WSCUC - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Salesforce Administrator and Website Manager
Afton Hencky (they/them) joined the WSCUC IT staff in December 2019. Prior to WSCUC, they held roles as a Data Systems Analyst at UC Berkeley and as a Web Development Assistant at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. Afton graduated from Smith College with a BA in Psychology and completed web development training through the General Assembly and Dev Bootcamp programs in San Francisco.
Amy Wallace joined the agency as vice president in 2024. Before coming to WSCUC, she served as ALO at two California State University campuses for a combined 14 years. She has participated in peer review teams for a range of WSCUC institutions and shared her expertise at WSCUC's Accreditation Resource Conference (ARC) as a presenter, facilitator, and panelist.
Wallace began her career as a librarian at Chapman University and the Libraries of The Claremont Colleges before moving into library leadership at UC San Diego. Wallace then held multiple faculty and leadership roles at CSU Channel Island, including associate vice president for continuous improvement, ALO, and dean. Her most recent role was as associate vice president for academic excellence and ALO at CSU Sacramento. There she collaborated with campus leadership on the development of new programs and concentrations, modified curriculum to ensure alignment with institutional goals, revitalized processes and discussions around academic quality, and planned for new academic sites.
Wallace earned bachelor's and master's degrees in history from San Diego State University and a master's in library and information sciences from San Jose State University.
Job Titles:
- Vice Chair of the Audit Committee
Andrew Dorantes, Ph.D., has over 30 years of experience serving higher education and other non-profit organizations. Dr. Dorantes is Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Treasurer for Harvey Mudd College. He joined Harvey Mudd as Vice President in 2003. His oversight responsibilities include auxiliary operations, capital planning, emergency preparedness, facilities operations, financial and treasury operations, human resources, risk management and other areas. He has held adjunct faculty positions at Azusa Pacific University and the University of Redlands. Since 2015, he has served as an adjunct faculty at Claremont Graduate University, teaching Higher Education Economics and Finance. Prior to joining Harvey Mudd, he spent 14 years in public accounting, serving as a partner and consultant for Capin Crouse, LLP, a national accounting firm focusing on non-profit organizations. He has also served on several WSCUC review teams, including serving as chair of visiting teams.
Dr. Dorantes is active in research. He has published in the Journal of Education Finance on the topic of financial crises management in higher education and in New Direction for Higher Education on the topics of business and finance staff's impact, success and how they navigate the higher education landscape.
Dr. Dorantes holds a bachelor of science degree in accounting and a master's degree in business administration from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He received his PhD (2014) from Claremont Graduate University, School of Educational Studies. He is both a certified public accountant (CPA) in California and a certified fraud examiner (CFE).
Outside of academia, Dr. Dorantes has been an active participant in local and international non-profit organizations that seek to improve the world. He currently serves as Chair of the board for Local Hope Xela AID, whose mission is to empower Guatemalan children and their families to break the cycle of poverty by becoming healthy, educated, and self-reliant.
Job Titles:
- President of the University of Guam
Anita Borja Enriquez is President of the University of Guam. Prior to this, she served as Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost, and Accreditation Liaison Officer and Dean of the School of Business and Public Administration. A former corporate planning and development manager, and management consultant, Dr. Enriquez is a staunch advocate for developing economies and building social mobility and local intellectual capacity among students and residents in small island communities. She founded the Student Success Initiative Team and the College Affordability Initiative at UOG. For the community, she secured over $1.5 million in technical assistance grants from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration to establish the UOG Pacific Center for Economic Initiatives, the Defense Logistics Agency to establish the Guam Procurement Technical Assistance Center, the U.S. Small Business Administration to establish the new Guam Veterans Business Outreach Center, and the Department of the Interior Office of Insular Affairs to launch the "Buy Local Guam" marketing educational campaign. Dr. Enriquez was founding Vice President of the Guam Women's Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, founding member of the Guam Museum Foundation Board of Directors, and founding Vice President of the Guam Marketing Association. She is currently Chair of Guampedia Foundation, Inc.'s Board of Directors, and member of the Pacific Islands Small Business Development Center Advisory Board and the Guam-Micronesia Mission Education Board. Dr. Enriquez was awarded the U.S. SBA 2013 Women in Business Champion of the Year, the 2006 and 2012 UOG Administrator of the Year Award, 2011 Guam Community College Alumna of the Year Award, and Academy of Economics and Economic Education Distinguished Research Award. She received her Doctor of Business Administration degree in International Business (Marketing) from Alliant International University, Master of Business Administration degree from University of Guam, and Bachelor of Science degree in Management from University of Maryland, University College. She has served on WSCUC reaffirmation and special site visits.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of the Compensation Committee
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Treasurer of the Compensation Committee
- Commission Treasurer
- Treasurer / F & O
Archibald Asawa serves as Soka University of America's Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer. His responsibilities include oversight of the University's Finance, Budget, Enrollment Services, Development, Strategic Marketing and Communications, Facilities, Landscaping, Purchasing, Environmental Health and Safety, Events and Conferences, and the Soka Performing Arts Center. He also serves as the University's Chief Investment Officer, managing a $1.5 billion endowment.
