A NEW ERA OF GOVERNANCE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION:
The Alliance for Board Excellence brings together a select group of industry leaders to navigate the most significant challenges facing higher education today.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND ABX?
IDEAL PARTICIPANTS INCLUDE:
College and university presidents
Board chairs and trustees
Chief financial officers
Senior leaders engaged in governance and institutional strategy
The ABX Annual Conference is designed for leaders responsible for the strategic direction and financial sustainability of their institutions.
CONFERENCE AGENDA
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2026
Afternoon - Summit Registration and ABX council meetings
Evening - Reception in historic Old Town Alexandria (5:00 pm)
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10 2026
A full day of conversations and working sessions exploring:
Governance during institutional disruption
Capital strategy and financial sustainability
Winning strategies and addressing structural deficits
Supporting the president through business model transformation
AI and emerging technologies
Board strategy and institutional transformation
Case studies from institutions navigating complex changes
Detailed agenda and times will be sent to summit registrants
ABX ANNUAL CONFERENCE
November 9–10, 2026
Old Town Alexandria, Virginia
The Alexandrian Hotel
480 King Street
www.thealexandrian.com
OLD TOWN ALEXANDRIA
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
BARBARA
GELLMAN-
DANLEY
PRESIDENT
Higher Learning Commission
PAUL
LEBLANC
PRESIDENT EMERITUS
Southern New Hampshire University
VICTOR
HU
MANAGING PARTNER
AND CO-FOUNDER
Lumos Capital Group
RICK
BEYER
CHAIRMAN
Core Education PCB
ABX MEMBER REGISTRATION
Complimentary (included with institutional membership) Not a member? Join Here
REGISTRATION
NON-MEMBER REGISTRATION
Please complete the complimentary registration. If space is available, you will be notified within 48 hours if your complimentary registration is accepted. Cost for the ABX Summit is $1,500.
WHY ABX EXISTS
HIGHER EDUCATION IS IN A PERIOD OF UPRECEDENTED DISRUPTION
Declining enrollments, structural deficits, technological transformation, and declinging consumer confidents are forcing institutions to rethink how they operate and how they are governed.
Presidents are often caught between the burden of legacy systems and the urgency of building institutions that can thrive in the future. At the same time, governing boards are being asked to move beyond traditional oversight and become active strategic partners in institutional transformation.
A new fiduciary and governance standard is also emerging. Boards must govern at the pace of the market and support presidents in navigating complex strategic decisions that will shape the future of their institutions.
Yet many presidents and boards are navigating these challenges without a trusted community of peers to share strategies, examine new governance models, and learn from institutions actively pursuing change.
The Alliance for Board eXcellence (ABX) was created to fill that gap.
ABX brings together presidents, trustees, and senior leaders to exchange ideas, explore a new governance playbook, and strengthen the partnership between boards and institutional leadership in a time of profound change.
