond has been the Chancellor of Colorado Technical University's Online Division, which serves over 19,000 students in degree programs worldwide, and the CEO of the CTU system, serving over 23,000 students since October of 2008.
Wallace has a bachelor's degree in Spanish, a Master's degree in Human Resource Education and a Ph.D. in Education. He lives in the Chicago area with his wonderful wife and three exceptional children.
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Michael J. Quinlan
1661-1984 U.S. Air Force
- Graduate-Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun)
- 200++ F-4 combat missions SEA
- Air Force Liaison U.S. House of Representatives
- F-4 Squadron Commander (Korea)
- Chief of Staff-USAF Fighter Weapons Center (Nellis AFB)
- Associate Director of Athletics - Air Force Academy
1988-2003 USAA
- Senior VP/General Manager Mountain States Region
- Region grew from 3 to 11 states
- Employees grew from 300 to 1300
- Generated $750mil in earned premium
Community Involvement
Chairman of the Board:
- Pikes Peak United Way
- Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce
- Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry (Colorado Business Leader of the Year-2002)
- Edison Project (First Charter School in Colo Springs)
Education
- BS USAF Academy
- Masters Public Administration Auburn Univ
- Industrial College of the Armed Forces
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William E. Richardson, D.Phil.
Dr. Richardson is an entrepreneur, engineer, and educator. His first career was as Air Force officer and engineer. After 23 years of distinguished service, Col. Richardson retired as Department Head (Permanent Professor) of Computer Science and CIO (Associate Dean) at the US Air Force Academy. This military success was followed by a career in business management at Sun Microsystems, Inc., where he was Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Sun Educational Services business unit. He created and grew this business line's revenue at an average 26% CAGR until it was the 5th largest IT training business in the world with customers in 63 countries. Richardson is currently the Managing Partner and President of his fourth entrepreneurial endeavor, Keystone Technology Management LLC. This business is a highly successful entrepreneurial incubator and start-up business support company which specializes in driving research, technology, and technology-based services from concept to revenue.
Dr. Richardson is a Distinguished Graduate of the US Air Force Academy. He also earned two Master's degrees (UCLA & Oxford) and a D.Phil from Oxford University in the UK. Additionally, he has a Certificate in Data Processing (CDP) and is a Registered Professional Engineer (PE).
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Robert F. Saiz
Robert Saiz serves as Vice President of Finance for the University SBU of Career Education Corporation. During his 12 years with CEC, he has served in a variety of operational and financial leadership roles: Chief Financial Officer of American Intercontinental University, Vice President of Acquisitions and Development, President of McIntosh College and the Atlantic Culinary Academy, Regional Operations Controller, and Controller and IT Director of Western Culinary Institute. Before joining CEC, Mr. Saiz was the Managing Partner of a Portland, Oregon CPA practice.
Mr. Saiz received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Montana. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant and a member of the National Association of College and University Business Officers.
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Jeremy J. Wheaton
Jeremy Wheaton joined Career Education Corporation in 1995 and has since served many CEC-owned institutions in school and corporate leadership positions. Mr. Wheaton has been instrumental in implementing many of the policies and procedures that focus on a positive student experience and an effective start process. From 2000-2002, Mr. Wheaton served as the Director of Acquisitions and Development for CEC. It was during this period that Mr. Wheaton played a key role in the acquisition of both American InterContinental University and Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, two of CEC's largest acquisitions. Mr. Wheaton has since served as the SVP of Operations for CEC's Online Education Group, Shared Services, and currently the Culinary Strategic Business Unit. Mr. Wheaton received a Bachelor's degree in Finance and Political Science from Clarkson University and his M.B.A. from Moravian College.
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Michael Zawalski
Mr. Zawalski is focused on investment opportunities across multiple sectors, and brings to Marlin a wealth of executive management and operations experience. Mr. Zawalski's primary responsibilities include providing due diligence, operational support and oversight to Marlin portfolio companies. Mr. Zawalski's industry experience is broad based including; manufacturing, distribution, services, technology and consumer-based companies.
Prior to Marlin, Mr.Zawalski was President and CEO of Workflow One an $850 million print management, technology and services provider in North America. Prior joining Workflow, he was Group President at Gores Technology Group, a private equity firm, responsible for due diligence and running portfolio companies in North America. Prior to thereto, Mike has held senior executive positions at Mail-Well, Inc, Ryder, The Coleman Company, Quaker Oats, Heller Financial and Arthur Andersen.
Mr. Zawalski has been a CEO, COO and a CFO and has broad expertise in leading turnarounds, driving new growth, operational restructuring, acquisitions and divestitures, financial management, management team revitalization and supply chain optimization.
Mr. Zawalski has a Masters of Management from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Business Administration at Illinois State University. Mike also has a CPA.
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