Asawa served on the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) Board of Directors and the Western Association of College and University Business Officers (WACUBO) Board of Directors and is a Past President of WACUBO. He currently serves on the not-for-profit E&I Cooperative Board and is also active in the U.S.-Japan Council, serving as a member of their Investment Committee. Asawa is also a member of the Executive Committee for Commonfund Capital.
Prior to joining higher education, Asawa worked in the private sector as a management consultant to Fortune 500 corporations and nonprofit organizations. He also served as Special Advisor to the Mayor and Manager of Special Projects for Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan.
Asawa received his BA in Economics from Yale University and attended the doctoral program at UCLA's Anderson Graduate School of Management.
Barbara Gross Davis, Vice President, has provided service to WSCUC since the 1990s as a visiting team member, as a member of two special WSCUC committees, and as chair of the Substantive Change Committee. Before joining WSCUC, Barbara held a variety of administrative positions at the University of California, Berkeley beginning in 1985, including Assistant Vice Chancellor, Equity and Inclusion; Assistant Vice Provost, Undergraduate Education; and Assistant Vice Chancellor, Student Life-Educational Development. Her areas of interest include instructional improvement and the evaluation of teaching and learning. She has served as a consultant to educational organizations, federal agencies and other universities on a variety of projects; she has also conducted workshops, developed online multimedia materials, and written on topics related to teaching, learning and evaluation. Her book, Tools for Teaching, published by Jossey-Bass, is in its second edition. Barbara received her BA, MA and PhD from the University of California, Berkeley.
Job Titles:
- Administrator
- Vice President of Academic Affairs at Golden Gate University
Barbara Karlin was appointed Vice President of Academic Affairs at Golden Gate University (GGU) in 2002. She has been with the university since 1983, when she started as an adjunct professor. Her positions at GGU have included Associate Dean and then Dean of the School of Taxation, as well as Dean of the Ageno School of Business. Barbara has written and presented extensively on the subject of tax research and is the author of the textbook entitled Tax Research published by Prentice Hall.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Nominating Committee
- President / Chair, Biola University
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Public Member
- Retired Executive
Bernard Bowler is a retired executive and corporate and nonprofit board member. After graduating from Loyola Marymount University, Mr. Bowler held the following positions: Officer in the United States Air Force for five years, a manager for Pacific Telephone Company and a 32-year career as an executive with IBM. He has served on several corporate boards as a director, including US Bank of California, Sutter Health (Central Division), and the Sacramento Metro Chamber (Chairman). He served on the Sacramento State University Trust Foundation Board as Chairman. Mr. Bowler was a member of the Sacramento County Grand Jury and selected by the Judge to be the Foreman. He served as a Commissioner on the WSCUC Senior Colleges Accreditation Commission from 2005-2011 and was Chair of the Audit Committee. He recently completed an appointment on the Sacramento County Civil Service commission (2007-2013). He also has served on the St. Anthony Parish Finance Council (2001-2012) and is currently serving on the Sacramento Diocese SUCCEED school Board.
Job Titles:
- Director of Information Technology
Beth Forest joined WSCUC as Director of Information Technology in February 2019. Previously, Beth worked at the University of San Francisco, where she spent 15 years in Information Technology Services before becoming Associate Registrar and Director of Academic Services. Beth brings deep expertise in project management, system design and implementation, and business process analysis and improvement. Beth earned her MA from San Francisco State University and her BA from the University of San Francisco. Originally from the east coast, she has lived in the Bay Area since 1988. She is a prolific reader and enjoys photography, writing, roadtrips, and spending time with her friends and family.
