Ashford University^® – Board of Trustees

J. William Wenrich (1937-2010)

It is with deep sadness that we announce Dr. J. William Wenrich, Ashford University Trustee, passed away on Tuesday, July 6. In his lifetime, he made an incredible impact on higher education, and was instrumental in building Ashford University’s relationships with community college systems across the nation. He was an exceptional leader, mentor, and educator, and to say he will be missed is an understatement.

As Chancellor of the Dallas County Community College District, Dr. Wenrich oversaw seven community colleges, an economic development institution, and an advanced center for educational telecommunications. He brought the district to national recognition with his utilization of instructional technology and his development of the Rising Star Scholarship Program, which has provided aid to more than 10,000 students and has become an international model. During his 40-year career in higher education, Dr. Wenrich was the leader of several institutions, including Chancellor of San Diego Community College District, President of Ferris State University, President of Santa Anna College, and President of Canada College, and the author of more than 20 scholarly research articles, studies, and reports on subjects relevant to academia and higher-education administration. He also served as Vice Chair of the Alliance for Higher Education in North Texas, and was a board member of the American Council on Education. Dr. Wenrich completed his undergraduate studies through an academic scholarship to Princeton University, and earned both his MA and PhD from University of Michigan.

His exemplary contributions to higher education will continue to benefit future generations of both students and educators.

Dino D'Auria, Chairman

Dino D'Auria is the Executive Vice President and Regional Manager of Pacific Western Bank, and serves as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Ashford University. In his position at Pacific Western Bank, Mr. D'Auria serves the business banking needs of privately held businesses. Mr. D'Auria brings 20 years experience in banking to his post. Mr. D'Auria served as past board president for the Association for Corporate Growth and was the former chair of the Junior Achievement board of directors. He also serves on various advisory boards for privately held businesses in San Diego. He received his MBA from the University of Southern California, and his bachelor's degree from California State University, Fullerton.

Polly Bukta

Polly Bukta has served seven terms in the Iowa House of Representatives. In 2010, she made the decision not to seek re-election. During her political career, she held positions on the Education, Public Safety, Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, and Ways and Means Committees and became one of Iowa's most illustrious leaders. In 2007, she was the first woman named speaker pro-tem of the Iowa House. Mrs. Bukta has been instrumental in elections of candidates from school boards to the White House. With a passion for education, she began her career as a fifth-grade teacher and was an educator for 33 years prior to becoming a legislator. Mrs. Bukta, who has lived in Clinton since 1967, is an active member of numerous business and civic organizations. She earned her Bachelor's degree in elementary education with a minor in French from Mercyhurst College, Erie, PA.

Sister Ruth Cox

Sister Ruth Cox presently serves as an Adjunct Faculty at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Previous to her role with Kirkwood Community College, Sister Ruth served as President and CEO of The Alverno in Clinton, Iowa. She has served professionally in many roles, including the Leadership Council of the Sisters of St. Francis and the Iowa Advisory Board for the Iowa Foundation for Medical Care. Sister Ruth has delivered numerous papers and presentations on the topic of nursing. Her many academic assignments include the Curriculum Committee for the College of Nursing at Loyola University of Chicago, among others. Sister Ruth holds a PhD from the University of Iowa, and earned her MA and BS from Loyola University of Chicago.

Peter Ewell

Dr. Peter Ewell is Vice President of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS). He has served professionally as Member of the Board for the American Association of Higher Education (AAHE), the Council on Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) and the Board of Governors of Truman State University. Dr. Ewell was honored with the Virginia B. Smith Innovative Leadership Award, and has published numerous papers on higher education. He earned his PhD and MPhil from Yale University, and his BA from Haverford College.

Paula Kelly

Dr. Paula Kelly is currently the Director of Development for International Relief Teams (IRT). Previously, Dr. Kelly served as the Vice President of Development for the Monarch School and prior to Monarch School she was the Dean of the College of Extended Studies at San Diego State University. Dr. Kelly has a background in entrepreneurial education and international business. She traveled to more than 30 countries in Asia, Europe, South America, and the Middle East to market and develop the College of Extended Studies' international training and development programs for SDSU. Dr. Kelly earned her MBA and doctorate at the University of San Diego and later served as the Director of Development at that institution. She has served on the Boards of the World Trade Center, Asian Business Association, and St. Vincent de Paul Village.

Meredyth A. Leahy

Dr. Meredyth A. Leahy has over 30 years experience working with adult educators and adult learners in basic literacy, secondary, continuing and higher education, in both public sector and military education venues, including Temple University and the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Cabrini College, Muhlenberg College, and Excelsior. From 1994 to 2008 she served as Dean, School of Liberal Arts, Excelsior College, Albany, New York. Since her retirement, she has served as distance education adjunct faculty for Excelsior College teaching an undergraduate course on the history and philosophy of American education, and North Carolina State University where she taught a graduate course on the adult learner. She recently joined the American Council on Education's Military Installation Voluntary Education Review (MIVER) as a program review team member. Dr. Leahy earned her Bachelor's degree from Edinboro State Teachers College and her Master's and Doctorate degrees in adult education from Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Jane McAuliffe

Dr. Jane McAuliffe currently serves as CEO and President of Ashford University. She is also the Senior Vice President/Chief Academic Officer for Bridgepoint Education. She earned a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction/Special Education from Arizona State University. She also earned her Master's and Bachelor's degrees focused in the area of Special Education. Her professional career began as a special education teacher and her experience includes both public and private K-12 schools. Prior to her appointment with Ashford University, she served as President of the Sarasota campus of Argosy University in Sarasota, Florida. She held various positions at Argosy University including Vice President for Academic Affairs in Sarasota and Department Head for Education in Atlanta. Her experience also includes serving as Vice President for Academic Affairs at American InterContinental University, Dean, Associate Dean, and Program Chair in the College of Education at the University of Phoenix. She is the co-author of one book and has presented numerous scholarly presentations in the course of her professional career.

Peter J. Negroni

Dr. Peter J. Negroni is Senior Vice President of Relationship Development at the College Board. A career educator with more than 30 years experience as a teacher and administrator, Dr. Negroni began his career in education as a New York City teacher before moving into administrative roles, including principal and community college district superintendent. From 1989 through 2000 he was superintendent of the Springfield (Mass.) public school system. In 1998 he was named Superintendent of the Year by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Dr. Negroni earned a Bachelor's degree from Iona College in New Rochelle, N.Y., a sixth-year certificate in student administration from City College of New York and a doctorate from Fairleigh Dickenson University in Teaneck, N.J.

Donna Oliver

Donna Oliver is the President and CEO of Mercy Medical Center in Clinton, Iowa. Previous to joining Mercy Medical Center, she held various senior level positions in the health care industry. Ms. Oliver has earned several prestigious awards, including the St. Joseph Health System Excellence Award. She is active in the community, currently serving as a Board Member of the Clinton Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Oliver holds an MBA from Pepperdine University and a BA from Central Washington.

Karen Steinberg

Ms. Steinberg is the Executive Vice President for the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL). As Executive Vice President, she acts as the CFO of the organization and has responsibility for operations. Previous to her current position with CAEL, Ms. Steinberg was a Senior Vice Chancellor with the United States Open University (USOU). Ms. Steinberg holds an MBA from the University of Nevada and earned her BA from the California State University at Chico.