Rich Majerus brings years of experience in college and university operations, from advancement and enrollment to strategic planning. Before joining NOLS, Rich was the Vice President of Planning and Strategy at Queens University of Charlotte, where he led the university’s operations and strategic planning efforts. He also led an advancement strategy at Colby College that helped increase total fundraising at the liberal arts school from $21.8 million in 2015 to $203.1 million in 2018. Before its acquisition, Rich led Third Coast Analytics, a higher education-focused start-up that delivered consulting and software solutions to optimize enrollment and financial aid.

Rich graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Carleton College with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology and a concentration in Education Studies. He studied at the Center for Research on Educational Opportunity, earning a performance commendation while completing a Master of Arts in Sociology at the University of Notre Dame.

He and his wife, Brooke, reside in St. Paul, Minnesota. They like traveling with their adopted dogs, Agnes (Aggie) and Bosco, and backpacking and canoeing in the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota. Rich’s interest in long-distance wilderness adventures was renewed over a decade ago when he joined his mother on her post-retirement Appalachian Trail hike.