Board Corner: Strong Leadership, Timely Action

I hope everyone is having a happy holiday season as we wind down the semester. I want to begin this Board Corner by recognizing the amazing leadership we benefit from in AIR. In case you did not see it, our Executive Director and CEO Christine Keller was recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the Best Higher Education Leaders of 2025. This is a great honor for Christine and wonderful acknowledgement of the terrific leadership we have received from our executive officer.

You can see some of that leadership acumen—and the expertise and responsiveness of the AIR staff—in AIR’s rapid response to the most recent release of the ACTS rules within the Federal Register on November 14. Everyone is aware of the burden this new mandate is placing on compliance reporting for the upcoming winter collection period, and AIR is acting quickly to provide resources to assist institutions. AIR has provided background, resources, and training to support clarity, preparation, and informed decision-making in our community. All of this is available in a regularly-updated resource center: airweb.org/ACTS.

Finally, you have heard throughout this year that the organization is expanding its direct support to institutions through AIR’s Data & Decisions Consulting. AIR now offers tailored consulting around training, set-up and planning, reviews and audits, optimization, and direct technical assistance. As a part of the response to the ACTS, AIR will be offering ACTS Advisory Hours as a part of its paid consulting offerings.

This example of AIR’s efforts to assist institutions with the ACTS demonstrates how much we benefit from Christine’s leadership and the dedication and talent of the AIR staff. I remain grateful that she is serving as AIR’s Executive Director and CEO.

Brent