SALT LAKE CITY (December 9, 2020) — Western Governors University (WGU) announced the appointment of Anthony Rivera to the WGU Northeast Alumni Advisory Council. As a nonprofit, accredited online, competency-based university, WGU established the Council to grow and strengthen the university’s connections with key stakeholders in the region. Comprised of leaders and influencers from a variety of sectors in the northeast, they also will provide counsel on the most effective ways WGU can meet its core mission to expand access to career-relevant post-secondary educational opportunities that are respected by employers, by other academic institutions, and by policymakers from Maine to Virginia.
Anthony Rivera holds a bachelor of science degree in information technology, network design, and management from Westerns Governors University. His interest in software development and enterprise design began early in his career at America Online. After 20 years in the field, he is currently CEO of Aretec, Inc. in Fairfax, Va. He is a technical strategist with disciplines in network infrastructure, architecture, and continuity of operations (COOP) design, with experience in application development in languages including C, C+, JAVA, HTML v5, and PHP. He and his wife of almost 20 years have four sons.
“We are thrilled to have Anthony join our Advisory Council during this important time of growth and development for the university,” said WGU Regional Vice President Rebecca L. Watts, Ph.D. “Anthony’s leadership in the information technology sector, and his knowledge of how WGU can help advance and train the IT workforce in his area, will be an immense asset.
“We know he will provide great insight as we work to advance our mission of providing higher education access to historically-underserved communities, like working adults.”
Rivera said, “WGU was such an imperative building block during the earlier parts of my career, enabling me to get technical certifications and my bachelor’s degree. It’s important to me to help bring awareness to more folks, who might not have had a chance to finish or even attend college but could do so with the flexibility, affordability, and quality of education at WGU.”
WGU Northeast Alumni Advisory Council was established in 2020 to provide counsel to Regional Vice President Rebecca Watts on geo-specific needs and trends and to help shape the direction and continued success of the university. With impressive, diverse backgrounds, each Advisory Council member brings experience and expertise that will bolster the university’s ability to serve students and ensure WGU succeeds in its principal mission: To expand access to affordable higher education through online, competency-based degree programs that address key workforce needs.
WGU offers more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the in-demand career fields of business, K–12 teacher education, information technology and health professions. For more information about WGU, visit wgu.
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About WGUEstablished in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, online, nonprofit WGU now serves more than 123,000 students nationwide and has more than 190,000 graduates in all 50 states. Driving innovation as the nation’s leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In just 23 years, the university has become a leading influence in changing the lives of individuals and families, and preparing the workforce needed in today’s rapidly evolving economy. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, and was featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times.
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WGU Contact:Dulcey Antonucci, PR Manager717-803-2034dulcey@wgu.edu
