For more than 35 years, Loren Pope counseled students and families to help them find the right college “fit.” Since 1998, Colleges That Change Lives has championed Mr. Pope’s message and today is a leading national advocate for keeping students at the center of the college search.
Today, a volunteer board comprised of college admission counseling professionals guides the non-profit organization, Colleges That Change Lives. Leading their efforts is Executive Director, Ann Marano. Before stepping into this role, Ms. Marano served as the College Bound Advisor for 12 years at the Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School in Dallas, TX. Her work there earned Ann the distinction of being selected as a Counselor That Changes Lives Award in 2017. Over the course of a 30+ year career in college access, Marano gained experience working in admissions at her alma mater Mount St. Mary’s University (CA), California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, and California State University East Bay. “I am honored to collaborate with the CTCL Board Directors and our distinctly different liberal arts member institutions. Together, we can amplify and share our message with even more students and families — and the professionals who advise them — to change even more lives, one student at a time.”
If you would like to bring the CTCL message to your school, community, or organization, please complete this Speaker Request Form. Our Speakers Bureau of experienced leaders from CTCL-member colleges will make every effort to add your event to their schedules. We appreciate your interest in learning more about Colleges That Change Lives.
Ann Marano (she/her/hers)
Executive Director
Colleges That Change Lives, Inc.
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Benjamin Baum (he/him/his)
Board Chair (2025 – 2027), Director (2021 – 2025)
Vice President of Enrollment
St. John’s College
Annapolis, MD
Cady Campbell (she/her/hers)
Director (2023-2026)
Senior Associate Director of Admissions
Willamette University
Salem, OR
Shannon Cron (she/her/hers)
Director (2024-2027)
Associate Dean of Admissions
St. Olaf College
Northfield, MN
Patty Hart (she/her/hers)
Director (2022-2027)
College Counselor
HighSight
Chicago, IL
Madison Hollenbeck (she/her/hers)
Director (2023-2026)
Senior Associate Director of Admission
Whitman College
Walla Walla, WA
Crys Latham (she/her/hers)
Past Board Chair, Ex Officio (2025-2026)
Board Chair (2021-2025), Director (2016-2021)
Director of College Counseling
The Washington Latin Public Charter School
Washington, DC
Pedro Martinez Jr. (he/him/his)
Director (2024-2027)
Assistant Director of Admissions & Multicultural Recruitment
Hope College
Holland, MI
Jason Moran (he/him/his)
Treasurer (2025 -2027), Director (2024-2027)
Vice President of Enrollment
Juniata College
Huntingdon, PA
Chris Rodriguez (he/him/his)
Secretary (2021-2026), Director (2021-2026)
Associate Director of College Counseling
The Lovett School
Atlanta, GA
Beverly Wheeler (she/her/hers)
Director (2021-2026)
Regional Director of Admission
Hendrix College
Conway, AR
Virginia Buege (she/her/hers)
Director Emerita
Denver, CO
Maria Furtado (she/her/hers)
Director Emerita
Phoenix, AZ
Martha O’Connell (she/her/hers)
Director Emerita
Taos, NM