Dr. Wallace E. Boston is President Emeritus of American Public University System (APUS). He served as President of APUS from July 2004 until he retired in August 2020. Dr. Boston also served as CEO of APUS’s parent company, American Public Education, Inc. (APEI), from July 2004 until he retired in September 2019.
Dr. Boston joined APUS and APEI as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 2002. In recognition of his substantial contributions to APUS, Dr. Boston was appointed APUS Board Member Emeritus and APUS President Emeritus effective with his retirement from each. In 2008, the Board of Trustees of APUS awarded him a Doctorate in Business Administration, honoris causa. In 2020, APUS renamed its business school the Dr. Wallace E. Boston School of Business in honor of Dr. Boston’s exemplary leadership in business and higher education.
Dr. Boston guided APUS through its successful initial accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association in 2006 and ten-year reaccreditation in 2011. In 2006, he led APUS to become a charter signatory to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, committing to carbon neutrality no later than 2050.
In November 2007, Dr. Boston led APEI to an initial public offering on the NASDAQ Exchange, the second highest performing IPO of 2007. From 2009 through 2012, APEI was recognized as one of the top ten Best Small Public Companies in America by Forbes (#9 in 2009, #3 in 2010, #2 in 2011, and #3 in 2012). In 2013, he led APEI through its acquisition of Hondros College of Nursing.
During his tenure as president, APUS built three LEEDS certified buildings at its Charles Town, WV headquarters. In 2009, APUS received the Gomery Award from the Online Learning Consortium recognizing it as the highest quality online institution that year. APUS received its fifth Effective Practice Award from the Online Learning Consortium in 2017, a record unequaled by any college or university in America. In 2020, APUS launched the Freedom Grant®, continuing its leadership in serving members of the U.S. Armed Forces with grants for textbooks and affordable tuition leading many to graduate with no debt. During his tenure, APUS grew to over 80,000 students, 250 degree and certificate programs and approximately 110,000 alumni.
In addition to his previous service as a board member of APUS and APEI, Dr. Boston is a board member of the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI), a member of the Board of Advisors of the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA), and a member of the Board of Overseers of the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. He has served on many other boards during the past 35 years. Dr. Boston has authored and co-authored papers on the topic of online post-secondary student retention, and is a frequent speaker on the impact of technology on higher education.
In his career prior to APEI and APUS, Dr. Boston served as either CFO, COO, or CEO of Meridian Healthcare, Manor Healthcare, Neighborcare Pharmacies, and Sun Healthcare Group. Dr. Boston is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Management Accountant, and Chartered Global Management Accountant. He earned an A.B. degree in History from Duke University, an MBA in Marketing and Accounting from Tulane University’s Freeman School of Business Administration, and a Doctorate in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education.