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Myrvin Christopherson, President
Prior to his appointment as President, Dr. Christopherson served for nineteen-years as President of Dana College in Blair, Nebraska. Under his leadership, the college’s full-time enrollment grew by over 60
percent, and its endowment increased nearly ten-fold. During his tenure, gifts to Dana College surpassed $100 million and the academic programming was strengthened and diversified. Following retirement, he served as the founding president of the Dana College Foundation, created to help the college develop
its endowment.
Additionally, during his presidency, Dana College expanded international connections with several countries, most notably with Denmark. These efforts created opportunities for cultural exchange, collaborative programming, travel, and study abroad for both students and faculty. For his leadership in strengthening ties with Denmark, her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark awarded Dr. Christopherson the distinguished Knight of Dannebrog Cross, and upon his retirement named him a Knight of Dannebrog First Class.
With a history of serving on a variety of national, state, and church-related boards, Dr. Christopherson has been a member of the board of directors of FIHE and served as chair of the Nebraska Independent College Foundation. Since his retirement from Dana College, he served as a Fellow for the national foundation. “Myrv Christopherson has long been associated with FIHE and brings to this time of transition an exceptional understanding of our work and service,” said James H. Austgen, chair of the FIHE board. “We are grateful for his willingness to take the helm at this important juncture.”
Ned Moore, Executive Director
Ned Moore became Executive Director of FIHE in 2010 after serving for eight years as President of its member state associations, the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges. In his current capa-city, he also serves as a Vice President of the Council of Independent Colleges.
Previously, Ned served for twelve years as Vice President for Development at Randolph-Macon College, where he managed the overall advancement program (fund-raising, alumni affairs, and market-ing), handled national foundation relations, and coordinated the college’s capital campaign which exceeded its goal by more than 20 percent. Prior to R-MC, Ned was Vice President for Development at Austin College in Texas, managing their fundraising program, foundation relations, and capital campaign. Earlier, he served as alumni director at Rhodes College, Memphis TN, and as a public relations officer at Mary Washington College, Fredericksburg, VA.
Active in his profession, Ned is a former Board member of District III of the southeastern district of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and has authored articles and monographs on advancement topics. He is the former President of the Virginia Association of Fund Raising Executives, which also awarded him its Nina Abady Award in recognition of outstanding career achievement.
He is a 1972 cum laude graduate of Washington and Lee University and holds a master’s degree in higher education administration from the University of North Texas.
Jacalyn Cox, Director of Programs & Operations
Jacalyn’s tenure at the Foundation for Higher Education (FIHE) began in the fall of 2007 as a consultant.
She then served as program manager until her current appointment as director of programs and operations.
Jacalyn oversees the operations and administration of our national office, including the National Venture Fund and First Opportunity Partner grant programs. Additionally, her duties encompass “Telling Our Story”, administration of our scholarship programs, and supporting the efforts of the membership. Jacalyn brings to our organization a wealth of experience in public relations, business management, meeting planning, and financial management having served as director of operations for an educational association and director of marketing for architectural and building firms here in Washington, DC.
Jacalyn earned a Bachelor of Science degree in dance education from the George Washington University and began her professional career as an entrepreneur, operating her own dance exercise studio.
Christopher Dodds, Office Administrator
Christopher Dodds joined the staff of the Foundation for Independent Higher Education (FIHE) in September 2009.
As office administrator, Christopher provides administrative support for the national office while responding to requests of network partners. His duties include office management, meeting planning, and information technology. Prior to joining FIHE, Christopher performed research and wrote policy papers for the Commonwealth Foundation, Americans for Tax Reform, and the U.S. Army War College. He also worked for two years with the Messiah College Admissions Office.
As a student at Messiah College, Christopher studied International Business and Political Science, and he became the director of the largest student-led organization, Dokimoi Ergatai, a nonprofit organization that partnered with impoverished communities around the world, implementing appropriate technology solutions. After graduation, Christopher moved to China to study Economics at Xiamen University’s graduate school and teach English as a foreign language.
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