Leadership

Leadership

Our leadership team brings a wide array of experience and higher education knowledge to our System and their respective areas of expertise. A culture of radical cooperation runs throughout our organization, with System-wide leaders meeting weekly to share best practices, work through challenges, and explore strategic opportunities for enhancement.

Michael Horowitz, Ph.D.

Chancellor, The Community Solution Education System

As the founding president of The Community Solution Education System, Michael Horowitz, Ph.D., has more than 30 years of experience in higher education in roles that include faculty member, program director, and dean. Prior to founding The Community Solution, Dr. Horowitz served as president of The Chicago School for nearly a decade. Under his direction, The Chicago School grew from a single-program, single-campus institution with 215 students, to a prominent multi-campus leader in graduate psychology and behavioral sciences education, with more than 2,500 students educated annually. Inspired by this success, he envisioned a community model that could provide not just stability but sustained growth—where universities collaborate, gain resources, and share expertise.

In 2009, he founded The Community Solution Education System and continues to lead our community of nonprofit colleges and universities in the shared mission of preparing innovative, engaged, purposeful agents of change who serve our global community. Dr. Horowitz holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Northwestern University and B.A. in Psychology from Columbia University.

System Leadership

Jennifer Gantz
Jennifer Gantz, M.S.
Chief Financial Officer
The Community Solution Education System
cherron hoppes
Cherron Hoppes, Ed.D.
Chief Academic Officer
The Community Solution Education System
Nathan Long
Nathan Long, Ed.D.
President
University of Western States
dr kim long in a blue business jacket
Kimberly Long, Ph.D.
Acting President
Kansas Health Science University
Deborah Markos
Deborah Markos, M.S.
Chief Operating Officer
The Community Solution Education System
Breeda McGrath, Ph.D.
Breeda McGrath, Ph.D.
President
Pacific Oaks College & Children's School
Rick Merrick
Rick Merrick, B.S.
Chief Information Officer
The Community Solution Education System
Shari Mikos
Shari Mikos, M.S.M.
Chief of Staff
The Community Solution Education System
Jeremy Moreland, Ph.D.
President
Saybrook University
Michele Nealon
Michele Nealon, Psy.D.
President
The Chicago School
Matt Nehmer
Matthew Nehmer, Ph.D.
President
The Colleges of Law
headshot of Brian Powell
Brian Powell, J.D.
Chief Human Resources Officer
The Community Solution Education System

Remembering & Honoring
Dr. Leanne Wruck

During her tenure, Leanne worked with our colleges and universities to advance new degree programs, achieve accreditation milestones, and improve student retention and graduation rates. She created a strong community among academic leaders across our System, leading academic assemblies that brought together faculty to discuss new and innovative approaches to teaching. In her most recent role as interim president of Pacific Oaks she successfully led the college to a 10-year reaffirmation of its accreditation with WASC Senior College and University Commission. Her contributions to our community were profound, and she will be deeply missed. To celebrate her profound contributions, we have established the Dr. Leanne Wruck Scholarship Fund to continue her mission of fostering academic innovation and student achievement.