ceacapa-inline-color

Executive Team

Keith Cline - CEO Keith Cline

Chief Executive Officer

Keith A. Cline is the Chief Executive Officer of the CEA CAPA Education Abroad. Keith has been active in higher education for many years and has dedicated his time and philanthropic endeavors to developing well prepared and globally minded students. This includes the endowment of The Cline Leadership Academy at The University of Akron, his alma mater, which seeks to develop students into effective team leaders today and worldwide leaders for the future, and an endowment to The Ohio State University to The Shumaker Complex, a comprehensive training, wellness, and educational facility aimed at collaboration, innovation, and learning for student-athletes.

Prior to joining CEA CAPA, Keith spent 20 years in executive leadership roles with hospitality and specialty retail brands and has extensive experience in strategy development, operational excellence, and building highly effective teams. His passion for leading people and building strong and diverse values-based cultures is the perfect intersection with the mission and purpose of CEA CAPA.

Most recently, Keith was the President & CEO of La Quinta Inns & Suites and its successor company, CorePoint Lodging Inc. He serves on the Texas FFA Foundation Board and is a member of World 50, a private global community of senior executives.

Keith is a summa cum laude graduate of The University of Akron with a B.S. in Accounting and an MBA in Finance.

Martha Johnson headshot 2022 crop

Dr. Martha Johnson

Executive Vice President and Provost

Martha Johnson is the Executive Vice President and Provost for CEA CAPA Education Abroad.

She has worked in education abroad since 1991, including on-site at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and as the Study Abroad Coordinator at Leeds Metropolitan University in Leeds, England. She managed institutional relations for several US-based educational organizations and consortia including Regent’s College in London and AustraLearn previous to going to the University of Minnesota in 2001.

From 2009-2022, Martha served the Assistant Dean for Learning Abroad at the University of Minnesota and oversaw one of the largest education abroad offices in the US, sending over 4000 students abroad annually. She played a key leadership role in the highly successful and internationally recognized Curriculum Integration initiative, as well as developing the Career Integration project and subsequent conferences.

Martha holds a PhD in American Studies with an emphasis in drama and the performance of gender, race, and cultural identity from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. Martha has presented and chaired numerous sessions and workshops at national and international conferences, served on a variety of education abroad program boards, and authored articles and chapters for publications including Frontiers and NAFSA guides, publications, and resources. She previously served in leadership roles and chaired multiple committees in NAFSA, the Forum on Education Abroad, Diversity Abroad, the Global Leadership League, and the Fund for Education Abroad. She is currently serving a term as Secretary on the Board of Directors for the Forum.

 Craig KenchCraig Kench
 Senior Vice President Global Career and Internship Programs

Based in London, Craig is responsible for the strategic growth, development, implementation, and quality assurance of Career and Internship programs across all of CEA CAPA's global locations. Since joining the organization in 2011, Craig has created a network of over 2,000 internship partners across the globe and created diverse experiential frameworks that have served over 500 US institutions. Craig oversees the delivery of CEA CAPA services to maximize our students' personal and professional development and growth of employer related skills and competencies. Craig is an active member of the international higher education community and regularly presents at conferences and writes publications for the field.  

Prior to joining CEA CAPA, Craig managed educational facilities around the London area, worked for the UK government, and spent 10 years working and studying in the US. He holds an MA and a BS in Education from Walsh University. Craig is originally from Gibraltar, raised in England, and is a former professional football (soccer) player. Learn more about Craig’s leadership and the Global Internship Program in this overview video.

Michael Woolf

Dr. Michael Woolf

Deputy President for Strategic Development

Michael has spent much of his career in an international context. Prior to working in mainstream international education, he taught American Literature at the universities of Hull, Middlesex, Padova, and Venice, and worked as a researcher-writer for BBC radio. Michael has held leadership roles with FIE, CIEE, and Syracuse University. He has also consulted for New York University, Brethren Colleges Abroad, Warwick University, and is an adviser to the President of Tamagawa University in Tokyo.

He serves on a number of boards and committees including the Curriculum Committee of the Forum on Education Abroad, the Editorial Boards of Frontiers and the Journal of Studies in International Education, EAIE’s Knowledge Development Task Force, and Braun Stiftung für Internationalen Austausch. Michael was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Forum on Education Abroad from 2006 to 2012.

