President Heather F. Perfetti, J.D., Ed.D.
As President, Heather has advanced the Commission’s strategic priorities in innovative ways. Under her leadership, the Commission launched the Pillars of Change Podcast to spotlight highly effective institutional practices that have made a difference in the lives of students through diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
She also joined the efforts of Commissioners, staff, and institutional members to lead the 2023 revision of the Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation (Fourteenth Edition). As a result, the Commission’s standards reflect the current collective values of the institutional membership by centering five guiding principles: centrality of institutional mission and student experience, diversity, equity, and inclusion, data, and innovation.
Heather has advanced the Commission’s commitment to data-influenced decision-making nationally and globally, including through her role as Vice-Chair of the Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (C-RAC) where she has led collaborative efforts on data with the United States Department of Education (USDE).
Her support of the Commission’s advocacy efforts is especially noteworthy where she has prioritized participation and presence in local, regional, national, and international engagement. Heather has also served as a primary negotiator representing accrediting agencies in the United States Department of Education’s negotiated rulemaking Affordability and Student Loans Committee, and she has led two recognition processes for the Commission through the United States Department of Education (USDE) with appearances before the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI). She participated in the development of A Framework for Action: Public Higher Education Systems and Accreditation – Effective Partners for Change with Quality, and she is a current member of the Financial Viability Working Group led by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO). The 2021 publication Exemplars of Assessment in Higher Education: Diverse Approaches to Addressing Accreditation Standards featured Heather’s foreword.
In 2022, Heather was ranked No. 39 on City & State Pennsylvania’s Higher Education Power 100 List, recognizing the most powerful educators in Pennsylvania, and she was ranked No. 31 on City & State New York’s 100 Power List of the most powerful people in New York’s higher education community in 2021.
Heather appears before a number of audiences and through podcasts, including Weave’s Accreditation Conversations and the EdUp Experience, where she discusses the value of accreditation and its impact on the student experience. She has also offered insights on accreditation with outlets such as Community College Daily, INSIGHT into Diversity, Trustee Quarterly, and the U.S. News and World Report.
Heather joined the Commission as a Vice President liaison to institutions in January 2015, served as Vice President for Legal Affairs and Chief of Staff in July 2017, and was then elevated to Senior Vice President in July 2018. On June 26, 2019, Heather was named President-Elect to begin her transition to become President on July 1, 2020. She brought experiences from diverse institutions across the country with service ranging from an adjunct and full-time faculty member, delivering online and on-campus courses and programs, to administrative appointments as chief academic officer. These experiences included leading accreditation activities at her institutions as well as many years as a peer evaluator serving the Commission.
Heather earned her Ed.D. from Northcentral University (AZ), J.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Law, M.S. from Troy University (AL), and B.A. from Frostburg State University (MD). In addition to her academic credentials, she has participated in the American Council on Education’s Institute for Chief Academic Officers and Vanderbilt University’s Peabody Professional Institute on Higher Education Management
Heather, originally from East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, now resides in Delaware with her husband of twenty-five years, Chris, teenage nephew, Luce, and their two chihuahuas. Heather enjoys spending time at the nearby Delaware beaches and watching her nephew’s baseball games.
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President’s Executive Leadership Team
Kasey Bennett
Kasey Bennett joined the MSCHE staff in September 2022 and was named Executive Coordinator for the President’s Office in July 2023. In this role, she supports the work of the President, MSCHE’s Executive Leadership Team, and the Commission. Prior to joining MSCHE, she was a paralegal in Dover, DE, working in the practice areas of personal injury, criminal defense, and family law. Kasey attended Delaware Technical and Community College, where she studied Drug and Alcohol Counseling, as well as Human Services (Paralegal Studies).
Nicole Biever, M.A.
Nicole Biever joined the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in April 2022 and was named Chief of Staff in January 2024. Nicole provides organization-wide leadership and decision-making to ensure consistent operational coordination of accreditation activities, effective organizational management, and practices to ensure the attainment of critical strategic priorities. In addition, she provides oversight for communications and revenue-generating alternatives, including grant projects. As Chief of Staff, Nicole serves as a member of the President’s Executive Leadership Team and Cabinet. She most recently served as Assessment/Grant Specialist for the Wokini Initiative and has more than 20 years of experience in higher education and communication. Previously, Nicole taught in the English Department at South Dakota State University (2003-2019) and served as Chief Development Officer for the Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Plains (SD; 2019-2021), directing the organization’s marketing, development, special events, and grant management. She holds an M.A. and B.A. from South Dakota State University.
Judith Sciple, Ed.D.
Judith Sciple joined the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in August 2023 and was named Senior Vice President for Accreditation Relations and Services in August 2024. She provides oversight for the Accreditation Services and Vice Presidents units. As Senior Vice President, Judith serves as a member of the MSCHE President’s Cabinet. Prior to joining the Commission, Judith served at Delaware Technical Community College for 31 years, most recently as Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and Development where she provided college-wide leadership in the areas of accreditation, strategic planning, assessment, development, grant management, and alumni relations. Throughout her tenure, she also held leadership positions in college relations, marketing, and public relations and chaired numerous collegewide committees to enhance operations, streamline processes, and engage constituents. Judi was an active member of the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR) for more than 20 years, where she served as a board member from 2004-2012 and held the position of president. Judith earned her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership Administration and Policy and M.P.A. in Human Resources from the University of Delaware. She also holds a B.S. in Business Management from Wesley College (DE).
Amy Moseder, Ed.D.
Amy Shew Moseder joined the staff of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in December 2011 and was named Senior Vice President for Policy and Administrative Services in July 2023. Amy researches policy matters and provides the Commission with information and analyses that shape accreditation policy development. She also assists in the development of recertification petitions for the United States Department of Education (USDE). Previously, she worked as the Director of Institutional Research & Planning at Salem Community College (NJ) and as a communications and marketing professional in the architecture industry. Amy earned a B.A. in International Relations and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Delaware and a Ed.D. with specialization in Higher Education Leadership from Wilmington University (DE).
Tracey Schneider, J.D., Ph.D.
Tracey L. Schneider joined the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in February 2022 as Senior Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel. She has more than 15 years of legal experience with a primary focus on education law. Tracey provides legal assistance and support to the President, the Commission, and staff. She oversees the Commission’s legal aspects of the complex substantive change process, supports personnel-related matters, manages subpoenas and other legal notices, and reviews documents and contracts to support the work of the organization. She serves as a member of the President’s Cabinet and Executive Leadership Team. Prior to joining MSCHE, she served as general counsel for an educational institution, represented public and private educational entities in private practice, and held a faculty position teaching in organizational leadership in a doctoral program. Tracey frequently publishes and presents on a wide variety of legal and organizational topics. Her academic credentials include a B.S in Business Administration from the University of Richmond (VA), a J.D. from the University of Richmond School of Law, and a Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Planning & Leadership from the College of William & Mary (VA).