Janna L. Oakes, M.A., Ph.D., is Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness at Rocky Vista University. An experienced, versatile higher education practitioner with an in-depth understanding of faculty and student needs, Dr. Oakes has proven expertise in instruction, leadership, team building, fiscal and strategic planning, budget management, personnel supervision, accreditation, federal compliance, and higher education administration. She is a values-oriented educator with 29 years’ experience working with college populations including undergraduate, graduate, and executive-level professional students. Her background includes experience as a faculty member, department chair, dean, executive leader.
Her experience as a Peer Reviewer and Federal Compliance Reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission and as an experienced Accreditation Liaison Officer have informed her success as a higher education consultant in instructional quality, funded research, shared governance, assessment, curriculum development, educational innovation, institutional sustainability, and collaboration. She has a solid track record of excellence in instruction, including curricular review and development, professional training, academic programs, executive leadership programs, student learning assessment, various instructional delivery modes and as a consultant in the areas of leadership development and strategic planning. Her diverse skills, experience, and MBTI® certification offer a well-rounded perspective to daily challenges and difficult decisions.
Dr. Oakes has a proven background in instruction, including curricular review and development, professional training, academic programs, executive leadership programs, student learning assessment, institutional effectiveness assessment, online learning, blended delivery models, and traditional instruction. As an instructor, she consistently earns exemplary student evaluations.
Sarah K. Croucher, Ph.D., is Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at the University of Connecticut. Croucher drives a number of key policy initiatives on behalf of the provost and provost’s leadership team. She is the institutional Accreditation Liaison Officer and serves as the lead on academic policy and by-law interpretation. Croucher manages the Faculty Consulting Office, manages and coordinates the university accreditation cycle, and supports activities such as faculty development and retention initiatives, assessment of learning outcomes, use of student success data, academic travel, and issues relating to policy revisions and audit and compliance within academic affairs. She is a member of the core leadership team for the Life Transformative Education (LTE) initiative and works on a range of projects in this capacity.
Croucher’s roles prior to UConn span public policy and academia, including several years as executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut and eight years as an assistant professor of anthropology, archaeology, and feminist, gender, and sexuality studies at Wesleyan University. She is the author of several books, book chapters, and journal articles; these include Capitalism and Cloves: An Archaeology of Plantation Life on Nineteenth-Century Zanzibar (2015, Springer / Society for Historical Archaeology) and The Alderley Sandhills Project: An Archaeology of Community Life in (Post)-Industrial England (with Eleanor Casella, 2010, Manchester University Press).
Sarah received her BA, MA, and PhD in archaeology from the University of Manchester (UK) and is completing an MPA at UConn.
aci Casazza, M.A., is Northwestern University’s Assistant Provost and University Registrar. Casazza has served in similar roles at decentralized, research-intensive universities for more than 20 years and is an active member of ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ and the AAU registrar’s board of directors. Under her leadership, the Northwestern registrars’ offices have become a network of trusted campus partners, developing the deep institutional collaborations necessary to solve student and faculty problems and facilitate change. Casazza earned a B.A. in English as a first-generation, lower-income college student, an experience that inspires her work on college affordability, access, and inclusion beyond the point of admission. She and her teams strive to identify and remove institutional barriers impeding the success of all students, particularly those for whom university life is new or traditionally unwelcoming.
Adamski is the Registrar/Director of Enrollment Services at Macomb Community College. During her 11 years at Macomb, she has also served as both the Director and the Manager of Admissions & Outreach. She has worked in higher education for over nineteen years in Alumni Relations, as well as Admissions and Advising areas at her previous institutions - Adrian College, Davenport University and Siena Heights University. Adamski holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Adrian College and a Master of Science in Communication from Illinois State University.
2024 SEM-EP Graduate
Capstone:
Literature Review on the impact of new student orientation on student persistence and recommendations to improve student persistence
2025 ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ Elections Candidate - 2026-2027 N&E Committee Member
Position Statement:
I’m truly grateful and honored to be nominated as a candidate to serve on the ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ Nominations and Elections Committee.
For the past three years, I have been an engaged member of ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ and currently serve as Vice-Chair of the Black Caucus. Through this involvement, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥’s operations, its leadership structure, and the meaningful impact of member participation. I see the Nominations and Elections Committee as a vital element for shaping the organization’s future, and I’m excited about the opportunity to contribute to that work.
I’m running for this position because I want to play a more active role in ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥’s continued success. Serving on this committee would allow me to give back to a community that has provided me with valuable knowledge, connections, and professional support—and to help ensure that ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥’s leadership remains strong, engaged, and representative of the membership’s many strengths.
With over a decade of experience in enrollment and student records management, I have built my career on a foundation of service, collaboration, and community. In my current role at the LSU Law Center, I provide strategic support in student records, enrollment guidance, and academic policies. Prior to this, I served in admissions, where I developed a strong understanding of outreach, evaluation, and identifying individuals with the potential to contribute meaningfully to their institutions and fields.
I believe my communication skills, attention to detail, and team-focused mindset would be an asset in the collaborative process of reviewing nominations, ranking candidates, and building a well-balanced slate.
