The National Research Center for College & University Admissions™ (NRCCUA®) announced today the appointment of Patrick Vogt as NRCCUA’s new CEO. Mr. Vogt brings nearly 30 years of experience building innovative technology and products, accelerating company growth, and establishing first-class organizational cultures.
In his new position, Mr. Vogt will report to the NRCCUA Board of Directors and work closely with NRCCUA’s management team to lead the company into its next phase of growth. Mr. Vogt will lead the strategic effort by providing new capabilities and insights to NRCCUA members through advanced analytics, and expanding and enhancing its technology-enabled services, ultimately driving exceptional growth and improving the overall value proposition. NRCCUA is the first investment made out of Sterling Partners’ Education Opportunity Fund, Sterling’s first-ever sector-focused fund. To launch the Education Opportunity Fund, Sterling partnered with USA Funds, a mission-driven non-profit focused on building purposeful paths for students that begin with college completion and ensure a smooth transition from education to employment in the modern global workforce.
Mr. Vogt assumes the leadership of NRCCUA from Don Munce, who is transitioning from his role as CEO to Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Munce has played an integral role in the success of the organization for nearly 30 years, and will remain an active participant in the company’s future growth and continued evolution. Mr. Munce was actively engaged in the selection and appointment of Mr. Vogt as the new CEO.
“Attracting a talent such as Patrick is a testament to NRCCUA’s long-standing reputation for providing trusted solutions within college admissions and higher education,” said Mr. Munce. “I look forward to seeing Patrick build upon the values and strengths of NRCCUA that have made it such an amazing place to work, and have positively impacted so many college-bound students and their families.”
A technology industry veteran, Mr. Vogt was previously CEO for HealthiNation, a leading digital video company focused on inspiring healthy and active lifestyles, where he led the development and execution of a transformative growth plan. Before that, Mr. Vogt was President of The Weather Channel’s International Division, where he led the global expansion of The Weather Channel’s products and services. Throughout his impressive career, which also includes successful CEO roles at leading digital media technology companies, as well as senior executive positions at Sony, Dell and HP, Mr. Vogt has demonstrated a unique ability to accelerate growth and innovation.
“The foundation on which Don created NRCCUA will not change. We will remain focused on supporting higher-education institutions and helping students achieve great academic and future workforce success,” said Mr. Vogt. “But as the industry faces new challenges in terms of decreased enrollment, the rising cost of college and the demand for transparency, we need to adapt to the current environment and offer our members new technology and data solutions in order to seamlessly connect them with their right prospective students. I look forward to leading the team and working closely with our member institutions as we begin our next phase of growth.”
Sterling Partners’ Education Opportunity Fund welcomed NRCCUA into its portfolio in February 2016. As part of the fund, NRCCUA has access to benefits much deeper than just capital and can take advantage of the fund’s invaluable strategic and operational understanding of the education market. Since its founding in 1983, Sterling Partners has had a rich history of successful investing in the education space.