Leadership Team
Leadership Team
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Shawn Boskie, a former Major League Baseball pitcher, has made a significant impact beyond the sports world through his leadership in the entertainment and nonprofit sectors. As the founder and CEO of Canyon Productions, Mr. Boskie is dedicated to producing high-quality faith-based films that inspire and uplift audiences.
Before launching Canyon Productions, he played a crucial role at PureFlix Entertainment as Head of Investor Relations, where he successfully raised over $150 million to support the production and distribution of numerous faith-based films and to launch the PureFlix streaming platform.
Leadership
Provost
Randy Gibb, PhD, joined GCU in July 2014 and first served as the dean of the Colangelo College of Business for eight years before he was appointed provost. In his previous role, he and his team grew the business college based upon the pillars of servant leadership, ethics and entrepreneurism and promoted the concepts of free market capitalism and business as a form of ministry.
Background
Leadership
Community Impact
Vision
Background
Background
Expertise
Leadership
Growth and Impact
Recognitions
Peggy J. Chase retired in 2022 as the president and CEO of Terros Health, a growing integrated, whole healthcare company providing services to Arizonans since 1969. During her tenure, Mrs. Chase led more than 1,000 Terros Health employees statewide with a compassionate leadership style that sought to mentor, coach and grow new leaders.
Mrs. Chase has been a progressive healthcare leader and innovator for more than 30 years. Her commitment to service leadership has positively impacted healthcare public policy through her participation on local, state and national boards and committees.
Marion Kelly serves as Director for the Office of Community Affairs at Mayo Clinic. In this role, Mr. Kelly provides leadership for the organization's efforts to build solid neighbor, civic and corporate relationships. “Community” in its broadest sense encompasses the entire Southwest region of the United States. In addition to providing leadership in Community Affairs, he is also responsible for institutionalizing diversity as a corporate objective within the strategic plan of Mayo Clinic.
President Brian Mueller joined Grand Canyon University (GCU) in July 2008 to usher in a new era for the institution. Taking the successes he experienced as a teacher and coach at the high school and small college level as well as his 22 years of experience at the Apollo Group (the parent company of University of Phoenix), Mr. Mueller transformed GCU from a financially struggling university into one that is a driving force in higher education today.
Mike Ingram is the founder and chairman of El Dorado Holdings, a leading real estate development company in Arizona. Since its founding in 1987, Mr. Ingram has played a crucial role in shaping the Phoenix metropolitan area through large-scale residential and commercial projects.
Beyond his business success, he is a co-owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks and is actively involved in various philanthropic endeavors.
Leadership
Background
Leadership
Background
Dr. Lupita Ley Hightower was honored as Arizona’s Superintendent of the Year for 2023 and retired from K-12 education after a distinguished 28-year career, including the final 14 years as a superintendent. An immigrant from Mexico, Dr. Hightower began her education in the U.S. in the seventh grade. She attributes her success to the grace of God, relentless work ethic and the support of many individuals who believed in her along the way.
Expertise
Background
Leadership
Background
Leadership
Background
Assistant Vice President of Industry Relations and Strategic Partnerships
With more than 17 years of experience in higher education, Haley Fagerlie is known as a connector with an entrepreneurial mindset cultivating mutually beneficial programs and partnerships. In her time at GCU, she has served in various roles such as a faculty member, mentor and student advisor, founder of the GCU AZ HOSA chapter, K12 STEM director, director of dual enrollment compliance, associate director for the Center of Integrated Science, Engineering and Technology, and subsequently played a role in the formation of the College of Science, Engineering and Technology, which later grew into two colleges: the College of Engineering and Technology and the College of Natural Sciences. Fagerile has helped to build the various advisory boards focused on engaging industry in the development and alignment of talent pipelines. Focused on relationships and workforce development, Fagerile is responsible for creating the university’s Employer Network for relationship engagement, connecting job opportunities to students.
Background
Dean, Colangelo College of Business
John Kaites is follower of Christ and as such seeks to be a transformational leader in the lives of others. His most important goals are the Great Commandment and the Great Commission, through life, business, law, ministry, and most joyfully, through personal relationships. Dean Kaites is an ordained minister, entrepreneur and lawyer. He has started and owns numerous businesses, is an accomplished investor, a church planter, and an Arizona licensed attorney.
Dean, Honors College
Breanna Naegeli, PhD, started with GCU in August 2009 as a university development representative with the Traditional Campus Operations department. After five years in various operational and management roles, Dr. Naegeli transitioned into Academic Affairs as a program manager for Institutional Effectiveness and served as an adjunct faculty within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and Colangelo College of Business. She served as the associate dean of the Honors College prior to her appointment as dean.
