Kara Freeman

Kara Freeman is the American Council on Education’s (ACE) senior vice president and chief operating officer (COO). In her role as COO, Freeman is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the administrative and operational areas of the organization. Her portfolio includes oversight of the Council’s facilities, finance, human resources, information technology, and meeting logistics functions. Prior to the COO role, Freeman was ACE’s vice president of administration and chief information officer (CIO) from 2009 through 2019. As CIO, she set the strategic direction of ACE’s use of technology and the secure operation of all related systems and applications. 

Before joining ACE in 2006, Freeman was a program manager with Lockheed Martin Information Technology. In this role, she managed several IT contracts, including contracts for the development of systems associated with e-Gov initiatives, which advanced the use of IT innovation within the federal government. Freeman also has held management and technical positions with companies such as AT&T and MCI, among others. She has worked as an independent contractor for firms, including Fidelity Ventures, and has taught information management systems as an instructor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. 

Freeman holds a BS from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and an MBA from The George Washington University, both in information systems. She also holds a certified association executive credential through the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and a project management professional credential through the Project Management Institute. She has been a board member of EDUCAUSE and the Technology Advisory Council for ASAE. Freeman currently sits on the boards of The Training Source, Inc and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County Information Systems department.