ACCSC Leadership Team

  Michale S. McComis

   Executive Director

   (B.A., M.Ed., Ed.D., University of Virginia)

As the Executive Director, Dr. McComis acts as the Chief Executive Officer of the accrediting commission, managing the day-to-day   operation of ACCSC’s Arlington, Virginia office and staff, and overseeing the accreditation process for over 810 accredited and applicant institutions throughout the United States. Michale is also responsible for the Commission’s liaison activities with state and federal agencies, institutional and programmatic accrediting organizations, higher education associations, and coordinates the Commission’s legislative activities.  

Michale’s tenure with ACCSC began in 1994 and during that time he has conducted hundreds of on-site evaluations to ACCSC member institutions, and is a frequent speaker at accreditation workshops and training seminars as well as at state and national conferences on accreditation and higher education. Michale has authored several publications and conducted several research projects for the Commission. Michale’s research specialty is in the area of measuring and evaluating student achievement outcomes and his training seminar topics cover areas such as leadership in private career colleges, the role of accreditation in institutional enhancement, and distance education and degree program development. Michale’s doctoral dissertation is entitled Does Leadership Matter?: The Relationship Between Leadership Characteristics and Student Achievement in Private Career Colleges. Michale has also participated in international accreditation activities in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Brazil, Canada, and the Caribbean and has on behalf of the Commission met with numerous international delegations seeking information about accreditation in the United States.

Michale has served an adjunct faculty member at the University of Virginia where he teaches graduate courses in education policy. Before joining ACCSC, Michale earned experience in the trades by working as an electrician’s apprentice and HVAC technician and through his service in the United States Marine Corps.

Juanita Gurubatham

Director of Institutional Review & Development

(Ph.D., University of Maryland - Baltimore  County)

Dr. Juanita Gurubatham joined the Commission in August 2007 as the Associate Director of Institutional Development.  In her current role, Juanita supports strategic planning and process enhancement activities in the area of substantive change, degree, and distance education applications. Juanita comes to ACCSC with more than 25 years of experience in higher education in the areas of curriculum development, faculty and academic administration, and distance learning. 

Prior to joining ACCSC, Juanita served as the Associate Vice President for Academic Administration and Institutional Research at Columbia Union College in Takoma Park, Maryland.  Juanita holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy with an emphasis in higher education from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. 

Christopher D. Lambert
Director of External Affairs

(B.A., Indiana University of Pennsylvania; M.Ed., University of Virginia)

Christopher Lambert joined ACCSC in 1996.  In his current position as Director of External Affairs, Christopher is responsible for the development and administration of the Commission’s external affairs activities, including monitoring regulatory issues affecting ACCSC and its membership, including changes to, and interpretations of, federal regulations that pertain to accrediting agency recognition.  Christopher also supports the Commission's activities with state and federal agencies; institutional, programmatic, and specialized accrediting organizations; and higher education associations.

As a staunch advocate of accreditation, Christopher has participated on hundreds of on-site accreditation evaluations, has been afforded multiple opportunities to meet with various international delegations seeking information about accreditation in the United States, and has represented the Commission on several international accreditation endeavors. Additionally, Christopher is a frequent speaker on accreditation matters at higher education conferences hosted across the United States where he focuses on the role of accreditation in supporting and enhancing institutional performance.

Christopher currently serves as the primary staff liaison for the Commission’s distance education committee and is responsible for the development, coordination, and presentation of the Commission’s professional development program, including ACCSC’s workshops and webinars.

Corey Rosso

Director of Accreditation

(B.A., North Carolina State University; MBA, Strayer University)

Corey Rosso joined the Commission in October of 2011 as the Director of Accreditation. In this role, Corey is charged with overseeing the operations for the Accreditation Department of ACCSC. This primarily includes the management of the application for accreditation processes, the execution of on-site evaluations, and all of the reporting and responses the Commission will need as a result. Corey comes to ACCSC with more than 10 years of experience in education in the areas of operational leadership, strategic development, and process improvement.

Prior to joining ACCSC, Corey served as the Director of Operations at Strayer University for a number of campuses on the East Coast. Most recently he was the director for the Arlington, Virginia campus. Corey holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History from North Carolina State University, and a MBA with an emphasis in management from Strayer University.

Anne Santalla
Director of Operations

(B.A., Marymount University)

Anne Santalla joined ACCSC in the fall of 2003. As the director of operations, Anne is responsible for the management and oversight of the administrative and fiscal operations of ACCSC. She has more than 18 years of nonprofit management experience and is a member of both the American Society of Association Executives and the Society for Human Resources Management.

Prior to joining the Commission, Anne served as the director of finance and administration for the American Association of University Professors. Anne also previously served as the director of administration and membership for the American Industrial Health Council.

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Bettina Falwell
Manager of Accreditation Operations

(B.S., Columbia Union College; M.S., Capella University)

Bettina Falwell joined the Commission in May 2001 and throughout her tenure with ACCSC, has held several positions within the organization.   In her current position as the Manager of Accreditation Operation, Bettina  is responsible for implementing the operational needs of the accrediting department and ensuring an effective and efficient process for all institutions seeking accreditation from the Commission.

Bettina has 12 years of experience in managing at-risk youth and adult education programs in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. Bettina also serves as staff liaison to the ACCSC Compliance Committee.

Aillen King
Manager for Institutional Records

2006 marks Aillen King’s 20th year with ACCSC. As the Manager for Institutional Records, Ms. King is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of ACCSC’s database, which ensures the timely flow of communication and information to respective departments at ACCSC. Additionally, Ms. King’s responsibilities include maintaining the integrity of all institutional files and archives, and institutional record management.

Ms. King is the primary staff contact for all changes to school contact information, including changes in school director position, and also serves as the primary staff contact for voluntary withdrawals and school closures.

Karen Marcinski
Manager of Institutional Review and Development

(B.A., SUNY-Cortland; M.S., Radford University)

Karen Marcinski joined ACCSC in 2004 as the School Actions Coordinator where she was responsible for coordinating the Commission’s various compliance initiatives centered around Commission meetings. 

In her current capacity as Manager of Institutional Review and Development, Karen is responsible for overseeing various accreditation processes related to monitoring ongoing institutional compliance of ACCSC member schools, including: interim reporting, complaints, compliance with other agencies, teach-outs, and substantive change applications (new programs, branch locations, etc.). Karen also serves as the designated staff liaison to the ACCSC Compliance Committee and participates in on-site evaluations as needed.

Lisa J. Miles
Manager of Accreditation

(B.S., University of Missouri)

Lisa Miles began working with ACCSC in November 1996 and has conducted nearly 300 on-site evaluations since then. Prior to her tenure with ACCSC, Lisa was a research associate with the Missouri Proprietary School Certification Program, a compliance reviewer with the Missouri Student Loan Program, a financial aid officer at Central Missouri State University, and a student loan processor at Colorado State University.

As the Manager of Accreditation, Lisa's primary responsibilities include the oversight and management of the accreditation process for both member institutions and initial applicants, as well as coordinating subsequent follow up verification activities that include degree program activities and separate facilities review. Lisa is also a member of the ACCSC presentation team.