Dr. Ed Mills

President/Partner

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
40 years 

A collaborative and adaptable leader with 40 years of experience in higher education, Dr. Ed Mills is a highly accomplished executive with special expertise in Strategic Enrollment Management, Operations Management, and Student Affairs. As President of MISCHIAN Strategies, LLC, Dr. Mills now empowers higher education leaders abd C-level executives to confidently navigate complex challenges through tailored consulting services that prioritize success.

Professional Journey

Dr. Mills’ path in higher education began as a first-generation college student who missed his first-year orientation. Arriving at university a week early, he lived in his van until the residence halls opened. After running out of money, he started working part-time in the financial aid office—an experience that launched his professional career. Through this experience and his undergraduate internships, Dr. Mills became an ardent proponent of experiential learning, a philosophy that continues to guide his consulting approach.

MISCHIAN Strategies Leadership

As President of MISCHIAN Strategies, LLC (2025-Present), Dr. Mills provides higher education leaders with specialized services including:

• Executive Coaching that supports and empowers new leaders to make immediate, meaningful impacts without months of trial and error
• Cabinet Analysis to optimize leadership team effectiveness, eliminating inefficient meetings and redundant efforts
• Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Solutions, including implementation coaching, barrier analysis, and report assessment, that save valuable time for managers
• Vendor ROI Assessment that delivers clear insights without demanding excessive time from institutional teams
• Strategic Budget and Planning Analysis that ensures alignment between financial decisions and institutional values and goals

Higher Education Leadership Experience

Prior to joining MISCHIAN, Dr. Mills served as Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Management at Sonoma State University (2023-2025), where, as the inaugural VP, he created a new SEM division and implemented innovative enrollment strategies that reversed a 10-year declining enrollment trend. His initiatives included:

• Developing personalized approaches to enrollment marketing, strategic recruitment models, and yield management 
• In partnership with Collegevine, launching California’s first AI Recruiter, reaching thousands of new prospects in multiple languages, and substantially expanding the recruitment team’s reach
• In partnership with EdVisorly, launching the implementation of a new AI transcript evaluation to streamline transcript and transfer credit articulation processes
• Rebuilding international recruitment services

At Sacramento State University, Dr. Mills served as Vice President for Student Affairs and Chief Enrollment Officer (2014-2023) and Associate VP for Enrollment Management & Student Services (2007-2014). During his tenure, he:

• Reengineered the University’s Strategic Enrollment Management approach, exceeding enrollment goals for 16 straight years
• Co-led the University’s Graduation Initiative, raising 4-year graduation rates from 9% to 25.8% in five years
• Led university committees on diversity, administrative policies, and wellness initiatives
• Provided leadership for multi-million dollar construction and facility improvement projects
• Served as co-principal investigator on several grants, including the university’s Developing Hispanic-Serving Institution grant

Innovation and Education

Recently, Dr. Mills has been exploring innovations in Artificial Intelligence and Personalized Marketing for Strategic Enrollment and Strategic Experience Management. He completed a certificate program at MIT in Artificial Intelligence Business Strategy. His work developing and implementing personalized digital marketing and recruitment campaigns represents cutting-edge practice in the field. It informs his approach to mentoring the next generation of higher education leaders.

Dr. Mills taught first-year seminars for 18 years at Sacramento State and Cleveland State. He served as an adjunct faculty member for Sacramento State’s doctoral program in Educational Leadership and has served on multiple master’s and doctoral committees for graduate students.

Education

• Ph.D. in Educational Leadership/Human Resources Studies, Colorado State University
• M.Ed. in Counselor Education/Student Personnel, Pennsylvania State University
• B.S. in Health Science, Kansas State University
• Certificate in Executive Leadership, California State University
• Certificate in Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy, MIT Sloan AI Laboratory