The ABHES Board of Commissioners consists of eleven members, five appointed by the commissioners themselves (either ABHES members or non-ABHES members) and six elected by the accredited members from among its accredited institutions and programs. At least two of the Commissioners represent the public, as defined by the U.S. Department of Education, and have no affiliation with an ABHES-accredited institution or program. Care is taken to include in its mix academic and administrative personnel, and educators and practitioners. Each Commissioner serves a defined term and is held responsible to a strict Code of Ethics.
Chair: Linda W. Swisher
Elected Seat 5 – Commissioner at Large: Retired, Program Director, Sarasota County Technical Institute
Executive Committee
Dr. Swisher is retired from the position of program director for Health and Fire Sciences at Sarasota County Technical Institute where she taught since 1972. In 1977, she graduated from the University of South Florida with a bachelors of arts degree in education and received her master’s degree from the University of South Florida in 1980. Her doctorate of education was conferred in 1995 by Nova Southeastern University. Prior to joining ABHES, Dr. Swisher had been a site evaluator for the Council on Occupational Education (COE) accrediting agency and had been involved in both national and regional accreditation as well as state legislative matters. Dr. Swisher currently serves as Chair of ABHES’ Officer Nominating Committee.
Past Chair: Guy Euliano
Elected Seat 6 – Commissioner at Large: President, Tri-State Business Institute
Executive Committee
Mr. Euliano brings to ABHES nearly 25 years of experience in post-secondary education bringing to ABHES an extensive background in accreditation, having served as a commissioner for six years with the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), most recently as its Chair in 2002. He was also chair and evaluator for the Bureau of Academic Programs, Pennsylvania Department of Education for the approval of Associate in Specialized Business Degree. Mr. Euliano serves on ABHES’ Financial Review Committee and its Strategic Initiatives Committee. He possesses a baccalaureate degree in political science from the University of Tampa.
Vice Chair: Michael Covone, RT(R), CT
Appointed Seat 2 – Educator in a Specialty Area: Assistant Professor, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Williamsport, PA
Executive Committee
As a faculty member at Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, since 1996, Mr. Covone teaches undergraduate health science courses both in the traditional setting and by distance education. His professional background includes working as a radiological technologist from 1991-1997 at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Natrona Heights, PA, and as the associate director at the Western Pennsylvania Home Health Network in Lower Burrell, PA. His educational background includes a master’s of education in instructional systems from Pennsylvania State University, a bachelor’s of arts in health sciences from La Roche College, and a certificate of radiography from Allegheny Valley School of Radiography. Mr. Covone is currently pursuing a doctorate of education in teacher leadership at Walden University.
Secretary: Michael Schafer
Elected Seat 1 – Academician in a Healthcare related area: Vice President, Academic Affairs, Health Education Division, Career Education Corporation
Executive Committee
Mr. Schafer is the vice president of academic affairs for the Health Education division of Career Education Corporation. He has worked specifically in the field of allied health education for over a decade and has been with Career Education Corporation since 2003. Mr. Schafer is responsible for guiding the educational activities at numerous campuses covering distinctly different health education and nursing programs. He is continually active in organizations, regulatory bodies and state agencies throughout the country that directly impact students and our industry.
Treasurer: Florence Tate
Appointed Seat 5 – Public Member: Vice President of Business Development, Champion College Services, Inc. Executive Committee
Ms. Tate is Vice President of Business Development for Champion College Service, Inc. Prior to her current position Ms. Tate served as President Emerita of Potomac College in Washington, D.C., where she served as President for ten years. Previously, she served as Commissioner and Chair of the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET) and has participated in over 300 institution evaluation visits for three national accrediting agencies, including ABHES. Ms. Tate serves on several boards, regulatory counsels, and advisory groups, is a speaker and presenter for industry groups on proprietary school issues of higher education and currently chairs the Board of Trustees of Bay State College in Boston Massachusetts.
