Barbara Gellman-Danley assumed the presidency of the Higher Learning Commission in July 2014.
Prior to joining HLC, Gellman-Danley was President of University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College in Ohio. She previously served as Vice Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents, President at Antioch University McGregor, Vice President at Monroe Community College, and Vice Chancellor at the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. She also held positions at the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority (OETA) and Cox Cable Communications in Oklahoma City.
Gellman-Danley currently sits on the boards of Credential Engine (chair) and GlobalMindED. Previous board and commission memberships include National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), the Association of Governing Boards (AGB) Council of Presidents, the American Council on Education (ACE) on Education and Attainment, and the Council on Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL).
Gellman-Danley holds a Bachelor of Science in Speech/English Education from Syracuse University, a Master of Library Science from Simmons University, a Master of Business Administration from Oklahoma City University, and a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Oklahoma. She also completed post-graduate work at New York University, Cornell University, Harvard University, the University of Chicago, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In April 2019, Gellman-Danley was awarded Honorary Membership in Phi Theta Kappa due to her lifelong commitment to students.
Gellman-Danley holds coaching credentials as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC), a Certified Executive Coach and a Certified Life Coach, She also holds certifications in other specialized coaching, Change Management, AGILE and Lean Six Sigma.