About
Tiffany Rodriguez, Ph.D.
CONSULTANT / FOUNDING PARTNER
CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER AT AMERICAN COLLEGE OF HEALTHCARE SCIENCES
With over two decades of experience in higher education, Dr. Rodriguez is a distinguished consultant specializing in institutional effectiveness, accreditation, and strategic planning. She earned her Ph.D. in Biomechanics and Bachelor of Science in Health and Kinesiology from Texas A&M University, and further enhanced her expertise through the WSCUC Assessment Leadership Academy. Additionally, she holds a certificate in Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education from Vanderbilt University, equipping her to guide institutions in leveraging AI to streamline operations and support student learning.
​
Dr. Rodriguez’s career includes key roles such as Chief Academic Officer, Dean of Academic Affairs and Institutional Effectiveness, and Director of Institutional Research, where she has led data-informed decision making in areas such as, sustainable growth initiatives, new product development, strategic planning, retention, and accreditation. Her extensive experience collaborating with executive teams, academic staff, and stakeholders has consistently elevated educational quality and performance assessment across diverse academic settings.
​
An active evaluator and committee member for multiple higher education accreditors, Dr. Rodriguez is also a member of the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education and a published author, contributing to "Driving Innovation With For-Profit Adult Higher Education Online Institutions." Her commitment to data-informed strategies and AI-driven solutions empowers institutions to achieve their goals, foster continuous improvement, and ensure sustainable growth in a dynamic educational landscape.
​
David Chase, Ed.D.
CONSULTANT / FOUNDING PARTNER
​
David Chase has over 30 years of experience as a higher education professional and musician who specializes in arts education. From 2017 to 2023, he was Vice President for Educational Programs at the WASC Senior College & University Commission, and prior to that he served as the first Vice Dean, Academic Affairs of the American Film Institute Conservatory in Los Angeles, California. Earlier in his career he served in several roles at University of the Pacific including Senior Associate Director of Institutional Effectiveness in the Office of the Provost, and Assistant Dean of Pacific’s Conservatory of Music where he was on the faculty of the Music Management program and taught in the core seminars of Pacific’s General Education program. He was also the Academic Advisor to the Brubeck Institute. David earned Bachelor of Music and Master of Arts in Music degrees from Pacific’s Conservatory and the Doctor of Education degree from Pacific’s Benerd College. He has published and presented extensively on learning and teaching in higher education arts disciplines and educational effectiveness in higher education. Most recently David served in the second cohort of the Garrison Institute Fellowship Program, a contemplative-based leadership training program grounded in awareness-based wisdom and practice, the science of interconnection, and inquiry-based generative action.
%20(1).jpg)
Sonny Calderon
CONSULTANT / FOUNDING PARTNER
Sonny Calderon began his 20+ years of higher education experience as a lecturer, then assumed roles as department chair, dean, and provost.
​
Sonny is a substantive change and accreditation peer evaluator for the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and has served on the programming committee for WSCUC's annual conference. He also served as a peer evaluator for the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
​
Sonny is a graduate of the WSCUC Assessment Leadership Academy (ALA) and continues to serve as a mentor to current ALA cohorts.
​
In 2019, Sonny served on the Higher Education Committee of 50. This body was a national committee of fifty higher education administrators tasked with creating a special report outlining policy recommendations for Congress as it considered renewal of the Higher Education Act. The Committee met with members of the House and Senate to address issues of access, affordability, accountability, and transparency.
​
Sonny has delivered several presentations at academic conferences, including Rubrics for Grading and Assessment in and Across Arts Programs, Inventorying Learning in Co-Curricular Assessment, and The Power of Your Institutional Story: Turning Accreditation into Opportunity.
​
He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Michigan.
​
Sonny's areas of focus include Curricular Development, Assessment, Accreditation, Strategic Planning, Licensing/Compliance, Governing Boards, Business Development (Institutional Partnerships, Opening New Markets, Private/Public Partnerships), For-Profit and Startup Institutions, Organizational Storytelling, and Institutional Communications.
​
Rosa Belerique
CHIEF ENGAGEMENT OFFICER
Rosa serves as a higher education leader where her passion is providing the opportunity, like the one she received, of a life-changing college experience to any and all who seek it. Her tools in this effort include data-supported and mission-driven strategic planning and institutional support.
Rosa’s journey started as a first-generation, Pell grant college student who wondered if “college” could be her degree. In finding the next closest thing, she received a degree in higher education. After having too many questions as an academic advisor, she found herself at the door of the office of institutional research trying to find answers; thus was born her entry into the field.
