Staffing Updates from the Commission

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) is sharing staffing updates. The Commission retains a team of dedicated professionals who are committed to serving our institutions with a lens for future-forward accreditation centered on student success. 

“We have a constant eye on how to improve upon our work as we look across the organization annually, and we often make shifts heading into a new fiscal year,” said President Heather F. Perfetti. “Everyone on our team remains committed to delivering impactful innovation and exceptional customer service to meet the needs of our constituents across our global higher education community. These changes reflect modern demands of accreditation while also recognizing how we can best support all of our constituents.” 

Several staff members have earned promotions: 

Marilyn Del Valle has been promoted to Director for Accreditation Services. In this new role, Marilyn advances the work of the Commission’s accreditation committees while advancing changes that best position our work for future demands.

Samantha Smith has been promoted to Director for Strategic Initiatives. Working across all units and departments, Samantha now leads and contributes to institutional accreditation activities and operational processes, including complex substantive changes. Samantha’s role will also focus on building and strengthening state and system partnerships.  

Pratap Timilsina has been promoted to Director for Research. In this expanded role, Pratap will manage data integrity, reports, and dashboards to continue to advance the Commission’s commitment to data.  

In addition, several staff members hold new titles: 

• Nicole Biever is now Senior Vice President for Strategy and Engagement.  

• Madison Campos is now Director for Compliance. 

• Aminah Massenburg and Terence Peavy now have expanded portfolios as Vice Presidents for Institutional Field Relations (VPIFR) to ensure dedicated service to our institutional members. Each VPIFR serves as liaisons to institutions, provides advice to institutions, supports all accreditation activities, and works closely with our peer evaluators.  

For more information about the Commission’s exceptional staff, please visit our Staff page.