President's Panel

Panelists: Mark Milliron, Lisa Marsh Ryerson

Dr. Mark David Milliron is an award-winning leader, author, speaker, and consultant, who works with universities, community colleges, K-12 schools, foundations, corporations, associations, and government agencies across the country and around the world. He serves as President & CEO of National University (NU), one of the largest private, nonprofit universities in the United States. NU has a 50 year history of innovating around the needs of nontraditional, working, and military-affiliated students. The faculty and staff at NU have catalyzed the careers of community difference makers in service industries such as education, healthcare, business, cybersecurity, law, and criminal justice. Moreover, NU’s education initiatives—including Harmony Academy along with Workforce and Community Education—reach millions of K-12 students, as well as tens of thousands of teachers and other working professionals each year.

Lisa Marsh Ryerson currently serves as president of Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). As SNHU’s sixth president, Lisa’s connection to the university and love for its mission spans more than two decades and includes six years of service on the SNHU Board of Trustees and two years as Provost.
As president of the largest nonprofit provider of higher education in the United States, Lisa is focused on serving SNHU’s more than 200,000 learners across the globe and advocating for the more than 40 million Americans with some credit but no degree or credential. Rooted in radical collaboration and disciplined decision making, Lisa’s leadership style empowers others and is driven by evidence and data. A champion of SNHU’s “learners first” culture, Lisa believes learner-centered design is key to the equitable attainment of a degree that, for many, can change the trajectory of their lives. As a first- generation college graduate, Lisa understands the impact a degree can have on a person, family, and community.
A trusted leader in the nonprofit space and champion for improving quality of life, Lisa served as president of the AARP Foundation, the charitable affiliate of the AARP, for nearly nine years before joining SNHU. Prior to that, she served as university president and CEO of Wells College for 18 years.