Jim Buffington
Elected Seat 3 – Ownership Representative: President, Career Networks Institute, Costa Mesa, CA
Mr. Buffington has operated postsecondary institutions in the Orange County, California, area since 1981. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from California State University in Long Beach and now serves as president of a family-run postsecondary institution, Career Networks Institute (CNI) in Orange County. Since its beginning in 1994, CNI has focused on health care education. Mr. Buffington has been a long-time active member of the California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools (CAPPS) where he has served as president, committee member, and now serves on its Board of Directors. Mr. Buffington serves on ABHES’ Financial Review Committee.
Terry Humphrey, C.S.T.
Appointed Seat 1 – Practitioner in a Specialty Area: Baptist Medical Center South, Jacksonville, FL
A practicing surgical technologist since 1986, Ms. Humphrey is employed by Baptist Medical Center South, Jacksonville, Florida, and is responsible for the coordination of equipment used, scheduling, and overseeing staff for surgical services sterile processing area. She previously held the position of supervisor of the Sterile Processing Department for the same hospital and has also served for three years as a program director for the surgical technology program at Sanford Brown Institute. Ms. Humphrey has been an active committee member and site visit evaluator for ABHES. She holds a certificate of applied science from Florida Community College at Jacksonville and is a Certified Surgical Technologist through the National Board for Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA).
Janet Jefford
Appointed Seat 3 – Commissioner at Large: Director of Institutional Effectiveness Goodwin College, East Hartford, CT
Ms. Jefford is the Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness for Goodwin College in East Hartford, Connecticut. She is responsible for the Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment which develops and integrates processes that promote the continuous improvement of College programs and services and serves as a warehouse for assessment information as it relates to accreditation, funding and other college initiatives. She also oversees the Office of Curriculum Planning and Accreditation which safeguards the mission of the college by maintaining current accreditations. Ms. Jefford has over 35 years’ experience in higher education, accreditation, and health care.
Kevin L. Kirk
Elected Seat 2 – Administrator in a HealthCare related area: President Community Care College Tulsa, Oklahoma
President of Community Care College and Clary Sage College, both located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Dr. Kirk is responsible for the daily operations of both campuses. He brings more than 30 years’ experience in higher education, health care training and business. Dr. Kirk received a doctorate in educational leadership from Brigham Young University and he is a C.S. Mott Foundation Fellowship recipient and received the Mountain Plains Adult Education Association Graduate Scholarship. He has served at the director and dean levels at Utah State University, The University of Phoenix and at three community colleges in Florida and Kansas. He also served as chair of the Division of Education Services for the Mayo Clinic and was employed as a learning performance consultant with IBM. Dr. Kirk served as the president of the Adult Education Association of Utah and was on the board of directors for the Utah Community Education Association and the Mountain Plains Adult Education Association.
Randy Nikola
Elected Seat 4 – Ownership Representative: President, Healing Mountain Massage School, Salt Lake City, Utah
Mr. Nikola is the President of Healing Mountain Massage School, Salt Lake City, Utah, and is a Licensed Massage Therapist and is the Past President of the Utah Chapter of the American Massage Therapy Association. He has worked actively with ABHES as a volunteer on site visits, both as a massage therapy specialist and team leader. Mr. Nikola is the newest commissioner and we welcome him to ABHES!
John (Jack) Yena
Appointed Seat 4 – Public Member: Retired Chairman of the Board, Johnson & Wales University, Providence, Rhode Island
Jack Yena is retired Chairman of the Board, Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he has served in several capacities since beginning his career there in 1963. His distinguished career includes serving as President and Treasurer to the Career College Association (then AICS), Commissioner and Chair of the Collegiate Council for the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), Chair of the American Council on Education (Commission on Educational Credit and Credentials), and as a member of the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality & Integrity for the U.S. Secretary of Education. He has served ABHES over the years as a member of appeals boards. Mr. Yena earned both his bachelor’s degree and Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Rhode Island.