Academic Career & Executive Search Recruits Chief Internal Auditor at Dallas College

January 6, 2021 – West Hartford, Conn.-based Academic Career & Executive Search (ACES) has placed Lori Cox, the former tribal administrator for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe in Tucson, AZ, as the new chief internal auditor for Dallas College in Texas. Managing partner Jennifer Muller led the assignment for the search firm.

“Dallas College sought a sophisticated senior financial executive with impeccable communication skills to serve in this critical and highly visible role,” said Ms. Muller. “Ms. Cox brings years of experience in risk-based assessment as an internal partner working alongside business units developing responsible and effective practices. We wish Ms. Cox and Dallas College every success on their journey forward together.”

In her new role, Ms. Cox serves as a business partner and proponent for continuous improvement providing executive leadership, direction and guidance to Dallas College’s internal audit office. She is responsible for implementing all internal audit services and strategies for the college. In addition, she helps to ensure that operations are managed ethically, effectively and efficiently, and that responsibility, accountability, authority, systems and processes are in practice. She also actively supports the college’s identification, evaluation and mitigation of risks, and assesses controls, governance and compliance policies, procedures, plans and programs.

Strong Experience

In addition to her recent role with the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Ms. Cox has served as chief auditor for the City of Tempe in Arizona, director of internal audit for Pima Community College, director of internal audit for the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, technical director for the Institute of Internal Auditors and, in an earlier stint, internal audit director for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. Ms. Cox holds a bachelor of science in business administration degree from the University of Arizona and an executive MBA from Grand Canyon University.

Dallas College, formerly known as Dallas County Community College District, has served its community since 1965. It originally operated as a district of seven independently accredited colleges. In 2020, those colleges united under a single name offering students a more streamlined, convenient experience. The seven original campuses continue as primary locations: Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, Eastfield, El Centro, Mountain View, North Lake and Richland. Dallas College enrolls 85,000 credit and 20,000 continuing education students each semester. As of last spring, the college had more than 6,300 full-time and part-time faculty, staff and administrators. Its total operating budget, for fiscal year 2018-2019, was over $499 million, including unrestricted, auxiliary and restricted funds. Dallas College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Veteran Recruiters

Academic Career & Executive Search focuses on executive search services, career planning and candidate coaching. Specializing in challenging faculty to senior administrative positions, the firm offers six a la carte services spanning full search, candidate generation, interim, multi-hire and contingency search. Candidate support services include webinars, career planning and candidate coaching. Its team has served in virtually every capacity in higher education including president, vice president, provost, dean, chief human research officer and faculty members across all types and sizes of institutions.

Ms. Muller has more than 20 years’ research and development experience in higher education and Fortune 500 companies. She has led over 70 higher education searches both domestically and internationally spanning presidents, vice presidents, associate chancellors, deans, directors, chairs and faculty level positions. She is former vice chair of the American Council on Education (ACE) Executive Search Roundtable and serves as an advisor in the numerous ACE leadership development forums..

Last summer, Academic Career & Executive Search was chosen to find two campus presidents for Dallas College. One will lead the school’s El Centro campus; the other will oversee the Mountain View campus. Ms. Muller is leading those assignments.

A Common Commitment

Each Dallas College campus offers unique opportunities in size, setting, location and goals. “However, each campus shares a common commitment to open access and offers opportunities for intellectual, professional and leadership development through credit and non-credit career, transfer and certificate programs,” said Academic Career & Executive Search. Both campuses are designated as an Hispanic serving institution. The El Centro campus has realized “achieving the dream” (ATD) status.

“The El Centro campus desires a broad thinking leader comfortable interacting with top industry executives, raising funds and helping to drive the brand new downtown campus initiative to fruition,” said the search firm. “The El Centro campus president must believe in the mission and see Dallas College as the solution to the challenges faced by companies today. The successful candidate is a passionate leader, ready to roll up their sleeves, interact with the community, local industry and ensure resources are in place to accomplish campus goals.”

The Mountain View campus wants a passionate leader highly engaged with community members, families and donors, said Academic Career & Executive Search. The new Mountain View campus president should bring a commitment to student success and a passion for providing awareness and opportunity to students and families. The ideal candidate will have a history of ensuring student success and providing the needed support.

For both locations, the president is the chief executive officer of his or her campus and reports directly to the Dallas College chancellor.

Related: Why Universities Have Stepped Up Efforts to Involve Search Firms

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media