President and CEO George Nichols III today named Chad Patrizi, PhD, executive vice present and provost at The American College of Financial Services beginning May 1, 2019. This newly created position will be the second-ranking administrative officer at The American College.

Patrizi comes to The American College from American Public University System (APUS), where he is currently vice president and dean of the School of Business. APUS is a regionally accredited online institution comprised of American Military University and American Public University, currently serving more than 81,000 active students.

As chief academic officer for the nation's largest regionally accredited, nonprofit educational institution devoted to financial services, Patrizi will be responsible for advancing the educational mission of The American College and broadening its reputation as the leader in online learning within the financial services and business sectors. He will oversee the investment of resources to better support academic priorities, grow The College's faculty of thought leaders, and ensure the delivery of innovative academic instruction and student experience.

"For nearly two decades, Dr. Patrizi has been a leader in higher education for one of the nation's largest online learning institutions," Nichols said. "He is the ideal choice to be the chief academic officer for The American College as we broaden our influence within financial services and business."

Patrizi joined APUS in 2001, first serving as chair of the Business, Management, and Information Technology Department before becoming dean of the School of Business. Prior to joining APUS, he was with the congressionally chartered National Academy of Public Administration in Washington, DC, conducting public management research and public policy analysis for congressionally mandated domestic and international studies that provided government leaders and agencies advice on building and managing more effective, efficient, accountable, and transparent organizations.

"I am honored to be joining a leading academic institution with deep roots in the financial services profession," said Patrizi. "I look forward to working with the faculty and the engaged alumni and corporate partners in meaningful ways to pursue new approaches to online education that improve learning outcomes. Together we will ensure our curricula meets the rapidly changing needs of financial services and business professionals seeking a best-in-class online education."

Before entering a career in higher education and public administration, Patrizi spent 10 years in the private sector managing and developing corporate human resources and training programs.

Patrizi earned his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from The College of New Jersey, a Master's in Public Administration and Policy from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and a PhD in Educational Leadership with a concentration in e-learning from Touro University International.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF FINANCIAL SERVICES

The American College of Financial Services was founded in 1927 and is the nation's largest nonprofit educational institution devoted to financial services. Holding the highest level of academic accreditation, The College has educated one in five financial advisors across the United States and offers two master's degrees in management and financial services and prestigious financial planning designations such as the Retirement Income Certified Professional® (RICP®), Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®), Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®), Wealth Management Certified Professional® (WMCP®) and education leading to the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) certification. The College's faculty represents some of the foremost thought leaders of the financial services profession. For more information, visit TheAmericanCollege.edu.