Bob Wise, Public Member. Former West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise recently completed 14 years as president of the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed), a Washington, DC‚ based national nonprofit committed to improving the educational outcomes‚ and lives‚ of high school students, especially those underperforming and those historically underserved. All4Ed has become a national leader in advocating the policies and practices necessary for high school students to be ready for postsecondary education and careers.
After serving a combined twenty-four years as governor, member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and state legislator, Gov. Wise has become a prominent speaker and advisor on education issues as well as an advisor to the U.S. Department of Education, White House, and key state and federal policymakers. As governor of West Virginia from 2001 to 2005, Gov. Wise fought for and signed legislation to fund the PROMISE Scholarship program, which has enabled thousands of West Virginia high school graduates to continue their education in the Mountain State. During his administration, West Virginia saw a significant increase in the number of students completing high school and entering college. As a member of the US House of Representatives, he focused on improving financial aid for college and early childhood development.
Gov. Wise's awards and recognitions include the 2018 Consortium for School Networking Partnerships that Matter Award; the 2017 California Linked Learning Champion Award; the 2015 North Carolina State University Friday Institute Medal for advancing innovation; the 2014 Bammy Award for Education Policy/Researcher for extraordinary leadership in education; the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's 2013 Thought Leader Award; and the 2012 Charles W. Elliot Fellow of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Also, in 2014, he was named one of the ten most influential people in education technology by Tech & Learning and in 2011, he was named to the NonProfit Times‘s ‚ Power & Influence Top 50, an annual listing of the fifty most influential executives in the nonprofit sector.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Nominating Committee
- President, CSU East Bay
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President
- Member of the Compensation Committee
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Nominating Committee
- Member of Committee
Christopher N. Oberg joined the WSCUC staff in 2012. He has held positions at three private institutions of higher education, including Associate Academic Dean, Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President, and Interim President, in California and Massachusetts. His areas of interest include organizational change, higher education finance, and governance. He has run consulting businesses in business process transformation for higher education and health care, and for entrepreneurial business development. Before joining the Commission, he served as adjunct professor at Claremont Graduate University, teaching in the program in higher education administration and developing a leadership program for community college professionals. Christopher received his BA in philosophy from the University of California, San Diego, and his PhD in higher education from Claremont Graduate University.
Job Titles:
- Research and Data Manager
Chuck Walz, Research and Data Manager, joined WSCUC in May 2020. Originally from the Midwest, Chuck came to WSCUC from Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont where he served as Director of Institutional Research. Prior to his career in Institutional Research, Chuck held a variety of positions over more than 25 years in higher education admissions, financial aid and enrollment management encompassing all levels of administration from counselor to vice president. During all of his years in higher education, Chuck has made the effective use of data central to his goal of improving student success. With family roots in Chile, Chuck spent two years in Chile and Spain teaching English as a Second Language and learning Spanish after earning his BA from the University of Iowa. He later earned an MA in Educational Administration from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Nominating Committee
- President, University of Hawai'I at Mānoa
Job Titles:
- Member of the Audit Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Governance Committee
- Public Member
Dr. Ashley Finley, Public Member, is the Vice President of Research and Senior Advisor to the President for the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). She was previously the senior director of assessment and research at AAC&U and also national evaluator for the Bringing Theory to Practice Project. Most recently she served as the associate vice president for academic affairs & dean of the Dominican Experience at Dominican University of California, where she implemented a comprehensive framework for student learning and success centered around high-impact practices, including holistic advising and ePortfolios.
Dr. Finley's research and campus consultations focus on connecting best practices for program implementation, assessment design, and equity with institutional outcomes for student success and strategic planning. A significant component of this work at the campus and national levels has focused on the connection of students' personal development (such as resilience, belonging, identity, and sense of purpose) with their learning and civic engagement. She has published a number of articles, book chapters, and monographs, including: The Career-Ready Graduate: What Employers Say About the Difference College Makes; A Comprehensive Approach to Assessment of High-Impact Practices; and The Effects of Community-Based and Civic Engagement in Higher Education: What We Know and the Questions that Remain.
