Joanne Berger-Sweeney, Ph.D.

As the 22nd president of Trinity College, she led the strategic vision and management of this highly selective, Carnegie-classified research institution for 11 years. Under her leadership, Trinity achieved transformational progress: student retention increased to 91%, graduation rates to 86%, and post-graduation career outcomes to 97%, while the College's U.S. News and World Report ranking rose from No. 46 to No. 36. She enhanced faculty quality and diversity while launching innovative initiatives including the Center for Arts and Neuroscience, Center for Caribbean Studies, Entrepreneurship Center, Liberal Arts Action Lab, and Trinity Plus curriculum, alongside partnerships with Infosys and Hartford Healthcare, as well as numerous community-based organizations.

Financially, she increased financial aid by 50%, grew the endowment by 50% to $830 million, and increased net assets by 36% to $1 billion while leading the College's largest fundraising campaign, raising over $438 million. An expert in crisis management, she navigated social media controversies, political challenges, and the COVID-19 pandemic, successfully reopening the campus in fall 2020. She also served as chair of Hartford Healthcare's board of directors and now serves on boards including The Henry Luce Foundation, The Dana Foundation, the Allen Institute, and the Institute for International Education.

Previously, she served as dean of Tufts University's School of Arts and Sciences and associate dean at Wellesley College, where she rose to tenured, endowed full professor in Biology and Neuroscience. Throughout her career, she has championed STEM innovation and diversity and inclusive excellence in higher education along with strategic organizational growth.

Currently, she is founder and CEO of Health and Science Solutions, Inc., partnering with academic and health leaders to create sustainable solutions to leadership challenges.

 

Mark CJ Davis Jr (Moderator)

Mark Davis is the Associate Chief Information Technology Officer at Swarthmore College. A seasoned IT leader, mentor, presenter, and author, Mark brings deep expertise in change management, IT service management, information security, project management, client relations, organizational leadership, and strategic planning. He has led numerous technology and organizational transformations, excelling at guiding cross-functional teams through complex change by applying best practice methodologies, data-driven insights, and strong communication strategies.

At Swarthmore, Mark has overseen the strategic operations of IT services, including the management of institutional information systems and continuity planning. He works closely with senior leadership, faculty, staff, and students to implement sustainable changes in technology and service delivery, while building lasting partnerships within the community. As Chair of the College’s Information Security Committee, he has driven organizational change by reimagining its mission and strengthening compliance with privacy, GDPR, and GLBA requirements.

In addition to his institutional leadership, Mark serves the broader higher education IT community through NERCOMP. As a Board Member, he actively contributes to initiatives that foster innovation and professional growth, including the Conference Program Committee, Professional Development Committee, Governance and as a workshop facilitator. He also co-chairs the Mentoring Task Force, where he has helped design and launch NERCOMP’s mentorship programs, supporting members in navigating change and developing their leadership potential.
 

 

Carlos Garcia

Carlos García is Vice President of Operations for Technology & Human Resources and Chief Information Officer at Vassar College. With over 20 years in higher education, Carlos has led initiatives in IT transformation, organization building, strategic planning, and policy. At Vassar, his role bridges talent and technology, creating unique advantages to achieve institutional objectives. He oversees IT, HR, and Institutional Equity, and coordinates the College’s Campus Programs & Partnerships initiative, which supports Vassar’s long-term resilience through innovative use of campus resources.  His integrated approach to campus administration prioritizes operational efficiency while fostering a culture of inclusion and compliance. With extensive global experience, Carlos has built and retained high-performing teams, advanced Vassar's compensation practices, and negotiated major labor agreements. He holds an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business and a bachelor's degree with majors in Cinema and Computer Science.

 

Jason Parkhill

Jason Parkhill is the Chief Information Technology Officer (CITO) at Swarthmore College, where he leads Information Technology Services and serves as a member of the senior staff. He is responsible for ITS strategic planning, organizational development, and financial management. Jason works closely with senior leadership and campus stakeholders to develop a strategic roadmap for the procurement, integration, implementation, and maintenance of the broad technical infrastructure required to support an increasingly complex suite of enterprise software solutions essential to a residential higher-education environment, supporting student success, faculty research and instruction, and administrative and business operations.

Prior to Swarthmore, Jason served as Interim Chief Information Officer and played a critical role in numerous major strategic initiatives, including serving as a co-lead on Colby’s Data Governance Action Team, leading a Student Information System readiness assessment, and serving on the advisory board for Colby’s recently founded Davis Artificial Intelligence Institute. He also served as the Director of Academic Information Technology Services at Colby, overseeing research computing and digital scholarship, and began his career at Washington & Jefferson College.

A former Chair of the Consortium of Liberal Arts Colleges (CLAC) Governing Board of Directors, Jason has been deeply engaged in advancing collaboration and innovation across liberal arts institutions. He holds an M.A. from the University of Southern Maine and a B.A. from The College of Wooster.