American Public University System Selects Dr. Wade Dyke as President

Former President of Kaplan University and
CEO of Great Hearts Academy to Lead APUS Forward

CHARLES TOWN, WV, July 8, 2020—American Public University System (APUS), a leader in providing affordable, inclusive, quality online higher education to military, veteran and service-minded communities, announced today that it has selected Dr. Wade Dyke as president, effective August 12, 2020. 

General Alfred M. Gray, USMC (Ret), Chairman of the APUS Board of Trustees and the 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps, said that Dr. Dyke is the clear choice to lead the university forward. “We have the strongest confidence in Wade’s ability to lead our organization as we move into a new era of learning innovation and growth,” said General Gray. “Dr. Dyke clearly understands the need to provide academic excellence to our adult learners and to foster student success and recognizes the immense value of our learning platform, including its ability to provide quality affordable higher education at an even greater scale in the future.”

Founded in 1991 as American Military University (AMU), APUS is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The online university has over 82,800 active students with 87% of the student body comprised of working adult learners from diverse backgrounds. More than 98,000 alumni have benefited from APUS’s relevant, flexible curriculum and affordable tuition.

“I warmly welcome Wade to serve as APUS President,” said Angela Selden, CEO of American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ: APEI). “Wade represents a wonderful combination of an academician, a visionary and an experienced executive, and is well-suited to lead APUS forward. I am confident in Wade’s ability to help accelerate APUS’s technology transformation and advance the organization in fulfillment of its institutional mission. Today’s learners are responding well to APUS’s online educational experience and commitment to maximizing the return on student educational investment.”

Dr. Dyke joined Kaplan in 2008 as vice president of higher and professional education and served as president of Kaplan University (now known as Purdue Global University) from 2010 to 2015. While at Kaplan, Dr. Dyke led the academic operations and support services of the school’s online and on-ground enterprise in service to more than 50,000 students. His strategic academic vision, forward-thinking and focus on innovation advanced curriculum quality and enriched the student experience. Furthermore, Dr. Dyke was instrumental in expanding online learning options for campus-based and online students, while simultaneously enhancing policies and practices to promote growth and innovation throughout the organization.

Most recently, Dr. Dyke has been CEO of Great Hearts Academies, a charter school network with nearly 19,000 students.

Dr. Dyke earned his undergraduate degree in business administration at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He was named a Rhodes Scholar and attended the University of Oxford in England. While at Oxford, Dr. Dyke earned a bachelor and master of arts degree in politics and economics. He remained at Oxford to earn a doctor of philosophy, politics. He became an assistant professor at The Ohio State University and was later named a White House Fellow. Dr. Dyke also served in the Department of Education as Chief of Staff for the Deputy Secretary during the George H. W. Bush Administration.

“I am grateful and excited to join APUS as president during this pivotal time in its history,” said Dr. Dyke. “I have long admired APUS’s quality and affordability, having devoted my career to growth at the intersection of innovation and educational excellence. I look forward to working closely with the Board of Trustees and the talented team of educators that make up the APUS/APEI Team.”

Dr. Dyke was selected after an extensive national search that began after current APUS President, Dr. Wallace Boston, announced last year that he would retire this summer. Dr. Boston was APUS president from 2004-2016 and returned to that position in September 2017.  Dr. Boston will remain as president of APUS until Dr. Dyke assumes the role of President.

“Dr. Boston has served APUS with great distinction since 2002 and has helped define the direction of online post-secondary education,” said General Gray. “He carefully and confidently led APUS during periods of economic uncertainty and rapid change in higher education, and his leadership, vision, and commitment to innovation helped build the foundation for our success. We are indebted to Dr. Boston for all his contributions and wish him the very best in retirement.” 

About American Public Education

American Public Education, Inc. (Nasdaq: APEI) is a leading provider of higher learning dedicated to preparing students all over the world for excellence in service, leadership and achievement. APEI offers respected, innovative and affordable academic programs and services to students, universities and partner organizations through wholly owned subsidiaries: American Public University System and National Education Seminars Inc. Together, these institutions serve more than 80,000 adult learners worldwide and offer more than 200 degree and certificate programs in fields ranging from homeland security, military studies, intelligence, and criminal justice to technology, business administration, public health, nursing and liberal arts. For additional information, please visit www.apei.com.

Forward Looking Statements  

Statements made in this press release regarding American Public Education, Inc., or its subsidiaries, that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements based on current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about American Public Education, Inc., its subsidiaries and the industry. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “seek,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “should,” “will” and “would.” These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding Dr. Dyke’s expected contributions, expected growth, and plans with respect to recent, current and future initiatives.

Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, risks related to: the Company’s dependence on the effectiveness of its ability to attract students who persist in its institutions’ programs; the Company’s ability to effectively market its institutions’ programs; adverse effects of changes the Company makes to improve the student experience and enhance the ability to identify and enroll students who are likely to succeed; the Company’s ability to maintain strong relationships with the military and maintain enrollments from military students; the Company’s ability to comply with regulatory and accrediting agency requirements and to maintain institutional accreditation; the Company’s reliance on Department of Defense tuition assistance, Title IV programs, and other sources of financial aid; the Company’s dependence on its technology infrastructure; strong competition in the postsecondary education market and from non-traditional offerings; and the various risks described in the “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2020, and other filings with the SEC. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason, unless required by law, even if new information becomes available or other events occur in the future.

Contact: Frank Tutalo, Director Public Relations
American Public Education, Inc.
617-913-7646
[email protected]