I’m excited for the opportunity to contribute to ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ in this capacity and would be honored to serve alongside colleagues who are equally dedicated to strengthening the future of our profession and advancing the mission of our organization.
Deb Hether serves as the Director of Enrollment Services at Western Technical College in La Crosse, WI. In this role, she is instrumental in the development of enrollment strategies and processes that support both recruitment and retention. Areas of oversight include Admissions and Recruitment, Financial Aid and Emergency Funding, Welcome Center, K-12 Partnerships and Dual Credit, Credit for Prior Learning, Transfer Credit Evaluation, Records and Registration, Regional Locations, and the Customer Relationship Management System.
Capstone: SEM Plan for Western Technical College
Capstone: Literature Review on Student Retention and Strategic Enrollment Management
Lorie Coachman is a first-generation higher education administrator and strategic leader. As Associate Vice President of Admissions and Enrollment Services at Seminole State College of Florida, she offers visionary leadership and oversees multiple key units including Enrollment management intake strategies, Admissions, Recruitment, Orientation, and International Student Services. With nearly fifteen years of extensive experience in post-secondary education, Mrs. Coachman excels in developing and implementing educational programs and support services. Her professional journey includes pivotal roles in admissions, enrollment services, student affairs, and academic support services at Valencia College, the University of South Carolina, Texas A&M University, the University of Texas-Arlington, and Florida International University.
Lorie earned her bachelor's degree and a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration with a graduate certification in Conflict Resolution and Consensus Building from Florida International University. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education degree in Education Systems Improvement at the University of South Carolina (2024 Undefeated NCAA Women’s Basketball National Champions- Go Gamecocks!)
Lorie is a passionate advocate for higher education and believes in its ability to change lives. As a first-generation college graduate, she has experienced firsthand the transformative power of education she is committed to breaking down barriers and creating space for others to experience educational access. She is driven by a desire to make a positive impact on the world and empower others to do the same.
In her free time, Lorie enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter, and two cockapoo pups exploring festivals, Disney/theme parks, sporting events, food truck rallies, and engaging with their local church.
Over the past 6 years as the Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics at Ohio University, Loralyn has been leading the transition from a more traditional IR office to a more proactive and responsive decision-support unit. Developing both new data and information resources and promoting the data literacy needed to gain actionable insights, Loralyn’s team is also focused on supporting the institutional decision-makers at all levels of the university. A reformed registrar and director of analytics for student success initiatives, Loralyn has presented on student success, analytics, ethical use of data, change management, and data literacy for over 10 years both nationally and internationally. Previously, Loralyn designed and implemented a comprehensive student success program at Paul Smith’s College that won the 2015 University Business Inaugural Models of Excellence Program, the 2013 Lee Noel, Randi Levitz Retention Excellence Award and the Starfish 360 Student Success Award.
I have spent my entire career working in higher education, specifically in areas of advising and student success. I began my career at the University of Kentucky as a primary advisor in the College of Arts and Sciences where I spent three years and also began my work towards a doctorate in Educational Leadership. I left UK in 2018 to pursue a more centralized role in Enrollment Management at the University of Cincinnati – where I have spent the past 6 years.
Micol Hutchison, Ph.D., is Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor for Policy and Instructional Support Services for the Virginia Community College System. In her prior roles as Director of Transfer and Director of Pathways, she worked with Virginia’s public and private two- and four-year colleges to ensure that community college students had the opportunity to identify and pursue their academic and professional passions, and follow a financially viable path to a bachelor’s degree. She also served as Director of Program Development and Student Success, Associate Director of the Interdisciplinary Studies program, and faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University. Pursuing her passions, her dedication to higher education and teaching, and an unconventional path, she has undergraduate and graduate degrees in Mathematics and Russian, and received her doctorate in Education, focusing on first-generation college students.
Jared is currently the Director, Institutional Engagement & Initiatives for the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). His work focuses on engaging with institutions to further and enhance their understanding of SARA, the SARA policy modification cycle, and striving for an ongoing seamless experience for SARA participation. Prior to coming to NC-SARA Jared was the Director of SARA for the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) and served on the organization’s team of Senior Directors. While at NEBHE he also focused on “administrative holds”, seeking to understand and encourage institutions to adjust their practices for the benefit of student completion. Prior to joining NEBHE Jared spent a decade in mostly public postsecondary institutions focused on academic affairs, program and college leadership, and admission and retention efforts, first as an academic advisor and then as an Assistant Dean. He also taught and coordinated several undergraduate courses. Jared earned a BS degree in Human Development and an MS degree in College Student Personnel from the University of Rhode Island.
Alistair Bell Wylie is the founder and Managing Director of Bell-Wylie Consulting (), a multi-disciplinary international education consulting and credential evaluation business. Prior to setting up the consultancy, he worked for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) for 18 years in senior roles overseeing some of the most significant changes in Scottish education in recent times. During a 30-year career in education, he has also worked as a teacher, lecturer, author, entrepreneur and internationally with a focus on the accreditation and regulation of vocational education across the Middle East. He is also an active non-executive director holding positions on several boards in Scotland.
Submit your profile update to communications@aacrao.org.