Her work of institutional research and effectiveness (IRE) has served as a thread sewing together the disparate student experiences and institutional processes. Rosa’s commitments to IRE have allowed her to work at public and private institutions as an analyst, a specialist, a consultant, a director, and a vice president. It has brought Rosa the opportunity to serve more broadly as the president of the California Association for Institutional Research (CAIR), as a WSCUC Fellow, and as a WSCUC ALA graduate and mentor. She has advocated with data for broader access to tuition discounting and JEDI initiatives, reported to external agencies across shifting political climates, celebrated and supported colleagues, and hosted a conference during a pandemic, among other professional accomplishments.
This professional journey has brought Rosa to these organizations during a time of transformation and expressed importance for the need for data-driven decision-making and institutional improvement. Rosa continues to contribute her expertise and positively revolutionize the field.
​
Brooke Pillsbury
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Brooke Pillsbury is a results-driven higher education leader recognized for advancing operational excellence, academic integrity, and institutional effectiveness. With a proven record of optimizing student services, faculty operations, and compliance frameworks, Brooke transforms complex institutional processes into cohesive, high-performing systems that enhance both student and organizational success.
​
A strategic planner at heart, Brooke brings a holistic approach to aligning people, processes, and priorities. She has led cross-functional teams in designing and implementing scalable solutions that improve retention, streamline administrative workflows, and ensure alignment with accreditation standards and institutional goals. Her leadership is grounded in data-informed decision-making and collaborative planning, ensuring that long-term objectives are visionary, measurable, and sustainable.
​
Brooke’s executive approach combines strategic insight with an equity-minded, people-centered philosophy, championing continuous improvement, organizational integrity, and operational excellence across all levels of higher education.
​
Jennifer Hirashiki
ASSOCIATE
Jen Hirashiki has over 20 years of experience as a higher education administrator and educator. She has a strong track record of success in leading initiatives related to instructional effectiveness, assessment, data analysis, and teaching. Her expertise also includes program review, initial and ongoing accreditation efforts, and shared governance. Her background spans public, private, and for-profit educational institutions in the US and abroad.
She is a graduate of the WSCUC Assessment Leadership Academy and currently serves the ALA as a mentor. As a specialist in her field, she is a certified VALUE Institute Scorer (AAC&U) and a WSCUC Peer Reviewer. Jen has presented at numerous academic conferences on topics including assessment, online education, and educational technology. Jen holds a bachelor’s degree in French Literature from Ohio University and an MA in TESOL from Azusa Pacific University.
​
_edited.jpg)
Yariela Perez
ASSOCIATE
Yariela Perez began her financial aid career in 2004 as a Financial Aid Advisor and has advanced to Executive Director roles. She brings extensive experience in Title IV administration, institutional compliance, and operations across higher education, collaborating with financial aid, admissions, bursar, registrar, and finance offices—from student eligibility to state and federal compliance.
​
Yariela has directed the administration and compliance of funding programs including Pell, FSEOG, Federal Work-Study, Direct Loans, scholarships, VA benefits, private lending, 529 plans, and State Grants. With experience across for-profit and non-profit institutions, Yariela leads in technology-enabled operations with hands-on expertise in SIS platforms such as CAMS Enterprise, PeopleSoft, PowerFAIDS, Banner, Colleague, and Campus Nexus.
​
Yariela's proficiency extends to government portals and software including EdConnect, COD, CPS, NSLDS, G6, and EZ-Audit. An active NASFAA, CASFAA, WASFAA, and FINAID-L member, Yariela holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting. She combines technical acumen with a steadfast commitment to integrity and precision, driving financial and operational excellence across institutions.
​
Eileen McFall
ASSOCIATE
Eileen McFall has decades of experience in adult and higher education, workforce development, and nonprofit leadership. Her diverse background spans Adult Literacy and ESOL teaching and administration in K–12 and community college settings, faculty and professional development, curriculum and program design, assessment, and institutional effectiveness. She has taught learners from first-year undergraduates to graduate students in face-to-face, hybrid, and online formats.
As both an instructor and the founder of a volunteer-based nonprofit, Eileen has witnessed the transformative impact of experiential learning on students and communities alike. Her work in the nonprofit sector has deepened her understanding of the essential skills—critical thinking, information literacy, quantitative reasoning, communication, and civic engagement—that enable effective participation in both public and private life.
At a time when Artificial Intelligence is reshaping education and society, Eileen’s research on proficiency underscores the enduring value of human knowledge, judgment, and wisdom in guiding the ethical and purposeful use of AI.
A first-generation college graduate, Eileen earned a B.S. in English Education from Boston University, an M.A. in Adult and Workforce Education from the University of Connecticut, and a Ph.D. in Adult Learning from the University of Connecticut.