AASCU Announces Desirée A. Ford as Vice President of Administration and Finance

Contact:
Kellee Edmonds
(202) 478-4662
edmondsk@aascu.org

WASHINGTON, March 2, 2026—The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) today announced the appointment of Desirée A. Ford as its new vice president of administration and finance. She will begin her role on March 9.

Ford brings more than 20 years of financial and operational leadership experience across nonprofit and corporate sectors. She currently serves as chief financial and operations officer at BUILD, a national education nonprofit, where she leads finance, information technology, human resources, and administrative services. Previously, Ford served as director of finance at Education Week and held financial leadership roles at Catholic Charities of Maryland, Corporate Office Properties Trust, and Martek Biosciences Corporation, where she developed expertise in compliance, investment management, and risk oversight.

“We are delighted to welcome Desirée Ford to AASCU,” said Charles L. Welch, president and CEO of AASCU. “Her experience guiding complex organizations will be instrumental as we continue to strengthen AASCU’s sustainability and enhance our capacity to serve member institutions nationwide.”

As vice president of administration and finance, Ford will oversee AASCU’s finance, information technology, and administrative functions. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, she will serve as a key partner to the president on organizational strategy and decision-making. She will work closely with AASCU leadership and staff to guide financial planning, resource allocation, and the administrative operations that support the association’s mission and the evolving needs of its members.

“I am honored to join AASCU and support an association so deeply committed to access, affordability, and student-centered public higher education,” said Ford. “I look forward to partnering with AASCU’s leadership and staff to ensure the organization continues to deliver high-quality services to its members.”

Ford earned a Master of Business Administration from Texas Southern University and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Virginia State University.

Editor’s Note: Photo available upon request.

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The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) is a Washington, D.C.-based higher education association that represents the sector of over 500 regional public colleges, universities, and systems whose members share a learning- and teaching-centered culture, a historic commitment to serving today’s students, and a dedication to research and creativity that advances their regions’ economic progress and cultural development. These are institutions delivering America’s promise.