Leadership
Background
Vice President for Advancement
Kale Gober, EdD, joined GCU in 2020, bringing more than a decade of experience in higher education development. Dr. Gober majored in education at Henderson State University, obtained a Master of Science in Instructional Technology from the University of Central Arkansas and has earned a Doctor of Education. Prior to joining GCU, Dr. Gober served as the vice president for advancement at the University of Central Arkansas. He arrived at Central Arkansas after serving as assistant athletics director for development at the University of Arkansas. Dr. Gober began his career as the director of athletics at Henderson State University.
Vice President of Facilities Planning and Operations
James (Jim) Kossler joined GCU in 2019 after serving 26 years in the United States Air Force, retiring as a colonel. As a career civil engineer officer, Kossler served two tours in Southwest Asia and commanded three times at the squadron and group level, including the 56th Mission Support Group at Luke Air Force Base (AFB) in Glendale, Arizona. During his time at Luke AFB, Kossler provided oversight and direction for six squadrons encompassing facilities management and construction, logistics, transportation, recreation, lodging, human resources, procurement, security and law enforcement, fire department, emergency management, housing, mail center and communications.
In his role at GCU, Kossler oversees campus development, facility management and construction, environmental health and safety, transportation and emergency management. Kossler received a Master of Science and Master of Arts in Management from the Air Force Institute of Technology and Webster University, respectively. He earned a bachelor’s in architecture from the University of Notre Dame in 1992 and is a licensed architect in Illinois and Arizona.
Background
Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel
Ray Kaselonis joined Grand Canyon University as General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer in 2022. He has extensive experience representing, advising and counseling thousands of clients, including faith-based non-profit organizations all across the country on many different matters. Kaselonis began his legal career on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., where he worked in the legislative arena for nearly 12 years. He has also taught thousands of undergraduate students as an adjunct professor of government and economics as well as served as an associate pastor at a large church.
Dr. Jim Rice was born and raised in Arizona. He has served 46 years in public education as a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent. He served his career in the Alhambra Elementary School District in central Phoenix. After retiring from Alhambra, Dr. Rice directed the Principal Initiative for the Rodel Foundation of Arizona until June of 2013. From 2013 to 2016, Dr. Rice served two interim superintendencies with Gilbert Public Schools and the Union Elementary School District. Jim and his wife Jackie have been married for 52 years. They have two children, Jamie and Jason, three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Recognitions
Dean, College of Natural Sciences
Mark Wooden, PhD, earned a Bachelor of Science in wildlife conservation biology and a PhD in biology with a focus on integrative and comparative environmental physiology from Arizona State University. In addition to previously serving GCU as the dean of the College of Science, Engineering and Technology, he also served as the dean of the College of Health Sciences, and the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as various administrative roles at GCU, including department chair of math and sciences.
Assistant Vice President of Campus Technology
John Kalua IV, MBA joined GCU’s IT department in 2011 to architect and project manage the technology in GCU Arena associated with fan gameday experience, such as scoreboards, videoboards and live sound reinforcement. His technology skills and leadership qualities quickly expanded his role to impact the students’ experience on campus. In his current role, he oversees many aspects of technology on campus and is directly responsible for ensuring GCU maintains its standards of technology operations and support on campus. He also serves as the senior IT officer responsible for infrastructure planning, budget strategies, IT governance and policy strategies and is the primary liaison for coordinating IT Security and PCI Compliance standards.
Assistant Vice President of GCU Marketing
Tamara Rios, MS joined GCU’s marketing department in 2008 and most recently served as the director of marketing services at Grand Canyon Education, Inc. prior to returning to GCU in her current role as the assistant vice president of marketing. An Arizona native, Rios has 16 years of experience in higher education marketing and received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Master of Science in Leadership from GCU.
Driven by her passion for servant leadership, she has led and developed successful teams and created department processes and policies to increase efficiencies. Along with her incredible team, she launched the marketing strategy for several new colleges, departments and enterprises across the university.
Background
Achievements
Dean, College of Theology
Jason Hiles, PhD, joined GCU in 2013. He is a graduate of the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design where he received a BFA in sculpture in 1998. He also earned an MDiv from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2001 and a PhD in systematic theology from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2008. Upon graduation from Southeastern, he was appointed assistant professor at Louisiana College and later named associate dean of the Caskey School of Divinity. Dr. Hiles is a member of the Evangelical Theological and Evangelical Philosophical Societies.
Dean, College of Nursing and Health Care Professions
Lisa Smith, PhD, RN, CNE, served GCU as assistant dean of the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions prior to her appointment as dean. Previously, she taught for 10 years in a pre-licensure nursing program in South Florida. Before academia, Dr. Smith spent 20 years in hospital nursing, 15 of those years in managerial and executive leadership positions including chief nursing officer with a for-profit hospital system, Hospital Corporation of America (HCA).