Prior to beginning her national work, Dr. Finley was a faculty member in the department of sociology at Dickinson College. She received a BA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and an MA and PhD, both in sociology, from the University of Iowa.
Dr. Stephanie Huie, Vice President, joined WSCUC in January 2020. She came to WSCUC from The University of Texas System Administration where she served as vice chancellor for the Office of Strategic Initiatives. Dr. Huie is recognized for her work in leading the development of comprehensive information for students and families to make academic and financial decisions to support post-graduation employment and success. Prior to joining The University of Texas System, she served in several roles at Huston-Tillotson University: interim associate provost for academic affairs, director of the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, and accreditation liaison. She led major initiatives such as revision of the strategic plan and successful application for reaffirmation with Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Prior to her work in higher education administration, Dr. Huie worked as a research professional for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and for Southwestern Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL). Her undergraduate degree is in anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin, where she also received her master's and doctoral degrees in sociology. She is a graduate of Harvard University's Institute for Education Management (IEM) and has completed the planning certification program through the Society for College and University Planners (SCUP). Dr. Huie's responsibilities include guiding WSCUC's implementation under a major Lumina Foundation grant.
Ellen Junn is President Emerita of California State University, Stanislaus where she served from 2016-2023. Located in the rural and agricultural Central Valley region of the state, Stan State serves more than 67% first-generation, Pell-eligible undergraduates, women and historically under-represented minorities.
Dr. Junn's 37-year history with the California State University - the largest and most affordable public university system in the nation - includes high-level appointments at five other CSU's campuses. Although the Central Valley historically experienced lower rates of educational attainment, Dr. Junn worked diligently to remedy this trend by implementing a wide range of innovative programs that championed student success, especially for non-traditional scholars. Under her leadership, Stan State consistently earned regional and national recognition as a top-ranked university for social mobility, affordability and providing transformational and equity-based experiences for students.
She earned a bachelor's degree in experimental and cognitive and developmental psychology and graduated cum laude from the University of Michigan. She earned her doctorate and master's degrees in cognitive psychology from Princeton University and holds a management development program certificate from Harvard University. Her research and publications include early childhood education and advocacy, college teaching effectiveness, faculty development, and educational equity and diversity issues.
She is the first Korean-American woman in the United States appointed to lead a public four-year university, Dr. Junn spent her early years in Georgia during the 1960s and later in Michigan. She also serves as a Commissioner on the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), and is on the Board of the Association of College and Universities Educators (ACUE).
Job Titles:
- Director of Communications
- in 2023 As Inaugural Director of Communications
Evelyn Somoza joined WSCUC in 2023 as inaugural Director of Communications. In this role, Evelyn directs and implements WSCUC's communications strategy and oversees member information resources, media relations, and special projects.
Evelyn brings over 15 years of experience leading strategic communications in the education and arts sectors. Most recently, she served as interim communications director and assistant public information director for Long Beach Unified, California's fourth-largest K-12 school district. Evelyn previously held communications roles with California State University Fullerton, El Camino College and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association.
Evelyn earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California.
Gary W. Matkin has served as Dean of Continuing Education at UC Irvine since March 1, 2000. In October 2017 he was appointed Vice Provost, Career Pathways, responsible for providing career services to UCI's 36,000 students. Dr. Matkin oversees the Division of Continuing Education which serves 35,000 enrollments per year. Dr. Matkin also oversees UCI's open education initiative. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of San Francisco, an MBA and Ph.D. in Education from UC Berkeley, and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Job Titles:
- Administrator
- Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Chapman University
Harold Hewitt, Jr., Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Chapman University, joined the Commission in 2009. Prior to accepting his position at Chapman, he served for two years as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association. He has also served in senior financial officer positions at Occidental College and Whittier College. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Cornell College, Mt. Vernon, Iowa, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management at The Claremont Graduate University. He has been active in higher education professional associations, including serving on the Small Institutions Council of the National Association of College and university Business Officers (NACUBO), participating on several NACUBO task forces and committees, and serving on the Professional Development Committee of the Western Association of College and University Business Officers (WACUBO). He has also participated on nine WSCUC visiting teams and has served as co-chair of the Substantive Change Committee.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Audit Committee
Helen J D Whippy, PhD, is Emeritus Vice President of the University of Guam and Emeritus Professor of Mathematics of Chaminade University of Honolulu, both WSCUC institutions. She previously served as Provost at Chaminade and Senior Vice President, Academic and Student Affairs at the University of Guam. Dr. Whippy also served as Interim President of the University of Guam in 2008 and Chaminade University in 2017. She served as ALO for twenty years at the University of Guam and then Chaminade University, and has chaired several WSCUC visits and special visits.
