CEO Summit
Registration
Hotel & Travel
Schedule
Sponsorship
CEO Summit
2022 CEO Summit
November 2-3, 2022 | Phoenix, AZ

The CECU CEO Summit brings together C-Suite executives from across the postsecondary career education sector​ to discuss topics impacting our sector and continue conversations to strategically plan around those areas.

Confirmed Speakers

​James Kvaal, U.S. Under Secretary of Education
James Kvaal was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the Under Secretary of Education on September 14, 2021. Under Secretary Kvaal was formerly the president of the Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS), a research and advocacy nonprofit dedicated to affordability and equity in higher education. 

Under Secretary Kvaal served in the Obama Administration as the deputy domestic policy adviser at the White House and deputy undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Education. He led efforts to cut student loan monthly payments, hold career colleges accountable for excessive debts, and make community colleges tuition-free. He helped organize the White House Summit on College Opportunity, which featured more than 100 college presidents and other leaders committing to actions to help more students graduate from college. He also has served in senior roles in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. 
Ron Brownstein
Ron Brownstein is CNN’s senior political and election analyst, a senior editor at the Atlantic, and a contributing editor at National Journal. He is a prolific and penetrating columnist on politics and policy, and the best-selling author or editor of seven books.

Before taking over the political coverage for Atlantic media company, he served as the national political correspondent and a columnist for the Los Angeles times. 

There he was twice a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and cited for “the clarity, consistency, and quality of his political reporting.” He has also appeared on virtually every political talk show on nearly every network.

​The Economist called Ron “one of America’s best political journalists,” saying, “his speeches reflect the depth of his knowledge of the wide expanse of America’s past and present, making him one of the most trustworthy predictors of America’s future.”
Daniel Brozovic
Daniel Brozovic is a Principal in the Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville Education group representing institutions of higher education, investors, and education loan lenders. Dan’s experience in the higher education sector enables him to provide practical, real-world advice that clients can understand and implement with confidence.

Dan focuses on advising clients in transactions regulated by the U.S. Department of Education and in regulatory matters and administrative litigation before the Department of Education. In addition, he counsels educational institutions regarding compliance with federal, state, accrediting agency, and grant funding agency standards. Dan also has significant experience assisting in civil litigation and arbitration matters, with a particular emphasis on electronic discovery issues and the enforceability of arbitration provisions and the arbitrability of disputes.
Dennis Cariello
Dennis Cariello is a shareholder at Hogan Marren Babbo & Rose, Ltd. and the co-chairman of the firm’s Education Practice. With more than 15 years of experience, he has created a diverse national law practice that allows him to provide a wide range of services to colleges and universities, student lenders, education investors and education technology and service providers. He counsels clients on matters that include education law and policy, corporate transactions, government and regulatory affairs, Title IX and civil rights matters, privacy law and litigation.

Mr. Cariello has advised a number of governmental and non-governmental regulators on higher education policy and process.  Previously, he served as a non-federal negotiator on the U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE) 2016 Negotiated Rulemaking Panel on “Borrower Defense to Repayment.” In addition to serving as the Chair of Education Regulatory Compliance for an Am Law 100 firm, prior to joining HMBR, Mr. Cariello served at the DOE as Deputy General Counsel for Postsecondary Education and Regulatory Services.
Scott Casanover
Scott Casanover oversees the global legal and government affairs functions for West Coast University and American Career College.  In this capacity he provides advanced litigation strategy, regulatory interpretation and guidance, and key corporate legal support to the schools he serves.

Prior to joining WCU and ACC, Casanover was the General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer for Vatterott College in St. Louis, Missouri. He also served as General Counsel for MAC Meetings and Events, and as Litigation Counsel for the May Department Stores Companies. In addition to these positions, Casanover was a litigation attorney in the St. Louis office of Husch Blackwell.

Scott has over 20 years of professional legal experience in the areas of litigation, transactions, intellectual property, corporate governance and regulation, policy, and compliance.
Jeff Ehrlich 
​Drawing on his deep experience in government service, Jeff Ehrlich represents clients in the consumer-finance space, providing advice and counseling to businesses that compete in markets governed by multiple state and federal agencies that enforce complex and often novel statutes and regulations.
​
Before joining McGuireWoods, Jeff served as deputy enforcement director for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). In that role, he led the CFPB’s Field Litigation Team, managing investigations and litigation in the CFPB’s four regional offices and headquarters. He directed more than 100 enforcement actions against financial-services providers, fintech companies, and retailers, often partnering with other federal regulatory and enforcement agencies and state attorneys general.
Farnaz Farkish Thompson
Farnaz Farkish Thompson serves as a trusted advisor to institutions of higher education, and a Partner and the Deputy Chair of the Education Industry Team at McGuireWoods LLP. Prior to joining McGuireWoods, Farnaz served as the Deputy General Counsel for Postsecondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education and also as in-house counsel at the University of Virginia.