Background
Achievements
Background
Assistant Vice President of Library and Academic Support Services
Nita Mailander joined GCU in 2009, initially serving as a librarian before transitioning to library director and currently to assistant vice president of library and academic support services. Her academic journey began at the University of California, San Diego where she earned a bachelor’s degree, followed by a Master’s in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Mailander holds a distinguished certification from the Medical Library Association’s Academy of Health Information Professionals, along with a specialization in Consumer Health Information. These credentials reflect her deep commitment to advancing access to reliable health information and empowering individuals with knowledge.
Fred Miller, MD, PhD, CMD, is currently a retired medical director from Arizona Priority Care and Centene Corporation. He is a dynamic, results-driven physician with a proven background of 31 years in both clinical and administrative roles. Dr. Miller provided design-focused effective strategies to support customer healthcare needs and organizational goals. He is a collaborative leader working closely with medical and legal professionals to resolve complex issues in the clinical, medical administrative and forensic services arenas. Dr. Miller has achieved success increasing revenues and reducing overall costs while mitigating and managing risks in high-risk environments.
Recognition
Leadership
Leadership
Background
Dean, College of Engineering and Technology
Paul Lambertson joined GCU as the inaugural dean of the College of Engineering and Technology (CET) in November 2023. In this role, he and his team focus on igniting the potential within every student, equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to become innovative and entrepreneurial leaders in their respective fields.
Leadership
Assistant Vice President and Registrar of the Office of Academic Records
Erin O’Brien has worked for GCU since 2010 starting as an academic counselor and transitioning over to the Office of Academic Records (OAR) in 2011. OAR is responsible for university admissions, institutional evaluation of transfer credit, degree progression monitoring, mailing of official documents, various student support functions, the International Student Office, the Veterans Resource Center, academic policy and program management. O’Brien has a passion for providing the best possible service and enjoys working collaboratively with other departments to identify opportunities for constant improvement. She feels fortunate to work with an amazing team and enjoys being a part of the Lopes family.
Dean, College of Arts and Media
Craig Detweiler, PhD, joined GCU in 2021. He merges theology, arts and culture with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Davidson College, an MFA from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts and an MDiv and PhD from Fuller Theological Seminary. Dr. Detweiler wrote the screenplays for “The Duke,” the comedic road trip, “Extreme Days,” and directed the award-winning documentary “Remand,” narrated by Angela Bassett. His acclaimed books include “iGods: How Technology Shapes Our Spiritual and Social Lives,” “Selfies: Searching for the Image of God in a Digital Age” and “Deep Focus: Film and Theology in Dialogue,” co-written with Robert Johnston and Kutter Callaway.
Achievements
Leadership
Recognitions
Dean, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Sherman Elliott, EdD, started with GCU in January 2011 as a faculty member in the College of Education where he served for a year and a half as chair of secondary education. Since 2013, Dr. Elliott has served as the assistant dean and recently acting dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Prior to joining GCU, Dr. Elliott held the positions of assistant clinical professor of secondary education and director of the Center for Civics Education at Arizona State University.
Vice Provost
Jennifer Lech, PhD, has been with GCU since 2004, but she has worked in postsecondary education for over 20 years. Dr. Lech developed the initial curriculum of the university as it began its transformation to avoid bankruptcy in 2004. She is now responsible for academic and institutional integrity through the departments she oversees, including the Office of Academic Records, Policy and Program Management, Accreditation, State Compliance, Academic Compliance, Student Disability Services, Office of Assessment, Academic Analytics and the Library.
Achievements
Background
Leadership
Vice President of Academic Compliance, Title IX and 504 Coordinator
Shanna Milonas joined GCU in 2007 as an administrator in the Office of Academic Compliance. Since that time, she has held multiple roles within Academic Compliance, most recently serving as associate vice president, deputy Title IX coordinator and lead Title IX investigator. In her current role, she has oversight of compliance requirements for Title IX, VAWA, Section 504/ADA and processes to ensure non-discrimination for all other protected classes, including programmatic functions and institutional grievance procedures.
Dean, College of Education
Since early childhood, Meredith Critchfield, PhD, has been fascinated by teaching and learning. Hailing from a long line of K-12 educators, Dr. Critchfield’s love of teaching and learning has led her to spend the last 18 years in the field of education. Prior to her appointment as Dean of the College of Education, Dr. Critchfield served in online and ground faculty chair roles and was awarded the earned rank of professor at GCU. She also served as a K-12 teacher in the United States and abroad in Kenya.
Chief Financial Officer
Junette West joined GCU in August 2018 as the university’s vice president of business and finance. Mrs. West graduated from Grand Canyon College with a BS in Accounting and she also has an MBA and has maintained her CPA license for over 30 years. Mrs. West’s experience is primarily in the higher education sector. She has held various finance and accounting roles such as controller, VP-finance for international operations, VP-corporate treasurer, VP-financial operations and VP-enterprise risk management.