Job Titles:
- Academic Member
- Member at Sacramento State University
Jackie Donath is an emeritus faculty member at Sacramento State University. She is a professor of Humanities and Religious Studies with course responsibilities in American culture. She has published a number of essays on American arts and was a contributor to a volume on teaching multiculturalism. In addition to her teaching, Ms. Donath has served her campus as the faculty coordinator for General Education; was the chair of a project to develop a university portfolio in conjunction with Portland State University and IUPUI; and acted as the principal researcher and chair of the campus WSCUC reaccreditation process. Ms. Donath was elected to the WSCUC Commission in 2007 as the Commission's first faculty representative. While a WSCUC Commissioner, Ms. Donath was the assistant chair of several reaccreditation teams, a member of the Handbook Revision Steering Committee, and after serving as vice-chair, became chair of the Policy and Planning Committee.
Jackie Gee, Resource Specialist, joined the WSCUC team in June 2023. Jackie comes to WSCUC with management experience in events, properties, and medical offices and is skilled in website and information organization. She is an alumna of Santa Clara University and the Gates Millennium Scholars Program, becoming the first in her family to graduate from college by earning a BS in Combined Sciences. Jackie resides in San Leandro with her senior rescue dogs.
Job Titles:
- Associate Vice President, Substantive Change
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Audit Committee
- Public Member
Job Titles:
- Director of Training and Curriculum
Job Titles:
- Vice President - Chief Learning Officer
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Governance Committee
Job Titles:
- Accreditation Resource Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Nominating Committee
- Commission Support Manager, Executive Assistant to the President
- Member of Committee
Job Titles:
- Information Systems Manager
Job Titles:
- Vice Chair
- Vice Chair of the Compensation Committee
- Vice Chair of the Executive Committee
- Vice Chair of the Nominating Committee
- Commission Vice Chair
Job Titles:
- Member of the Governance Committee
- Vice President
Job Titles:
- President and CEO of the WASC Senior College
Maria Toyoda is the president and CEO of the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). She began her tenure in March 2025.
Toyoda brings strategy expertise and business and political acumen cultivated over nearly three decades as a higher education scholar, professor, and administrator. As executive vice president and provost at Western New England University, Toyoda led institutional strategy and financial sustainability efforts, overseeing accreditation, assessment, student success, and other key areas. She previously held faculty and administrative roles at Stanford, Villanova, and Suffolk universities.
A distinguished international finance and government scholar, Toyoda has spearheaded interdisciplinary programs domestically and abroad. She has been a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and the Social Science Research Council and was a visiting researcher at the International Monetary Fund. Toyoda earned a bachelor's degree in human biology from Stanford University and master's and doctorate degrees in government from Georgetown University.
Job Titles:
- Vice President Eligibility and International
Job Titles:
- Director of Finance and Operations
Job Titles:
- Member of the Audit Committee
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Audit / WASC
- Chairman / WASC
Former WSCUC Chair Phillip Doolittle created the Equity & Inclusion Council in February 2021 to reflect the centrality of equity and inclusion work across WSCUC. The Council prioritizes and coordinates our E&I goals and activities with the Executive Committee and across the standing committees that have lead responsibility for each area. It is co-chaired by Commissioners Shawn Whalen and Renee Navarro and composed of the vice chairs of WSCUC's standing committees and two Executive Committee members.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Nominating Committee
- Robin Garrell past Commissioner
Job Titles:
- Member of the Nominating Committee
- Robin Garrell past Commissioner
Job Titles:
- Member of the Compensation Committee
- Public Member
Job Titles:
- Vice Chair of the Governance Committee
- Co - Chair / Governance
Job Titles:
- Accreditation Process Coordinator / Office Manager
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Compensation Committee
- Chairman of the Executive Committee
- Chairman of the Nominating Committee
- Commission Chair