Aristide J. Collins Jr. joined Strada as executive vice president, chief administrative officer, and chief of staff in August 2023. He provides strategic leadership and support to the president and leadership team of Strada, while overseeing several internal functions and ensuring progress on the organization’s key initiatives.

Collins has nearly three decades of experience as a leader in higher education. His work has focused on an understanding of governance and operations as well as the balance between executive accountability and management.
Most recently, Collins served in senior leadership roles at George Washington University. In his most recent role, as vice president, chief of staff and university secretary, Collins facilitated the university board of trustees’ relationship with the institution’s leadership and constituencies. He led the transitions for three university presidents.

Earlier in his tenure, while serving as vice president for development and alumni relations, he provided strategic oversight and leadership during the public phase of the university’s $1 billion fundraising campaign, which reached its goal one year early. Under his leadership, the university had the largest fundraising year in its history, reaching $267 million.

Before joining George Washington, Collins served in executive and senior-level institutional advancement positions at Clark Atlanta University, Pacific Oaks College, Children’s School in Pasadena, California, and California State University, Long Beach. Collins is a member of the National Academy of Public Administration. He serves on the faculty of the Association of Governing Boards Institute for Leadership and Governance in Higher Education, and the boards of directors of the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation and the Elizabeth Dole Foundation. He also is a member of the board of trustees of the King’s Academy in Madaba, Jordan.

Collins earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and a certificate in educational management from California State University, Hayward (East Bay); a master’s degree in public administration from California State University, Long Beach; and a doctorate in organizational leadership from Pepperdine University.