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GLCA Staff
Mickey McDonald
Simon J. M. Gray
Colleen Monahan Smith
Derek S. Vaughan
Charla J. White
Marc Anderson
Mickey McDonald
President
Michael (Mickey) McDonald is the president of the Great Lakes Colleges Association. He joined the GLCA staff on July 1, 2018. Just prior to joining the GLCA, Mickey served ten years as Provost of Kalamazoo College, including one term as Acting President, and before that he was a professor of mathematics and served in various administrative roles at Occidental College in Los Angeles. Mickey earned a B.S. from Davidson College and a Ph.D. in mathematics from Duke University. He currently serves on the Boards of the Association of Collaborative Leadership, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), and the American Council of Education (ACE).
Simon J. M. Gray
Senior Program Director, Global Liberal Arts Alliance
As Senior Program Director, Simon’s primary responsibility is programming for the Global Liberal Arts Alliance. He also works with GLCA faculty and staff groups, including the GLCA Academic Council and the International and Off-Campus Education Committee. Simon is the program lead for the GLCA’s partnership with the CIC AI Ready program. Prior to joining GLCA in July 2015, Simon taught Computer Science at The College of Wooster. Simon earned a B.A. in anthropology and philosophy and an M.A. in anthropology from the University of Virginia, then a Ph.D. in computer science from Kent State University.
Colleen Monahan Smith
Program Manager
Colleen is Director of the New Writers Award and Co-Director of the Consortium for Teaching and Learning. She leads and closely works with a number of campus administrative groups and is part of the GALI team, GLCA’s signature professional development program. Previously, she worked as a Legislative Director on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. Colleen earned her BS from Santa Clara University in Northern California where she studied Political Science with minors in Spanish and International Studies. Colleen joined the Great Lakes Colleges Association in 2012.
Derek S. Vaughan
Vice President for Finance and Administration
Derek S. Vaughan is the Vice President for Finance and Administration where he serves as the chief financial and operating officer. He also serves as the program officer for several groups including Chief Financial Officers, Institutional Researchers, HR Officers, Chief Information Technology Officers, and Tuition Remission Exchange Officers. Additionally, Derek serves as the administrator for the consortial Tuition Remission Exchange (TRE) program and the primary data sharing officer. Derek earned a BS in math and a BBA in quantitative business analysis from Ohio University, an MS in student personnel services and an MBA in organizational behavior from Miami University, and a PhD in higher education administration from the University of Michigan. Prior to joining the GLCA in 2004, Derek held positions in student affairs at Northwestern University, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and Miami University.
Charla J. White
Senior Program Director, Controller
Charla White is a senior program director and controller at the GLCA. Charla works closely with administrative and diversity groups, helps the VP for Finance and Administration monitor and enforce policies and procedures, and assists in the auditing process. Charla’s efforts focus on enrollment work with GLCA and ACM through the Midwest College Showcase and advancing Career Services through virtual career fairs and the Employer/Career Pipeline. Charla was previously employed at Earlham College where she worked in the Student Life area and the grant-funded Odyssey Program for rural, first-generation, college-bound students. Charla holds a Master’s Degree in Education with a focus on assessment and evaluation (American InterContinental University, 2010) and a Bachelor of Arts in English (Earlham College, 2008). Charla came to GLCA in 2002 following her work at Earlham College.
Marc Anderson
Office and Events Coordinator/Executive Assistant to the President
Marc Anderson is the Office and Events Coordinator and serves as the Executive Assistant to the President for GLCA. He also supports various Student Development administrative groups. Marc holds a BA in Music and a MS in Management. Prior to joining GLCA in 2023, Marc spent 10 years serving institutions in Admissions and Residence Life. In his free time, Marc volunteers for a non-profit organization committed to providing opportunities and safety to LGBTQ people in the cities of Highland Park and Detroit.