Executive Director of Arizona Board of Regents Chad Sampson Joins WICHE Commission

BOULDER, Colorado — Chad Sampson, executive director of the Arizona Board of Regents, has been appointed as a commissioner to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE).

Sampson joins Arizona Commissioners Todd Haynie, president of Eastern Arizona College, and Kathleen Goeppinger, president and CEO of Midwestern University. Commissioners represent the 15 Western states and the U.S. Pacific Territories and Freely Associated States that are part of the WICHE region. The commission guides WICHE’s direction and assures the Western Regional Education Compact is carried out for the benefit of the West, as it has done since 1953.

“I am deeply grateful to Governor Hobbs for appointing me to the WICHE Commission and honored to stand alongside such dedicated colleagues in our shared mission to unlock the transformative power of postsecondary education for every student,” said Sampson. “Together, we have the opportunity to break down barriers, expand horizons, and create pathways for students to thrive and achieve their fullest potential. I am eager to collaborate with my fellow commissioners to make this vision a reality and empower the next generation to succeed.”

The Arizona Board of Regents named Sampson as executive director in August 2024. He joined the board in 2010 as associate general counsel and transitioned to vice president of strategic planning before serving most recently as vice president of academic affairs and institutional analysis. A member of the State Bar of Arizona since 2002, Sampson has also worked in private law practice with Quarles & Brady and in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office as counsel for the Arizona Department of Education.

Sampson is active in the education community, serving on the WestEd Board of Directors. He has previously served on the board at Tempe Preparatory Academy, Center for After School Excellence, and the Arizona State Board of Education’s Professional Practices Advisory Committee. He has also worked as an adjunct professor at Mesa Community College.

“Commissioner Sampson’s background and service in the education community make him an invaluable asset to the WICHE Commission,” said WICHE President Demarée Michelau. “His commitment to supporting educational opportunities aligns with WICHE’s mission and strategic priorities of expanding student access and success through sound public policy and resource sharing, and I have no doubt that his expertise will play a key role in advancing our work at WICHE.”

Sampson earned bachelor’s degrees in sociology and political science from the University of Utah and a juris doctorate from the University of Iowa College of Law. Sampson and his wife, Amber, have five children.