Dr. Maureen Connelly Jones, PhD, RN, To Become President and Chief Executive Officer of CAHME

SPRING HOUSE, PA, UNITED STATES, February 19, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) Board of Directors announced today that, in a unanimous vote, it has selected Dr. Maureen Connelly Jones, PhD, RN, to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of CAHME, effective March 1, 2026. She succeeds Interim President and Chief Executive Officer Al Faber, who has led the organization during the leadership transition.

“Dr. Jones brings more than three decades of experience spanning healthcare leadership, higher education, accreditation, and organizational development. A nationally recognized accreditation strategist and healthcare education leader, she has played a central role in shaping CAHME’s modern standards framework and advancing its mission,” said Al Faber, Interim President and CEO.

Dr. Jones is currently serving as CAHME’s Chief Accreditation Officer, having led major initiatives including development and implementation of the 2026 accreditation standards informed by a cross-sector collaboration with leading healthcare management education faculty, program leadership and practitioners. Her career integrates academic leadership, healthcare operations, and governance, grounded in a commitment to strengthening programs and the professionals they prepare.

Ron Holder, Chair of the CAHME Board of Directors, stated, “Dr. Jones is the perfect choice to lead CAHME into the future as its next President and CEO. Accreditation is who CAHME is and Dr. Jones’ passion for accreditation and continuous quality improvement is unparalleled. As a former ER nurse, healthcare management faculty member, program director, and long-term CAHME volunteer, she has a great deal of respect among healthcare management program faculty and directors already and her skillset as a relationship builder will serve CAHME well with our existing programs, candidate programs, partner organizations, and the healthcare marketplace.”

Dr. Jones said, “I am honored to serve CAHME and the global community of programs, faculty, practitioners, and students who are committed to advancing healthcare management education. Healthcare depends on innovative, capable, ethical, and forward-thinking leaders. CAHME plays a critical role in ensuring those leaders are prepared, and together we will continue strengthening quality that builds trust across the field.” She went on to share, “our progress depends on bringing higher education and healthcare industry experts together to share insight, align expectations, and advance the field collaboratively.”

Throughout her career, Dr. Jones has united academic innovation, professional practice, and accreditation quality improvement. Her prior experience includes directing graduate healthcare administration programs, leading institutional assessment and effectiveness strategy, and holding hospital leadership and clinical roles, experience that informs a practical and mission driven leadership approach. She received her Ph.D. in Organization Development and Human Resource Management from Penn State as well as a master’s and bachelor’s degrees in nursing.

As President and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Jones will focus on advancing CAHME’s value as a partner in healthcare management education quality by maintaining rigorous expectations that recognize varied educational approaches while enabling each program to demonstrate its distinct strengths, supported by transparency, collaboration, consistent standards, and adaptability to the evolving needs of the industries we serve. Her work will emphasize strategic partnerships, effective use of data and technology to strengthen accreditation value, financial sustainability and innovation, and the engagement of volunteers, programs, and stakeholders across the healthcare education ecosystem.

Following the leadership transition, Al Faber will return to his position on the CAHME Board of Directors. The Board expressed gratitude for his dedicated service and thoughtful leadership, which have meaningfully strengthened CAHME and its mission over the past nine months.

Succession Planning Committee

Dr. Jones’ election as CEO caps a thorough national search and selection process guided by Spencer Stuart executives Philip “Flip” Jaeger and Elizabeth Bitton. In June 2025, the Board of Directors formed a special Search Committee co-chaired by Board Chair Ron Holder, Chief Administrative Officer, Hendrick Clinic and Hendrick Anesthesia Network with Hendrick Health; and Immediate Past Chair and Governance Committee Chair Bankole Olatosi, Associate Professor in the Department of Health Services Policy and Management at the Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina. At the direction of the Board, the Committee undertook a deliberate, nine-month search and planning process, meeting regularly to:

- establish the criteria for evaluation of candidates,
- evaluate a diverse pool of candidates with backgrounds in academia, healthcare association leadership, and leadership of healthcare organizations,
- develop transition structures, organizational frameworks, and planning for potential impacts of succession decisions culminating in the selection of the new CEO.

About the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education

The Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education advances the quality of healthcare management education globally through accreditation, collaboration, and continuous improvement, supporting programs that prepare the leaders responsible for improving healthcare delivery and outcomes.

Dana Alexander
CAHME
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