Blenda J. Wilson

As the chief executive officer of several colleges and universities, Dr. Blenda Wilson developed a keen interest in the relationship between the effectiveness of governing boards and the quality of the institution. She is currently a member of the Trusteeship Committee of Cedar Crest College and Union Theological Seminary. She is chair of the board of directors of HERS, a national leadership development organization for women higher education administrators.

Blenda’s interest in effective governance has also been expressed in the health field. She has served on the board of directors of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit; Northridge Medical Center, Los Angeles; and Partner’s Health Centers in Boston. As a director of Medco Health Solutions, a publicly-traded Fortune 500 company, Blenda serves on the governance and nominating Committee. Her board service is characterized by advocacy for board diversity, high levels of board member engagement, inclusive decision making, and performance management.

Blenda has enjoyed a distinguished career in higher education leadership in the United States. She was honored uniquely by her undergraduate alma mater, Cedar Crest College, which asked her to serve as interim president in 2007. Prior to that, she was the founding president of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, which distributed over $80 million in grants to schools and colleges to support improved educational achievement, especially among disadvantaged populations.

As president of California State University, Northridge, Blenda earned praise throughout the nation for leading the campus through recovery from the devastating Northridge Earthquake of 1994. She was chancellor of the University of Michigan-Dearborn; executive director of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education; and senior associate dean of the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. Blenda has been a prolific speaker and presenter, particularly on the role of higher education in promoting educational equity and opportunity.

Blenda is a graduate of Cedar Crest College (BA), Seton Hall University (MA) and Boston College (PhD in higher education management.) She has received honorary degrees from 27 colleges and universities throughout the United States.