University of Phoenix Admissions Leadership Appointed Chair of PESC Board

By: University of Phoenix via Business Wire

July 28, 2025 at 17:04 PM EDT

Director of Admissions and Evaluation Monterey Sims serves as Postsecondary Electronic Standards Council Board of Directors Chair

University of Phoenix is pleased to share that Monterey Sims, director, Admissions and Evaluation, has been appointed as Chair for Postsecondary Electronic Standards Council Board of Directors for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. Sims, who has served on the Board for five years, brings over three decades of experience and leadership in higher education and has been an active member of PESC since 2005.

“I’m honored to serve as Chair of PESC and continue advancing our mission to improve data standards and interoperability in education,” states Sims. “I look forward to working with our dedicated board, members, and partners to promote innovation and excellence across the sector.”

PESC is a non-profit, community-based organization that develops and promotes open data standards to improve digital interoperability across the education sector. By fostering collaboration among institutions, government agencies, and technology providers, PESC helps streamline data exchange and enhance student success.

As Chair, Sims will lead the Board of Directors and Executive Committee, guiding the organization’s strategic direction and ensuring alignment with its mission. She will also serve as PESC’s primary spokesperson and represent the organization in key public and professional forums. Additionally, she will serve as an ex-officio member of all PESC committees, collaborate with staff to implement board resolutions and strategic initiatives, and support relationship building with partner organizations and stakeholders.

“Monterey’s appointment as Chair of PESC is a reflection of her deep expertise and long-standing commitment to improving how institutions exchange and manage student data,” said Devin Andrews, vice president, Admissions and Evaluation at University of Phoenix. “Her leadership has been instrumental in advancing operational efficiencies that support student mobility, and I’m confident she will bring the same vision and dedication to this important role.”

As a Director of Admissions and Evaluation at University of Phoenix, Sims is directly responsible for the Office of Admissions Document Processing division which includes overseeing the acquisition and processing of admission documents and transcripts from prior attended institutions for University applicants. Integral to the University’s established credit mobility culture, Sims continually seeks out operational efficiencies and promotes interoperability and student mobility as well as electronic transcript partnerships to improve processes and remove barriers for students. During 30+ years at the University she has led a variety of process improvement initiatives including implementation of Electronic Transcript Exchange (ETX) and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI).

Sims has also served as Vice Chair on the PESC Board of Directors. She serves on the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) Standardization of Postsecondary Education Record Electronic Data Exchange (SPEEDE) Committee and AACRAO Technical Advisory Committee as well as the eTrans California Steering Committee, 1EdTech Digital Credentials Project Group and is a member of the Pacific Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (PACRAO). Sims co-authored the article “Electronic Transcripts 2021: The Landscape and Future of Electronic Document Exchange” published in the AACRAO quarterly journal, College & University.

About University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, skills-mapped curriculum for our bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and a Career Services for Life® commitment help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit phoenix.edu.

About PESC

Since 1997, PESC Members have come together to identify, research, develop and promote the adoption of interoperable data standards and methods across the postsecondary education P20W ecosystem. Their work includes the development and reuse of common data schemas leveraging XML, EDI, JSON and JSON-LD. PESC advocates for the widespread adoption of automated connections that enhance data efficiency. These connections ensure secure and repeatable interchange across specialized administrative, financial, and academic domains. For more information, please visit www.PESC.org.