The Business-Higher Education Forum Announces 2026-27 Board Leadership and Members

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BHEF's expanded Board unites top corporate and higher education leaders to drive co-designed solutions to develop the future of work.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — September 29, 2026 — The Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) today announced new board leadership for 2026-27, with Jeffrey D. Armstrong, President of California Polytechnic State University, becoming Board Chair, and Valerie Singer, Global General Manager for Education at Amazon Web Services, becoming Vice Chair. The transition follows the tenure of outgoing Chair Laura K. Ipsen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ellucian, who will continue to serve on the board as Immediate Past Chair.

BHEF also welcomes five new members to its board:

• Mildred García, Chancellor of The California State University
• Harrison Keller, President of the University of North Texas
• Aaron Olson, Executive Vice President at Aon
• Scott Ralls, President of Wake Tech Community College
• Sujatha Menon Zafar, Vice President and Global Head of Workforce Engagement at S&P Global and Chair of the S&P Global Foundation

“I, our Board of Directors, and our national network are thrilled to welcome Jeff Armstrong and Valerie Singer into their new roles, and to welcome five outstanding new members to our board. Their expertise will help our network accelerate the models that learners, workers, and employers need,” said Kristen Fox, CEO of the Business-Higher Education Forum. “In addition, we are grateful to Laura Ipsen for her outstanding leadership as Chair. Her focus and vision were transformational, expanding the reach and impact of BHEF's work, and charting a clear strategic direction. We are fortunate to continue to have her leadership on our board as Immediate Past Chair.” 

“BHEF's network has never been more essential to closing the gap between the skills employers need and the pathways higher education provides,” said Jeffrey D. Armstrong, incoming Chair of the BHEF Board of Directors and President of California Polytechnic State University. “I'm honored to build on the foundation we have built together, and to work alongside this expanded board to advance solutions that serve learners, workers, and employers alike.”

The new board members join BHEF's network of corporate and higher education leaders at a moment when AI is rapidly reshaping entry points into the workforce and beyond, sharpening the need for new models to prepare and hire early-career talent and lifelong learning models to equip people to thrive in a changing labor market. Their addition strengthens BHEF's work to help businesses activate effective and inclusive talent pathways and higher education build industry-aligned models with the agility needed to meet the needs of graduates and our communities.

"Industry sets the pace of change in the workforce, and higher education is where that change becomes opportunity for learners," said Valerie Singer, incoming Vice Chair of the BHEF Board of Directors and Global General Manager for Education at Amazon Web Services. "I look forward to partnering with Jeff and this board to widen the circle of businesses helping to build the pathways learners and employers depend on."

The Business-Higher Education Forum's 2026-27 Board of Directors (effective October 1, 2026):

Jeffrey D. Armstrong, Board Chair

President, California Polytechnic State University

Valerie Singer, Board Vice Chair

Global General Manager for Education, Amazon Web Services

Laura K. Ipsen, Immediate Past Chair

President and Chief Executive Officer, Ellucian, Inc.

Jae Lynn Akin

HR Executive, State Farm

Mildred García

Chancellor, The California State University

Lisa Gevelber

Chief Marketing Officer, Americas Region, Google, and Founder, Grow with Google

Harrison Keller

President, University of North Texas

John B. King, Jr.

Chancellor, State University of New York

Philomena Mantella

President, Grand Valley State University

Earl F. “Marty” Martin

President, Drake University

Mark Nemec

President, Fairfield University

Ryan Oakes

Global Health & Public Service Industry Practices Chair, Accenture

Aaron Olson

Executive Vice President, Aon

Madeline Pumariega

President, Miami Dade College

Scott Ralls

President, Wake Tech Community College

Timothy D. Sands

President, Virginia Tech

Sujatha Menon Zafar

Vice President & Global Head of Workforce Engagement, S&P Global; Chair, S&P Global Foundation

Kristen D. Fox, Ex Officio

CEO, Business-Higher Education Forum

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