PRESS RELEASES

Academic Career & Executive Search (ACES) Places Vice President for Information Services and Chief Information Officer at St. Mary’s University

(May 7, 2026, WEST HARTFORD, CT) Following a national search, Academic Career & Executive Search (ACES), a leading higher education focused executive search firm, is pleased to announce the successful placement of Gwendolen M. Pechan, securing the role as Vice President for Information Services and Chief Information Officer at St. Mary’s University.

Gwendolen “Gwen” Pechan is a transformational IT executive with deep expertise in strategic planning, large-scale technology modernizations and institutional data management.  Gwen holds a Master of Science in Management of Information Systems, a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Information Sciences, all from the University of Pittsburgh. Her most recent role was Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida.  Gwen successfully led the institution’s transition from legacy software to a modern, cloud-based enterprise platform. Additionally, she established the college’s first formal data management program and launched a cross-campus initiative to define its AI strategy, with a heavy emphasis on ethical use. She recently served as the Board Chair of the Higher Education Systems and Services (HESS) Consortium and continues to serve as co-chair of the HESS Collective Steering Committee, a program that makes Oracle implementation and licensing accessible for small, liberal arts institutions. Gwen also sits on the Advisory Board of the InspireCIO Northeast Florida Chapter and is the past President of the Executive Women’s Council, where she championed board diversity and the advancement of women in leadership.

St. Mary’s University, as a Catholic Marianist University, fosters the formation of people in faith and educates leaders for the common good through community, integrated liberal arts and professional education, and academic excellence.  The University enrolls approximately 3,500 students in a diverse academic community with four schools, more than 40 academic programs including Ph.D. and J.D. programs, and numerous pre-professional programs. Students at St. Mary’s benefit from a nurturing and vibrant community atmosphere that encourages civic engagement, undergraduate and graduate research, comprehensive faculty mentoring, and service learning in San Antonio and around the world. That community ethos extends beyond graduation, reflected in the lives of 36,000+ alumni pursuing vocations and service aimed at improving the human condition globally.

Affordable Excellence 

Academic Career & Executive Search, a higher education focused search firm, specializes in affordable excellence, providing perfectly matched candidates to institutions quickly and accurately. Their methodologies, based on frequent touchpoints, pinpoint ideal candidates with speed and meticulous care resulting in highly successful placements.

They offer flexible service/pricing levels for all positions, ensuring affordability.

Contact Jennifer Muller, Managing Partner, at 860-740-2600 or Jennifer@ACESrch.com, or visit https://acesrch.com/.