AECT announces Nolan Gruver as CEO

BLOOMINGTON, Ind., Aug. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The AECT board of directors has announced Nolan Gruver as chief executive officer. 

Gruver comes to AECT from Washington State where he most recently served as executive director for corporate training and continuing education with the Community Colleges of Spokane (CCS). During his time as executive director for CCS, he also served as president and vice president for the Washington State Continuing Education Council which is the official association for Washington State's self-supported continuing education divisions for its 34 community and technical colleges.

Gruver received his B.A. in International Affairs and M.S. in Communications from Eastern Washington University. A veteran of the United States military, he served six years in the United States Marine Corps where he performed two tours of duty during the Iraq War.

Gruver was selected after a comprehensive global search that vetted more than 250 applicants. The search was spearheaded by David Wiley, AECT president-elect and chief academic officer at Lumen Learning, and Camille Dickson-Deane, senior lecturer in higher education learning design at the University of Technology, Sydney, Australia. The pool was trimmed to six finalists whose recorded interviews were shared with AECT members for input.

"The process was comprehensive, transparent, and inclusive of our members worldwide," said Wiley. "We're incredibly excited to have Nolan join AECT. His enthusiasm, energy, and experience are just what the association needs as we move forward into our next chapter."

Ali Carr-Chellman, AECT president and dean of the School of Education and Health Sciences at the University of Dayton, indicated her support for Gruver's appointment. 

"He is so full of energy and really knows how to build a high-performing team," Carr-Chellman said. "Nolan is going to bring new ideas, innovation, and an entrepreneurial skill set. He also knows how to get things done. He has developed learning solutions in higher education, business and industry, and the military. He is a perfect match for AECT at this critical moment in our evolution. As AECT turns toward our second century, he is the right person at the right time for our leadership."  

Robert Doyle, AECT board member and associate dean in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University said, "Mr. Gruver revealed a philosophy of treating staff with respect and providing the pathway for them to succeed. He understands the importance of providing the work environment and tools for staff to continue their professional work and to acknowledge their accomplishments. I look forward to Nolan Gruver beginning his work as the new CEO of AECT."

"It is an honor to be selected as the new CEO of AECT. I am very excited to get the opportunity to work with a stellar board of directors and an organization which is setting its sights on new levels of possibilities as it looks towards its centennial anniversary coming up in 2023," said Gruver. "AECT is well positioned to become a major player in helping think through and shape possibilities for educational communications and technology within education, business, and industry across the globe. I am very grateful to the leaders and members of AECT who brought the organization up to its centennial mark and who have kept the organization in good standing while this whole process was underway." 

Gruver will begin his work with AECT on August 29.

AECT is an international organization that values diversity of thought, culture, and people whose activities are directed toward improving learning. AECT members may be found in colleges and universities; in the armed forces and industry; in museums, libraries, and hospitals; and in any other places where educational change takes place. AECT members include instructional designers, researchers, professors and teachers, educational technologists and other professionals united by a passion for improving teaching and learning.

Website: www.aect.org
Twitter: @AECT

Media Contact: 
James Shea
AECT Media Consultant
812-335-7675

SOURCE Association for Educational Communications and Technology