She advised the U.S. Department of Education on litigation strategy and worked closely with the U.S. Department of Justice in cases arising under federal antidiscrimination laws and the Administrative Procedure Act.

​She co-authored the 2019 borrower defense to repayment regulations and advised the Office of Postsecondary Education and Federal Student Aid on other regulations governing proprietary schools. 
Gerome Grant
Jerome A. Grant is the Chief Executive Officer for the Universal Technical Institute and serves on the company’s Board of Directors since November 2019. Prior, he joined UTI as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in November 2017. His vision is to help UTI become the leading provider of technical training for students entering careers in automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians, and offers welding technology and computer numerical control (CNC) machining programs. His personal insights and experience are driving the company to embrace state-of-the-art technology, encouraging the development industry-aligned curriculums, and creating quality partnerships with industry leaders to align with student success outside the classroom.
Art M. Lee
Art Lee is the Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for the University of Arizona. He is based primarily at the UA Phoenix Biomedical Campus. Mr. Lee works on a diverse array of matters for the university and handles a variety of matters, including providing general legal counsel and advice to constituents at the Phoenix Biomedical Campus in addition to the rest of the University.

Before joining the University of Arizona, Mr. Lee was an Associate General Counsel with Arizona State University. Prior to that, he served as a Senior Legal Staff Associate Attorney at the University of Colorado. 
Registration
Registration

The CEO Summit is open to education executives of institutions as well as allied executives from member companies.
Registration Rates
Registration type
Early Rate
Available through October 2, 2022
Regular Rate
School member
$800
$900
Allied member
$900
$1,000
Prospective school member
$1,000
$1,500
This event is open to CECU members and prospective school members. If you are interested in learning more about CECU's Education or Allied membership options, please contact Kelley Blanchard at Kelley.blanchard@career.org. 
Hotel & Travel
Hotel Information
​
All events for the CEO Summit will be hosted at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel. 

Due to high attendance rates, CECU is arranging for an overflow room block at the Westin Phoenix Downtown, which is less than 2 blocks from the Renaissance. 

If space is not available for your dates at the Renaissance, please make your arrangements at the Westin. 

Westin Phoenix Downtown
333 North Central Avenue
Phoenix, Arizona 85004
Reserve here through CECU's discounted block
Discounted rate: $239/night

Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel
100 North 1st Street
Phoenix, AZ, 85004
​Rooms are  still avaialble on November 2 and 3. 
Reserve here through CECU's discounted block

All reservations must be made by October 4, 2022 to take advantage of the discounted rate. 
Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel
Reserve your room by October 4, 2022 for the discounted group rate. 
Additional Hotel Options within 3 blocks
Travel Recommendations
​Attendees are encouraged to arrive by 2 pm on Wednesday, November 2 to check in and attend the Opening Session.

The CEO Summit will conclude at 7 pm on Thursday, November 3 to allow attendees to travel on Friday, November 4th. 
Schedule
Wednesday, November 2, 2022
Pre-meeting activities will be available prior to the opening session for attendees who plan to arrive early.  Attendees can sign up on the registration site to reserve their seats
2:00-4:00 pm
Registration Check in
4:00 pm
Opening Session
4:30 pm
Address from Under Secretary of Education, James Kvaal
​5:30
Welcome Reception sponsored by Cengage
Thursday, November 3, 2022
8:00 am
Breakfast
9:00 am
Opening Session
9:30 am
Borrower Defense to Repayment Panel 
11:00 am
Nonprofit and Proprietary Partnerships
Noon
Networking Lunch  sponsored by Elsevier​​
1:30 pm
Election Projections with ​Ron Browstein
​Sponsored by Duane Morris
2:30 pm
CFPB Update
3:00 pm
Title IV Update
3:30 pm
Workforce Partnerships
4:00 pm
CECU Discussion
5:00 pm
Closing Reception
The CEO Summit will conclude at 6 pm on Thursday, November 3 after the Reception. 
The agenda is subject to change. 
Sponsorship
Interested in being a sponsor of the 2022 CEO Summit?

Increase your exposure by becoming a sponsor of the event. Limited sponsorship opportunities are available for this executive event, so contact Kelley Blanchard at Kelley.blanchard@career.org to learn more. 

Sponsoring companies can select from specific sponsorship options or a general sponsorship. 

All sponsors are listed on meeting announcements, emails and onsite signage. 
CEO Summit
November 2-3
Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel​

Thank you to our sponsors!