Preeminent Event Focuses on Executive Information Sharing and Networking

By Kelley Blanchard, Senior Vice President of Professional Development & Engagement, CECU

The CEO Summit has become the preeminent gathering for executive leaders in the postsecondary career education sector. Beginning in 2015, the CECU leadership along with the Board of Directors realized that people were looking to the national association to create a leadership event. The CEO Summit was born as a leader-only convening where attendees could discuss issues, strategies and concerns that are important to them in a safe environment.

Over the last five years, the Summit has moved beyond just the leadership of schools to also include the leadership of those on the support side of the sector.

This gave senior-level staff the opportunity to participate in the discussions regarding issues facing the sector. In a few short years, the event has grown from 40 attendees, in the first year, to over 100 in past years.

While there are different key topics discuss at each Summit, the goal of information sharing and networking is at the heart of the event. Oftentimes, these discussions assist the CECU leadership team and board of directors in determining CECU’s strategic planning for the future.

CECU’s President and CEO, Jason Altmire said, “We are thrilled about the program we have planned for CECU’s CEO Summit. Our slate of speakers and guests is our best ever, and we look forward to what promises to be an informative and exciting two days of networking and information sharing for the top executive leaders in our sector. You won’t want to miss this event.”

Attendees will be joined by Wall Street Journal higher education writer Josh Mitchell, who will keynote the Summit with a discussion about the issues facing our sector and how all of higher education is under the spotlight as federal policymakers focus on student debt and school outcomes. Attendees will receive a copy of his bestselling book, “The Debt Trap,” which was released in August and has drawn rave reviews for its unvarnished look at America’s student loan crisis. Additionally, we will be joined by former Pennsylvania governor Mark Schweiker (R-PA), who has been a strong supporter of career and technical education throughout his career.

Additionally scheduled to join us on the first day of the event is the Honorable Patrick Murphy, the 33rd Under Secretary of the United States Army. A former Democratic U.S. Congressman who also served as Acting Secretary of the Army under President Barack Obama, Murphy is passionate about helping veterans achieve their educational and workforce dreams. He will discuss his entrepreneurial and venture capital work focused on providing tech-based employment opportunities for America’s military veterans.

The second day of the event will kick off with three influential Republican members of the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor.

Former (and perhaps future) Chairwoman Dr. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), whom we all know as the strongest and most powerful advocate our sector has in Congress, will be joined by fellow Committee members Rep. Fred Keller (R-PA) and Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT). Both Reps. Keller and Owens have shown strong leadership and support for our schools and are rising stars on the Committee and in Congress. The three representatives will address our CEO Summit, attend the evening reception, and headline a CECU PAC event, providing an extensive opportunity for school leaders to engage with them.

The CEO Summit will conclude with introductions to the public relations firm that is representing our sector in the national PR campaign which CECU has organized. They will update attendees on their plans for the campaign and their initial thoughts after their first month of engagement

Registration for the CEO Summit is now open at www.career.org. Attendance is limited to school leaders and CECU allied members. If you have questions regarding the event or need to inquire about your membership status, please contact events@career.org.

KELLEY BLANCHARD serves on the executive team for Career Education Colleges and Universities as the Senior Vice President of Professional Development and Engagement. In this role, she leads the strategic development for all education and membership initiatives offered by the association.

Ms. Blanchard oversees the growth and implementation of all onsite meetings including the Annual Convention, Leadership Institute, Hill Day and the CEO Summit. In addition to these onsite offerings, she has managed the transition to both virtual and hybrid offerings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

She works to bridge sector relationships amongst state associations as well as national and regional accreditors. She also works with campuses and national employers to create career curriculum pipelines and lasting employer partnerships for our graduates.

Under CECU’s branding, she has published three editions of a “Report to Congress” featuring graduate success stories for outstanding students (2017), Veteran Graduates (2019) and COVID-19 first responders (2020). Additionally, she led two working groups responsible for developing the recommendations presented to the Department of Education in support of the Higher Education Jobs Bill and the Campaign to Commit 5 Million Career Professionals in the Decade Ahead.

Kelley Blanchard earned a bachelor’s degree from James Madison University and is currently completing a Certificate program in ASL & English interpreting.