2024 ACHE Elections

Nominee for Vice President (Executive Committee)

Bryan Best

Director of Learning Technologies, University of La Verne

Bryan Best serves dual roles as the Senior Instructional Technologist for the LaFetra College of Education and the director of Learning Technologies for the University of La Verne. He has over 20 years of experience in educational technologies and teaching and learning. He serves on the governing boards and committees of state and national professional organizations, including DET/CHE (Drivers of Educational Technology, California Higher Education) and ACHE (Association for Continuing Higher Education). Some of his areas of focus are classroom design, faculty support and training, platform administration, and emerging educational technology.

Nominees for Director-at-Large

Matt Bergman

Partner Faculty, University of Louisville

Matt Bergman, PhD, is a faculty member and the co-author of Unfinished Business: Compelling Stories of Adult Student Persistence. Dr. Bergman’s research and practice is focused on student persistence, prior learning assessment, leadership, and degree completion programs. His work has been highlighted in international media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Chronicle of Higher Education, NPR, and TIME Magazine. His program was the recipient of the ACHE Distinguished Program Award, AAACE Curriculum Innovation Award, and the AAACE Malcolm Knowles Award for Adult Education Program of the Year. Dr. Bergman was awarded a number of prestigious honors during his 17 years as a Professor at the University of Louisville, including the ACHE South Outstanding Faculty Award, the Metroversity Outstanding Faculty for Adult Learners, and was a Top 4 Faculty Favorite at UofL. He is an Ambassador for the Council on Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) that serves as a teacher, administrator, and ambassador of degree attainment both locally and nationally.

Brandi Huskey

Interim Director, Off-Campus Programs, East Tennessee State University

Brandi Huskey currently serves as the Interim Director of Off-Campus Programs for East Tennessee State University. She has over ten years of experience in distance education, serving students from all walks of life. Her expertise spans from event planning to student services to program development and facility management. She is knee-deep in writing her dissertation, focusing her research on place-based scholarships and their impact on college choice. She is the current Chair of ACHE South and serves on numerous boards with ACHE International. She received her BS in Sport Management in 2006 from East Tennessee State University and an MA in Religion and Leadership from Liberty University in 2013. She will graduate in May 2025 with an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from East Tennessee State University. Her professional passion focuses on controllable attributes of student success for nontraditional students. Personally, Brandi is active with Leadership Sevier, serving on the Board of Directors for several years, most recently being elected as the Secretary. She mentors new program participants and chairs the fundraising committee. She is currently involved with the 2024 class of Leadership East Tennessee representing Sevier County, TN. She enjoys traveling, quality time in the mountains, singing, reading, and spending time with her husband, Michael, and their dog-child, Hooskie.

Clayton Mack

Associate Director of Distance Education, North Carolina Central University

Clayton Mack is the Associate Director of Distance Education in the Division of Extended Studies at North Carolina Central University. He has over twenty-five years of experience working in secondary and higher education. Clayton specializes in program and curriculum design, and has created or managed dozens of non-credit programs, credit-bearing certificate and degree programs geared towards adult learners. Clayton is inspired daily by his wife Erika and their two sons. In his free time, Clayton is a part-time DJ/KJ/trivia host; coaches the university’s academic competition team; and loves football and tailgating.

David W. Rausch

Associate Dean and Professor, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

David Rausch serves as the Associate Dean for the College of Health, Education, and Professional Studies and as Professor and Director for the Applied Leadership & Learning doctoral and undergraduate programs at UT Chattanooga. In these roles, he engages with faculty, staff, and students in the ongoing effort to provide high-quality learning, leadership, and professional practice opportunities. He has designed and delivered executive, corporate, and professional training programs, as well as undergraduate and graduate academic programs related to organizational improvement / transformation, leadership, and learning. His research agenda includes contemporary (adult) learning, hybrid and online learning, authentic assessment, cohort-based learning, credit for prior learning, and mastery learning and assessment. Previously, he has served as faculty at all higher education levels in addition to serving in leadership roles at Macomb Community College, Davenport University, and Northwood University. He has previously served as Vice Provost and SACSCOC liaison for UT Chattanooga. Rausch earned his PhD in Leadership from Andrews University and his MBA from Samford University. Prior to his academic career, he served in a number of senior positions in publicly and privately held companies in the US, the Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong, South Africa, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. He is a US Navy veteran. 

VOTE HERE!