Press Release: Kristin Hultquist Appointed by U.S. Department of Education as Primary Negotiator for AHEAD Committee
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kristin Hultquist Appointed by U.S. Department of Education as Primary Negotiator for AHEAD Committee
Washington, D.C. — Kristin Hultquist, CEO and Founding Partner of HCM Strategists (HCM) and a nationally recognized leader in postsecondary policy, has been selected by the U.S. Department of Education to serve as a primary negotiator for the forthcoming Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD) Committee.
In this role, Hultquist will represent a broad range of public institutions, including those eligible for Federal assistance under Title III and Title V of the Higher Education Act (HEA), Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Her appointment reflects more than three decades of experience advancing impactful, evidence-based higher education policy across the nation.
The Department’s negotiated rulemaking sessions will take place across December and January and will be live-streamed for public viewing, offering stakeholders an opportunity to follow the discussions as they unfold.
Session Details:
The AHEAD Committee will be addressing institutional and program accountability, Pell Grants, and other issues. The committee will meet from 9:00am–12:00pm and 1:00pm–4:00pm, on the following dates:
· Session 1: December 8 – December 12, 2025
· Session 2: January 5 – January 9, 2026
For full details visit The U.S. Department of Education’s Negotiated Rulemaking for Higher Education 2025.
Kristin D. Hultquist
“As a Pell recipient and first-generation college graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, a rural-serving, public regional comprehensive university, I’ve seen firsthand how federal policy shapes pathways into and through higher education, and this has shaped the course of my professional life” said Hultquist. “My first post-graduate school job was supporting higher education issues for the National School-to-Work Office, a first-of-its-kind joint effort of the Departments of Education and Labor. These negotiations carry significant implications for public institutions working to expand opportunity and improve student outcomes, and I am honored to bring the perspectives of public and under-resourced institutions to the table as we shape policies that will impact millions of learners.”
Hultquist was nominated to the committee by members of the Metropolitan State University of Denver community, where she currently chairs the Board of Trustees. She was originally appointed by Colorado Governor Jared Polis and confirmed by the Senate in 2019 and reappointed and reconfirmed in 2024.
She has also provided national leadership on federal higher education policy through her prior service at the U.S. Department of Education, where she was senior advisor to the Under Secretary of Education. In that role, she helped implement Secretary Margaret Spellings’ Commission on the Future of Higher Education, work that reframed the national postsecondary agenda around student outcomes and contributed to the largest single-year increase in Pell Grants in more than three decades. Hultquist also led the RADD report, with HCM participating in the broader RADD movement from 2013–2017, a national effort that helped shape federal financial aid improvements over the last 12 years. She has further testified as an invited witness before the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives during the 114th, 115th, and 116th Congresses on federal financial aid reforms recommended by two initiatives she directed—the American Dream 2.0 coalition and the Doing Better for More Students technical report.
For interviews, additional information about HCM Strategists, or the AHEAD Committee proceedings, please contact Nicole Brown, Director of Communications, at nicole_brown@hcmstrategists.com or (206) 303-8998.
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About HCM Strategists
Founded in 2008, HCM Strategists (HCM) is a public policy consulting firm dedicated to improving educational outcomes and economic mobility. With deep expertise in federal and state policy, HCM partners with foundations, institutions, organizations, and policymakers nationwide to drive systems change and expand access to postsecondary education to every learner. Learn more at hcmstrategists.com.
Our Mission: HCM Strategists is an impact-driven consulting firm that believes in the transformative power of education and work-based learning to improve social and economic mobility for communities that have been marginalized or historically underserved. Our work delivers a consequential impact on the national narrative, policy options and leaders responsible for change.
