Over the past 30 years, Grace Stephens has held senior leadership positions at several of this country’s major research institutions. She’s worked as an executive level business developer and profit and loss manager for Kaplan, Inc. and as a business relationship manager for Goldman Sachs & Co. on Wall Street. These and other unique experiences have positioned her as a leader and innovator in both academia and business.

Dr. Stephens’ extensive education and diverse career experiences have given her the ability to build infrastructure, set vision, and make policy for small businesses, large corporations, nonprofits, ministries, and churches. She has a strong aptitude for working with, communicating to, and motivating a broad diversity of people, in a variety of religious, business, and educational settings.

Grace’s executive experience is as vast as it is diverse spanning from the Director of Education for the Department of Surgery at Duke University Health System to Chancellor of MacCormac College, to supervisory roles at several of this nation’s largest banks, to advising and overseeing nonprofits, and running her own businesses.

Several of Grace’s board appointments include:

• Higher Learning Commission – Peer Reviewer (2019-Present) 
• US Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education – Peer Reviewer (2016-Present) 
• National Court Reporters Council on Student Education and Scholarship – Board Member (2014-Present) 
• Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities – Executive Committee Member (2011-Present) 
• American College of Surgeons Research and Development Committee – Board Member (2008-2011) 
• Duke University Health System Education Institute Board of Directors – Chairperson (2008-2010)