Higher education is in a time of disruption which can paralyze some but can also serve as an opportunity for those open to change. Melanie Gottlieb, AACRAO's first woman Executive Director, is one of those people.
Named just last month as Executive Director after nearly six years as the Deputy Director, she brings 18 years of AACRAO membership with her as well as experience in Records & Registration, Enrollment Management and International Recruitment and Credential Evaluation. Melanie shared the following in a recent College & University Journal interview:
I have been a registrar, international credential evaluator, admissions operations director, admissions director, and a vice president for enrollment management. I’ve covered a spectrum of AACRAO professions and have a firsthand awareness of what serving in those roles is like at a college or university. My institutional experience has been invaluable, in terms of working for and leading the association.
She
has served the association in a variety of leadership roles throughout her career, most recently as Vice President for International Education on the AACRAO Board of Directors.
AACRAO members are challenged by time and too much disruption. As Executive Director, Melanie will work closely with staff and the AACRAO Board to provide the leadership AACRAO needs to support you, our members, while pursuing our 2026 Goals.
"I knew as a young person that if I wanted to grow, I needed to find avenues that would help me learn how to be a better professional," said Gottlieb when she became AACRAO Deputy Director. She brings that same belief to her role as ED.
The time has passed for traditional models that do not allow the access required for students, professionals, and associations to be successful. Melanie will focus on intentional pathways and partnerships that reach out to bring people through and that
also remove barriers to participation in the higher education community. She sees digital mobility, transfer & credit mobility, as well as better connections to the broader higher ed community as vital next steps in AACRAO's work.
Read the press release here.