Liz Cheron Named Next CEO of the Coalition for College

Liz Cheron begins the new position Jan. 22. (Photo courtesy of Northeastern University)

January 16, 2024

After a national search, the Coalition for College has named Liz Cheron as its next CEO.

Cheron, a national voice in the field of admissions, brings more than 15 years of experience leading and consulting on admissions and enrollment strategy, including 13 years at Coalition member Northeastern University, where she served as assistant vice president of enrollment and dean of admissions. In 2022, she founded Strategic Education & Enrollment Solutions (SEE Solutions), a consultancy focused on partnering with colleges and universities on solutions and innovations related to enrollment management, marketing, retention, and the development of new programs.

Throughout her career, Cheron has been engaged in regional and national professional associations, including service as chair of the NACAC Admission Practices Committee, overseeing best practices and ethics of the college admissions profession. In 2015, she served on the Coalition’s Application Design Committee, advising on the launch of the Coalition Application the following year.

“In our conversations during the search process, two things became very clear with Liz: she is incredibly creative and innovative, and she knows that diversity and inclusivity must be at the forefront of our work at the Coalition if we are to succeed,” says Adam Sapp, assistant vice president and director of admissions at Pomona College and chair of the Coalition’s Board of Directors. “She is just the kind of ambitious, thoughtful, inclusive leader we need at this moment.”

The Coalition’s CEO leads the organization’s work to inspire more students to see college in their future and support them with the information and tools to make that goal a reality, with a focus on students from communities that are historically underrepresented in higher education.

In addition to supporting an innovative and student-centered college application, integrated within the Scoir platform, the Coalition works across its 170+ member colleges and universities to provide free programming for students and their supporters. The Coalition also maintains a list of vetted non-profit college access organizations, and connects these influential supporters with Coalition member schools, all of whom share a proven track record for graduating students on time and with low or no debt, including underrepresented students.  

“What impressed me with the Coalition—both as a leader at a member institution and in this search process—was the power of partnership amongst the members and with other stakeholders,” Cheron says. “This level of partnership is unmatched within admissions and as a result, can have meaningful impact as we work together to enable college access for historically underrepresented students.”

Cheron follows Stacey Kostell as CEO of the Coalition. Kostell, who served in the position from 2020-2023, began a new role as vice president and dean of enrollment at Northwestern University in August. Kate Volzer, founder of the ed tech company Wisr and member of the Coalition’s Board, served as interim CEO while the board executed its national search.

Cheron will begin the new role on January 22.