Vice President of Student Financial Aid Compliance
Trish Leonard joined GCU in 2020 as the vice president of student financial aid compliance. She graduated from Ottawa University with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Management. She has worked for over 40 years in Federal Title IV compliance roles for private consulting firms, software providers and post-secondary institutions. She spent 14 years running a financial aid consulting firm specializing in audit and program review resolution and client training as well as risk management and federal, state and accrediting regulatory compliance. She was a member of the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education (AZPPSE) from 2007 through 2020, a member of the AZPPSE complaint committee and chairperson for the AZPPSE Board.
Leadership
Jerry Colangelo is a prominent American sports executive and businessman. He is best known for his roles as the former owner of the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury, Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona Rattlers.
Mr. Colangelo played a significant role in bringing professional sports to Arizona and has been influential in USA Basketball, particularly in reviving the U.S. men's national basketball team.
Dean, College of Doctoral Studies
Michael Berger, EdD, joined GCU in 2004. Previous to his role as dean, Dr. Berger oversaw development of curriculum and instructional material for GCU. His dissertation focused on instructional techniques that online faculty can use to better connect with their students. He has presented at numerous conferences on the subjects of higher education assessment, online learning and virtual doctoral education. Dr. Berger earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Dayton, and he received his EdD in organizational leadership from GCU.
Executive Director, Accreditation and State Compliance
Kevin Wilhelmsen, PhD, is an experienced leader in non-traditional higher education and online learning, with over 20 years of expertise in accreditation, state and federal regulatory compliance. At GCU, he provides strategic oversight for accreditation and state compliance initiatives, managing a team to ensure regulatory adherence across all programs. His background includes leadership roles in accreditation, curriculum development, faculty management and regulatory approvals. He also oversees the accreditation and compliance budget for his department.
Vice President of Government Relations
Dana Drew Shaw currently serves as the vice president for government relations and joined GCU in 2021. She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Toledo and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Toledo College of Law where she was a published member of the law review. Drew Shaw has worked in higher education for over 15 years in various capacities. She worked with several institutions while an attorney at Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP and served as a full-time faculty member at Belmont University. Additionally, her professional background includes serving as an elected school board member, teaching sports law as an adjunct professor and consulting with several individuals/organizations on business strategy and professional development.
Background
Executive Director of University Assessment
Alexi Linn has been a dedicated member of the university community since 2011 and currently oversees the Office of University Assessment. She has been involved with assessments at both the university and college levels since 2017, actively contributing to the institution's assessment strategies and processes. As a part of her role, Linn also serves as the chair of the University Assessment Committee, collaborating with faculty and staff to foster continuous improvement in student learning and advance GCU’s culture of assessment.
Vice President of Athletics
Jamie Boggs currently serves as the vice president of Athletics at GCU after serving as interim athletic director for more than two years and deputy athletic director for four years. In her role, she provides leadership and drives the overall operations for the department. In 2018, Boggs was appointed by the Western Athletic Conference to serve on the NCAA Division I Council. She was also selected by the NCAA to serve as vice chair of the Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee.
Executive Director of Communications and Public Relations
Bob Romantic joined GCU in 2011 and currently serves as the executive director of communications and public relations. Known for his collaborative storytelling, editing and communication skills during 25 years as an award-winning journalist and editor in Arizona, Romantic now uses that experience to shine a light on the many positive stories emanating from the university.
A native Arizonan who was born in Phoenix, he oversees all communications at GCU — externally via news.gcu.edu and GCU Magazine, internally through direct communications to employees, students and stakeholders, and through public relations efforts with local and national media.
He received his Bachelor of Science in Journalism degree from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Vice President of Student Affairs
Tim Griffin, EdD, joined GCU in 2010 and currently serves as the dean of students, university pastor and vice president of student affairs. Dr. Griffin has a bachelor's degree in theology, a Master of Arts degree in ministry and a doctorate in organizational leadership. Dr. Griffin has a professional background that includes public speaking, leadership, fundraising and resource management. He has served for more than 25 years in clergy positions, ranging from being a pastor and chaplain to university minister.
Assistant Vice President of Research and Grants
Scott Greenberger, EdD, originally joined GCU in 2013 as a full-time instructor for the College of Doctoral Studies. Since that time, he has served in several administrative roles focused on supporting faculty and student research, including dissertation chair, research manager, research director and research executive director. He has been especially active in the College of Doctoral Studies, serving on 11 dissertation committees to completion, including eight as chair and three as content expert. He has also served as a subject matter expert in writing 10 e-book chapters on methodology and research design.
Background
Leadership
Achievements