ACHA Leadership Transition: CEO James Wilkinson to Pursue New Challenges

A message from ACHA President Joel Schwartzkopf on behalf of the ACHA Board of Directors

Dear ACHA Members:

The American College Health Association (ACHA) Board of Directors and CEO James Wilkinson, MA, CAE, have mutually agreed that James will step down from his role, effective December 15, 2025, as he pursues new challenges.

On behalf of the Board, I express my profound gratitude to James for his dedicated service and leadership since assuming the role of CEO in August 2021. He took the helm during a time of immense volatility in higher education and campus health. Under his guidance, ACHA navigated these challenges successfully, emerging as a stronger, more resilient association.

During his tenure, James championed several strategic initiatives that have significantly strengthened ACHA’s position as the leader in college health and well-being. His key accomplishments include:

Organizational Strength & Resilience

• Post-COVID Recovery: James successfully led the association out of COVID-era challenges, bringing stability and leading the organization through two strategic planning cycles.
• Volunteer Support: Recognizing our volunteers as the backbone of the association, he aligned the volunteer infrastructure with the strategic plan, creating a dedicated staff position and resources to better support our volunteer leaders.
• Revenue: He introduced new revenue streams, increasing our ability to continue providing members with top-rate resources.

Membership & Community Engagement

• Record Membership: ACHA reached a record of over 13,000 members, with an exceptional institutional renewal rate of over 95%.
• Event Growth: The association saw record attendance at the 2023 Annual Meeting in Boston, and higher-than-projected attendance at the Annual Meetings in 2024 (Atlanta) and 2025 (New Orleans).
• New Sections: James oversaw the creation of the new Health and Well-Being Executive Leaders Section (HWELS), strategically targeting key decision-makers in the field.
• HBCU Health Summit: James successfully facilitated the establishment of the first ACHA HBCU Health Summit in 2023. Now in its fourth year, this special event has helped strengthen campus well-being ecosystems at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Data, Research, & Technology

• New Data Integration Platform: James championed the development and launch of the ACHA Data Hub, a powerful platform consolidating student health data for informed decision-making by campus leaders and policymakers.
• Well-Being Assessment: He led the acquisition and adaption of the Well-Being Assessment to become the latest tool in ACHA’s data and research portfolio, allowing campuses to evaluate 14 key dimensions of student wellness.
• Journal of American College Health: He engaged with the Journal of American College Health (JACH) to establish online access for all ACHA members and added a designated ACHA representative to the JACH editorial board.

Advocacy & Partnerships

• Re-Activated Advocacy: James vastly expanded ACHA’s Advocacy Program, resulting in Congressional Hill Days in 2024 and 2025 and culminating in the introduction in Congress of the College Students Continuation of Mental Health Care Act of 2025.
• Foundation Support: He re-energized the American College Health Foundation, securing the largest donation in its history—a $2.5+ million commitment from the Stephan D. Weiss Foundation to support student mental health research and programming. He also championed the HBCU Research Consortium Project to bridge the data gap in student access to clinical care and basic needs.
• Strategic Alliances: He strengthened alliances across higher education organizations to raise the profile of college health and well-being. He collaborated with peer organizations NASPA and NIRSA to stage the first Well-Being in Higher Education Week, which led to the establishment of the Inter-association Well-Being Collaborative (IWC), with over 20 organizational members. He was elected by his peers to serve as 2025 Steering Committee Chair of the Council of Higher Education Management Agencies (CHEMA).

I’m grateful for everything James has done for ACHA over the past 4+ years. His professionalism, compassion and vision have strengthened our association and advanced the field of college health and well-being. Under his guidance, ACHA successfully navigated the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic and built relationships with our partners across higher education that will serve our members for years to come. We are deeply grateful for his contributions and wish him continued success in his future endeavors.

The Board of Directors and I look forward to continuing the important work underway and remain committed to supporting our members and the field of college health and well-being. ACHA Past President Raphael D. Florestal-Kevelier, PhD, MPH, will assume leadership as Interim CEO on December 16, 2025, to ensure a seamless transition while the Board initiates a comprehensive search for a permanent successor.

Please join me in thanking James for his leadership and dedication to ACHA, its members, and college health and well-being.

Sincerely,

Joel Schwartzkopf, DPAS, MBA, FACHE
ACHA President