Office Hours with John Gardner
Merrill Schwartz clarifies misconceptions on governing boards. She explains the evolving roles and responsibilities and membership of governing boards. Learn more about her experiences in building understanding, and the importance of learning on the job through opportunities such as internships.
Dr. Merrill Schwartz has over 35 years of higher education experience in administration, consulting and facilitation, research, writing, and program development, including 27 years with AGB and nearly a decade with The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars. Schwartz has held a series of progressively responsible positions at AGB in programs, research, consulting, and content. As senior vice president for content and program strategy, she was responsible for the association’s overall strategy for print and digital content development, including books, Trusteeship Magazine, research papers, and web resources as well as virtual and in-person events, including conferences, institutes, and webinars. Previously, as senior vice president for AGB Consulting, she worked with members and consultants to arrange over 150 governance-related engagements annually, ranging from board and presidential assessments to restructuring state systems. Recent grant-funded projects she has led focused on boards and equitable student success.
Schwartz co-authored Assessing Board Performance (AGB, 2018) and authored or contributed to more than twenty-five AGB reports, publications, and articles. Schwartz earned a PhD in higher education administration and leadership from the University of Maryland and MPA and BA degrees from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The subject of her dissertation was Assessing the Performance of Academic Presidents.
