Barbara Mistick became the fourth president of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) on September 1, 2019.

Over the course of a 30-year career in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, Mistick has been an entrepreneur, educator, and leader at institutions such as Wilson College (PA), Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the H.J. Heinz School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University (PA), and the National Education Center for Women in Business at Seton Hill University (PA), and at various businesses she managed and/or founded.

As the nineteenth president of Wilson College, Mistick was the architect of the strategic plan Wilson Today, a five-point plan structured to double enrollment by reducing tuition, creating a first-of-its-kind student debt buyback plan, and opening all degree programs to coeducation. The plan also added academic programs in health care and other areas of demand, addressed infrastructure and future facility needs, and improved the marketing of the College. During her tenure, Wilson experienced record enrollment growth, nearing 1,500 students in fall 2018.

As president of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, she provided strategic leadership and operational oversight of a library system that serves approximately 1.2 million people and includes 19 neighborhood library locations. 

Most recently, Mistick was the board chair of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Pennsylvania (AICUP) and a member of the executive committee of the Board of Directors of the Council of Independent Colleges. 

Mistick’s book, Stretch: How to Future-Proof Yourself for Tomorrow’s Workplace, was designated as an Amazon Editor’s Pick and ranked #12 on the 800-CEO-READ’s Best Seller list. 

She earned a doctor of management from Case Western Reserve University (OH), an M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh (PA), and a bachelor of science from Carlow University (PA).