Dr. Susan Whealler Johnston is president and CEO of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), a position she has held since August 1, 2018. Prior to joining NACUBO, she was at the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB), and for 12 years she served as its executive vice president and chief operating officer, responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization as well as strategic planning. While at AGB, she led national projects on a range of topics including college costs, shared governance, institutional risk, educational quality, student success, and fundraising. She was a regular contributor to Trusteeship magazine, and she facilitated AGB’s flagship program for presidents and board chairs of independent institutions. 

Prior to joining AGB, Susan was professor of English and dean of academic development at Rockford University. She also served as associate dean at Regent’s College, Rockford’s London campus. While at Rockford, she served as department chair, chaired the university’s strategic planning effort, and created grant-funded programs connecting the institution and the community on such topics as girls and STEM, women in the arts, and civic engagement. 

Susan serves on the boards of Rollins College and Radford University; she chairs the board of trustees of Rollins College. She is immediate past chair of the board of the Southern Education Foundation, and she is a member of the advisory committee of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). 

Susan writes and speaks on a range of topics including higher education, governance, leadership, and Jane Austen. She earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in English from Purdue University and her B.A. summa cum laude in English from Rollins College. She has an honorary doctorate from Rockford University.