ACPA International Office

The ACPA International Office, headquartered in Washington, D.C. at the National Center for Higher Education in One Dupont Circle, provides the operational leadership necessary to support the Governing Board, the Assembly, and the nearly 5,500+ members. 

Chris Moody headshot

p: 202-835-2272

Chris Moody, Ed.D.

Executive Director

Dr. Chris Moody is currently the Executive Director of ACPA and has served in this role since December 2017. He oversees the transformative work of the ACPA Leadership Council and represents the Association as a member of the Washington Higher Education Secretariat group in advocating for issues of importance to higher education to the federal government and the U.S. Congress.

headshot of Tricia Fechter Gates

p: 202-759-4825

Tricia Fechter Gates, Ph.D.

Deputy Executive Director
Tricia joined the ACPA International Office staff in April 2013 as the Senior Director, Professional Development, Research, and Scholarship and currently serves as the Deputy Executive Director. Tricia leads the professional development, marketing, and technology teams and oversees the strategy, creation, and execution of programs and products to drive the Association’s innovative efforts.
headshot of Schawn Abello

p: 202-759-4830

Schawn Abello

Director of Association Services and Administration

Schawn joined the International Office staff in September 2012 as Association Services Coordinator and currently serves as the Director of Association Services and Administration. She is responsible for general administration, provides office and database support to the Association, and serves as the first point of customer service to the Association’s members.

headshot of Tim Arth

p: 202-688-1978

Tim Arth

Senior Director, Membership & Strategic Business Development

Tim joined the International Office team in November, 2014. As the Senior Team Lead, Strategic Business & Resource Development, Tim serves as the primary resource to ACPA’s prospective institutional members on college and university campuses and strategically directs ACPA’s Corporate Partnerships program.

Sarah Garner headshot

p: 202-539-6505

Sarah Garner

Director, Entity Relations, Training & Development

Sarah joined the ACPA International Office as Director, Entity Relations, Training & Development after serving the Association in various volunteer leadership roles. She is responsible for the strategic advancement of ACPA’s internal constituent and entity groups and serves as their primary staff resource. She provides day to day support to ensure the success of all entity groups and leads the ongoing training and development for volunteers across the Association.

headshot of Tom Gentry

p: 202-759-4834

Tom Gentry

Manager, Association Finances and Bookkeeping 

Tom joined the International Office staff in 2008 and serves as Manager, Association Finances and Bookkeeping. He manages all fiscal and accounting functions and oversees human resources at the IO.

Brian Hercliff-Proffer headshot

p: 202-759-4831

BRIAN HERCLIFF-PROFFER

Director, Member Belonging

Brian joined ACPA International Office in September of 2022. He is responsible for working on member retention initiatives such as the Association Awards process and annual member resolutions, supporting cohort based institute planning teams including NextGen and the Donna M. Bourassa Mid-Level Management Institute, coordinating association public policy work, and management of association accommodation and access requests.

brian hopkins headshot

p: 202-897-3901

BRIAN HOPKINS

Director, Convention & Events
Brian joined the ACPA International Office in December 2022. He is responsible for working with planning teams to implement ACPA’s Annual Convention and other events including, but not limited to, the Institute on the Curricular Approach, the Student Affairs Assessment Institute, the National Institute for Native Leadership in Higher Education Institute, and the Presidential Symposium.
headshot photo of Bethany Tognocchi

p: 202-759-4831

Bethany Tognocchi Lyst

Director, Marketing & Communications

Bethany Tognocchi Lyst joined the International Office in September 2017 as the Director of Marketing & Communications. She is responsible for all ACPA related marketing materials, targeted communication efforts, website upkeep and social media campaigns. She oversees implementation of the ACPA visual brand and ensures all materials tell the ACPA story.