Trustee Emeriti
William G. Harris
Title
- CEO, Association of Test Publishers
Education
- MBA, Duke University
- PhD, University of Massachusetts
- Honorary Doctorate, Excelsior University
Service
- Trustee, 2009-2018
About William G. Harris
William G. Harris serves as the CEO of the Association of Test Publishers (ATP), the leading international organization for publishers of assessment programs. He taught doctoral students at the Illinois Institute of Technology and conducted research on the use of the computer to deliver assessment programs. Afterward, he became head of research and software development at PsychSystems, the first U.S. group to be publicly traded as a computer-based testing (CBT) company. Recently, Harris has gained recognition as an advocate for the testing industry. His current areas of interest are industry-wide issues about e-testing, test security, and the impact of the Internet on the economics and future of assessment programs. He oversees the international expansion of ATP, which includes a growing membership from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. He is responsible for the successful launch of the Operational Best Practices project for K–12 large-scale assessments and ATP’s European conference, “Growing Talent through Assessment.” Under Harris’s leadership, ATP has become a leader in test security and digital copyright issues. He serves on the editorial board of several scholarly journals and chairs the U.S. delegation to the ISO initiative on the delivery of workplace assessment services.
Harris holds a doctorate from University of Massachusetts at Amherst, an MBA from Duke University, and an honorary doctorate from Excelsior University.
Mary O’Connor
Title
- Professor
Education
- PhD, George Mason University
- MS in nursing, Northeastern University
- BS in nursing, Excelsior University
Service
- Ex-officio member, 2005-2009
- Trustee, 2009-2020
About Mary O’Connor
Mary O’Connor is a professor of nursing at Notre Dame of Maryland University where she teaches RN to BSN and MSN courses. She also works per diem in nursing administration as a nursing supervisor at Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie, Maryland.
O’Connor has published extensively on the subject of nursing leadership in journals such as Journal of Nursing Administration, Nursing Administration Quarterly, Nurse Leader, and Nursing Forum. She has been a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing since 1996 and is involved in both the Mu Eta and Tau Kappa chapters. She is also actively involved in a variety of professional organizations at the national and local level, including the American Organization of Nurse Executives and the American College of Health Care Executives, where she has been inducted as Fellow.
A 1994 Excelsior University Bachelor of Science in nursing graduate, O’Connor went on to earn a Master of Science in nursing from Northeastern University in 1997 and a PhD from George Mason University in 2005.
Jean M. Smith
Title
- Vice President, J. P. Morgan Chase (Ret.) Chase Community Development Corporation
Education
- BA in economics and business administration, Fordham University
- Completed the Smith Management Program at Smith College
Service
- Trustee, 2009-2018
About Jean M. Smith
Formerly vice president of Chase Community Development Corporation, Jean M. Smith has worked in the banking and financial industry since 1978. She has held various positions, including management of the flagship branch of Chase Manhattan Bank and management of 22 branches in the Chase retail branch network. She is a member of several professional associations, including Women in Housing and Finance, Urban Bankers, and the Coalition of 100 Black Women.
Smith’s community service includes involvement with the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (SOBRO), the Madison Avenue Boys and Girls Club, and the Rose F. Kennedy Family Center. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics and business administration from Fordham University and completed the Smith Management Program at Smith College.
Pamela Tate
Title
- Past President & CEO, The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL)
Education
- MS in English, University of Illinois
- MS in Journalism, University of Illinois
Service
- Trustee, 2010-2021
About Pamela Tate
Tate served for 28 years as president and CEO of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL). Prior to joining CAEL, Tate served as lead consultant to the UAW-Ford National Development and Training Center in the design and implementation of the College and University Options Program (CUOP) for Ford’s unionized workforce.
Tate is known for helping colleges and universities develop Prior Learning Assessment programs and improve the quality of their services for working learners. Tate has worked with hundreds of employers on tuition assistance policy, implementation of career and educational advising for employees, and exemplary practices in employee learning and development.
Tate received a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa, conferred by SUNY Empire State College in Saratoga Springs, New York (1996), honorary doctorate degrees in humane letters from DePaul University’s School for New Learning (2005) and from Thomas Edison State College (2007), and a degree of Doctor of Public Service honoris causa from St. Leo University (2011). Tate was awarded the President’s Medal from Excelsior College in 2013. In 2018, she was inducted into the International Adult and Continuing Association’s Hall of Fame. She is an Adult Learning Fellow in Residence at DePaul University’s School for New Learning.
In addition to earning two master’s degrees, Tate has completed her doctoral coursework at the Annenberg School of Communications, University of Pennsylvania.
Lawrence Vertucci
Title
- Vice President, J. P. Morgan Chase (Ret.) Chase Community Development Corporation
Education
- Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance, Siena College
Service
- Trustee, 1998-2009
- Treasurer, 2005-2007
About Lawrence Vertucci
Lawrence E. Vertucci previously held the position of executive vice president and regional president of the Capital Region for HSBC Bank. In this capacity, he was responsible for the management and direction of the bank’s consumer and commercial business in the greater Albany, New York, area and the Hudson Valley region to the New Jersey border. Formerly known locally as Marine Midland Bank, HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organizations. He previously served as senior vice president with Cayuga Bank, Auburn, New York.
Vertucci has been a board member for the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce; the Poughkeepsie Partnership; Boy Scouts of America, Twin Rivers Council; and the New York State Museum Institute. He was also a member of the Russell Sage President’s Council.
Vertucci is a graduate of Siena College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in finance.
John R. Wetsch
Title
- Program Director for Cloud Technical Computing, Wake Technical Community College
Education
- BS, Excelsior University
- Bachelor’s, University of North Dakota
- MA in historical astronomy, The McGregor School at Antioch University
- Master of Astronomy, University of Western Sydney
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- PhD in information systems, Nova Southeastern University
Service
- Trustee, 2001-2012
- Vice Chair, 2006-2011
About John R. Wetsch
John R. Wetsch is the program director for cloud computing at Wake Technical Community College (WTCC) in Raleigh, North Carolina. Prior to joining WTCC, he worked for the State of North Carolina for 10 years where he was IT director and manager with the North Carolina Department of Revenue. He also served as the program director for the North Carolina Window of Information on Student Education program for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, where he managed the $200-plus million initiative to overhaul the student information IT infrastructure of the state’s public school system. Prior to that position, Wetsch was a Northrop Grumman Technical Fellow and worked as a systems engineer, project manager, and program manager for 15 years.
Listed in “Who’s Who in America,” “Who’s Who in the South and Southwest,” and “Who’s Who in Science and Engineering,” Wetsch was honored by Pope Benedict XVI by being named Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Gregory the Great, Civil Division, and he was commissioned a Kentucky Colonel by the governor of that state. The author of several publications, he is also active in industry associations.
Wetsch currently serves on the faculty of Wake Technical Community College and as an adjunct faculty member at the University of the Cumberlands’ executive doctoral program, North Carolina Wesleyan College, and Southern New Hampshire University. He has also taught for North Carolina State University, University of Phoenix, Capella University, and Lake Region State College.
In addition to his Bachelor of Science from Excelsior University, he earned a Master of Arts in historical astronomy from The McGregor School at Antioch University (1989) and a PhD in information systems from Nova Southeastern University (1994). He later earned a second bachelor’s degree from the University of North Dakota (2001) and a Master of Astronomy from the University of Western Sydney (2002).
