| leadership
Chris Mallett
Chief Administrative Officer
Chris has led and been part of teams that have built two of this century’s most creative and impactful higher education institutions: Northeastern University’s Roux Institute and Western Governors University.
At the Roux Institute, Chris leads teams building a new model for talent and economic development by working with industry, higher ed, and community partners throughout Maine. The Roux’s graduate and custom education programs help people and businesses develop the competencies they need to lead and grow. Tech-focused research teams spur new discoveries and help partners to innovate. And the Roux’s programs for entrepreneurs help founders grow and sustain their startups, making Maine the most exciting place to start and grow a business.
At WGU, Chris was a member of the founding team that pioneered online competency-based education at the dawn of the commercial Internet, enabling access to postsecondary education and career growth for 500K+ learners and alumni/ae since 2000. The team developed and scaled new learning paradigms that have evolved to become the gold standard in online, personalized learning. Chris’ WGU experience spanned 14 years and included leadership of enrollment, faculty, and product divisions.
Himself a lifelong learner and the first member of his family to experience postsecondary education, Chris has navigated his entire academic career while working, balancing professional, family, and academic pursuits. He has earned associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in general education and political science, respectively, from Weber State University. While working at WGU, Chris earned a master’s in public administration at the University of Utah and a doctorate in education at Pepperdine University.
Chris and his wife Charlet reside in Freeport, Maine. They are the parents of three children. Two are graduates of Northeastern University; the other is enjoying 8th grade.