Executive Director

Scott Fleming joined SCHEV as its executive director on May 25, 2024. Prior to joining SCHEV, Fleming was the chief strategy officer for Teaching Strategies, one of the nation’s leading e-learning organizations. In addition, he was a 2023 appointee of Governor Youngkin to the SCHEV Council and resigned his appointment to serve as executive director.

Fleming has led a substantial career in the education sector, leveraging his expertise across public, private and nonprofit organizations. As a staff member to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, he led the reauthorizations of the Higher Education Act in 2005 and the Carl D. Perkins Technical and Vocational Act in 2006. His efforts shaped policies to enrich educational opportunities and workforce development.

After several years on Capitol Hill, Fleming transitioned into management consulting and subsequent leadership roles at renowned education companies, including Scantron, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Teaching Strategies. His influence extended into the nonprofit sphere as a C-level executive at the Strada Education Foundation, where he applied his strategic approach to advocate for and improve the outcomes of higher education.

He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Brigham Young University.

Finance Policy & Innovation Director

Mr. Lee Andes has served as the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia’s (SCHEV) Director of Finance Policy & Innovation since 2025. Mr. Andes provides leadership and coordination for state finance policies relating to public institutions of higher education, including funding recommendations, policy analysis, institutional six-year plans, government relations, etc. He also oversees SCHEV’s office of financial aid and College Access & PK12 Outreach, which administers the federal GEAR UP program as well as coordinates college access initiatives across the state.

Mr. Andes has been at SCHEV for 27 years overseeing the agency’s financial aid section. While at SCHEV, Mr. Andes collaborated to form the Virginia College Access Network (VirginiaCAN) and served as the organization’s first president. Mr Andes has also served as President of the National Association of State Student Grant & Aid Programs (NASSGAP) and as chair of the College Board’s Southern Regional Council.

Academic Affairs and Strategic Planning Director

Alan Edwards serves as Director of Academic Affairs and Strategic Planning. Dr. Edwards assumed this role in early 2026, but he has worked at SCHEV in multiple capacities since 2002, including as Interim Director of the agency in early 2024 and as Director of Strategic Planning and Policy Studies from 2006 until 2025. In his current position, Dr. Edwards is responsible for directing the staff and agency activities involved in facilitating the State Council’s (board’s) execution of its statutory duties related to certain academic-related matters at (eg, proposals from) the public institutions of higher education; the Council’s statutory and regulatory duties related to certification of certain private and/or out-of-state postsecondary entities; the Council’s statutory duty to develop and adopt (and report on progress toward the goals of) a statewide strategic plan for higher education, which the Council adopted in December 2025, and which is entitled, Developing Tomorrow’s Talent: The Virginia Plan for Higher Education; management of the Commonwealth’s Innovative Internship Fund and Program; ie, the creation and evolution of the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP); and administration of the Fund for Excellence and Innovation (FFEI) grant program. Dr. Edwards holds a Ph.D. and Ed.S. in Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership (Higher Education emphasis), as well as a B.A., from William and Mary and an M.A. from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Policy Analytics Director

Tod Massa started at SCHEV in 2001 with nearly a decade of experience in policy research and analysis, and data management. As Policy Analytics Director, Mr. Massa oversees the development and of the Commonwealth’s postsecondary education data system; the biennial projections of enrollment and demand; and is one of the architects and leaders of the Virginia Longitudinal Data System. His wide-ranging duties also include directing the collection, maintenance, and analysis of research data from all Virginia colleges and universities related to enrollment, graduation, faculty salaries, and financial aid. He directs the agency's information systems activities and coordinates the agency’s relationship with the Virginia Information Technology Agency.

Mr. Massa frequently serves on federal technical review panels for the US Department of Education. Prior to joining the Council staff, Mr. Massa held institutional research leadership positions at two institutions of higher education. From 1991 to 1994, he served as the Institutional Research Coordinator and Academic Policy Analyst at Saint Louis University. Most recently, Mr. Massa served as the Director of Institutional Research and Planning Support at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. Prior to joining the staff at Willamette, Mr. Massa served in the U.S. Army and was twice awarded the Department of the Army Certificate of Achievement and the Army Achievement Medal for outstanding service.

Mr. Massa has completed doctoral work in Public Policy Analysis and Planning at Saint Louis University. He earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in studio art from Missouri Southern State College. Mr. Massa has also received the Association for Institutional Research’s “Outstanding Service Award” for service to the association in 2000.

Deputy Director and Chief of Staff

Mrs. Mayton serves as the Deputy Director and Chief of Staff for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). She brings extensive executive leadership experience across multiple state agencies, with a strong record of improving operations, strengthening performance, and advancing statewide initiatives.

Before joining SCHEV, Mrs. Mayton served as Deputy Director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), where she oversaw agencywide operations and advised senior leadership on major policy and funding matters. She previously served as DRPT’s Chief Administrative Officer, leading information technology, human resources, procurement, business process improvement, and facilities management.

Mrs. Mayton also held senior roles at the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (DSBSD), including Interim Agency Director and Chief of Staff. There, she led statewide diversity and inclusion initiatives, modernized agency processes, and directed the implementation of the Rebuild Virginia Grant Program. Earlier in her career, she served in executive leadership positions with the Virginia Department of Health and the Department of Historic Resources.

Mrs. Mayton is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, earning both an Executive MBA and a B.S. in Finance with a minor in Economics. She is a recipient of the Governor’s SWaM Champion Award and a graduate of the Virginia Executive Institute, Leadership Metro Richmond, and the Commonwealth Leadership Academy.

Director of Board and Executive Operations/FOIA Officer

Laura Osberger currently serves as the Director of Board and Executive Operations and FOIA Officer at the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). She is responsible for functions related to Council meetings and members, office operations, and internal and external communications. Laura previously was SCHEV’s Senior Associate for Outreach and Communications.

Prior to SCHEV, Laura worked in communications at the Virginia Community College System, Philip Morris USA and Carter Ryley Thomas Public Relations (now Padilla). Laura also owned her own communications firm for nearly nine years. Her specialties include strategic planning, media relations, writing, editing, community engagement and event planning. Laura earned a B.A. in English from Wake Forest University.

Associate Director, Student Success Opportunities & Engagement / HR Liaison

Paula Robinson has been administering grants to drive societal change since 1997. Her current role as the Assoc. Director of Student Success Opportunities and Engagement at SCHEV provides her with the opportunity to couple her professional grants management experience with her personal belief that education can be a “great equalizer” as she works to shape policy and develop programs and initiatives that increase equity within higher education and post-secondary access and success for all Virginians.

Paula is a graduate of James Madison University (B.S.) and received her master’s in Public Administration from George Mason University.