Charles M. Ambrose

Dr. Ambrose is a senior consultant for higher education strategy at the national law firm of Husch Blackwell. With over 40 years in higher education and 25 years as a college president in both public and private sectors, and a national foundation, his professional journey continues to synthesize policy, strategy and practice to help create the future of higher education.

Most recently, he served as Chancellor of Henderson State University where he was tasked with leading the campus through an historic financial crisis that achieved the largest cost containment effort in the shortest amount of time for a public four-year university to restore financial integrity and provide a sustainable future for the University. This work is featured in a Chronicle of Higher Education Newsroom Report “Restructuring a University: How One Institution is Staying Viable.” This journey is at the core of “Colleges on the Brink” co-authored with Mike Nietzel.

Dr. Ambrose bridges the world between K12, higher education and the workforce with the ability to help realize a community’s vision, align learning pathways and transform the way teachers teach, learners learn and institution’s serve.

Dr. Ambrose served as President & CEO of KnowledgeWorks, a national foundation advancing #PersonalizedLearning & CBE by partnering states, communities, and schools.

The position required building of a strategic vision for the Foundation, fiscal restructuring to provide a long-term sustainable future with measurable impact metrics, acquisition of the Student at the Center Research Collaborative from Jobs for the Future (JFF), strong financial performance and revenue growth, and synthesis of the organization’s focus on state-level systems change, justice, equity, inclusion and diversity work in partnership with Promise54, organizational COVID response, and collaboration with the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University.

Prior to Knowledgeworks, he served as President of the University of Central Missouri. Dr. Ambrose served for 12 years as president of Pfeiffer University. Dr. Ambrose held leadership positions at Carson-Newman College, Western Carolina University, and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

Dr. Ambrose has participated in many scholarly/professional activities throughout his career, and served for two years as chair of the NCAA Division II Presidents Council, the Midwestern Higher Education Commission, and Chair of the Council of Public Higher Education in Missouri.

He was awarded the Commander’s Medal by the US Air Force Global Strike Command for his support of service-members and their families. President Obama recognized UCM’s Missouri Innovation Campus as a national model for higher education. He was recognized by Governor Jay Nixon with Missouri’s Economic Development Award and is a recipient of Furman University’s Distinguished Alumni Award.

Chuck Ambrose attended Furman University, where he was a four-year letterman/captain of the soccer team. After graduation, he earned two advanced degrees from the University of Louisville and the University of Georgia.

Dr. Ambrose and his wife, Kris (also a Furman grad) are active in the community. The Ambroses completed The Ride for the Ribbon, a 1,000 mile bike ride raising dollar 200,000 for breast cancer awareness/early detection. The couple has two children and two grandchildren.