Michael holds a PhD in American Studies, an MA in Literature, and a BA in History and Politics. He has written widely and has published extensively on international education and cultural studies. Most recently, he published work aimed at critically reviewing the core assumptions of study abroad. You can read a sample of Michael’s short essays in his monthly blog column Thoughts on Education Abroad

Andrea Custodi

Dr. Andrea Custodi 
Dean & Vice President of Academic and Strategic Initiatives

Andrea comes to CEA CAPA with 20 years of experience in senior leadership at education abroad organizations: from a small liberal arts consortium operating in South India, to Arcadia and IFSA's Alliance for Global Education, and most recently as Senior Director of Academic Affairs and Strategic Initiatives at CET Academic Programs.

She also brings an extensive record of service to the field. Andrea currently serves on AIEA's Publications & Resources Committee; she has chaired The Forum on Education Abroad’s Curriculum Committee, Standards Committee, and Outcomes Assessment Committee, and served as a member of the Forum Council, the Ethics Committee, and the Trained Facilitator Corps. Andrea holds an interdisciplinary PhD from The George Washington University and her academic background spans South Asian religious studies, critical theory, history, and international politics.

In her role at CEA CAPA, Andrea oversees and upholds CAPA's commitment to academic excellence, seeking to foster innovation in pedagogy and curriculum design, and ensuring the smooth administration of academic policies and processes.

Jodi Melichar

 Jodi Melichar
  Vice President of US Operations

Jodi is responsible for the strategic oversight and management of the Enrollment and Advising Department. She joined the CEA CAPA team in 2006, as the Manager of US Program Services. Jodi also serves on CAPA's Health & Safety Committee which is responsible for all aspects of CEA CAPA's practices and protocols. 

Since joining CEAE CAPA, she has held a variety of leadership roles including Director of Pre Departure Services, and Vice President of Global Program Services. Prior to joining CAPA, Jodi worked for STA Travel serving as a manager for The George Washington University and Boston University branch offices. In addition to this, she spent four years leading tours in India, Nepal, and Vietnam for Intrepid Travel, an Australian based adventure travel company. Through her studies in India as well as her own travel, and experience as an international tour leader, she learned firsthand the importance of thorough advising and pre-departure preparation to set the framework for a culturally rich and safe time abroad.

image003 (2)

Shawna Parker
Vice President of Communications and Partner Marketing

Shawna has worked in international education and related fields for more than 20 years. As the Vice President of Marketing for CAPA, she oversees all aspects of CEA CAPA’s marketing activities and works closely with global teams on content and communication.

She has previously served as the Director of Marketing for World Learning, an international education and nongovernmental institution that is the umbrella organization for the School for International Training (SIT Study Abroad and SIT Graduate programs), and The Experiment in International Living. She holds a degree in Political Science from Smith College. In addition to her work in international education, Shawna has experience in sales and marketing consulting and as a book editor, designer, and publisher.

Stacy Benander Headshot Crop

Stacy McKay Benander
Vice President of Institutional Relations - East

Stacy is a veteran of the international education field. Prior to joining CEA CAPA, she served for 15 years as the Founder and President of Athena Study Abroad. She received the Enlightened Employer Award at the Women in International Education (WIE) Awards in Berlin, Germany, has been named twice to the Forty Under 40 list for business professionals (in both Columbus, Ohio, and Western Pennsylvania), and was named the recipient of NAFSA Region VI's esteemed Leo Dowling Award of Excellence.

Stacy served as a Founding Executive Team Member of the women's leadership and advocacy group the Global Leadership League, has served on NAFSA's Trainer Corps, and was a founding member of the Global Learning Collective. She has also served as the Director of the International Office at Ohio Dominican University, and was an International Student and Scholar Advisor at The Ohio State University.

CAPA_Paul Hopkinson Headshot 2020

Paul Hopkinson
Vice President of Institutional Relations - Central

Based in Austin, Texas Paul joined CEA CAPA in 2018 where he works with institutions across the central region of  US. 

Paul has focused his career on working with students and administrators in higher education.  Prior to CEA CAPA, Paul served as a Bilingual Admission Counselor and Academic Advisor at St. Edward’s University, Director of Internships and Service-Learning at International Studies Abroad, and Director of University Relations with EF College Study Tours.

He holds a dual BA in Spanish and Communication from Stonehill College and earned his MA in Spanish from Texas State University.

              Andrea Knappich
              Chief Financial Officer

Andrea Knappich is a senior finance executive with 25+ years of experience in high-growth organizations, including private equity held, public, and private companies. She has a demonstrated record of driving business transformation, growth, and operational performance, and enjoys collaborating across all areas of an organization. She has served as a key strategic finance partner to senior business and operational leaders across various business units and functional areas (technology, strategy, product development, marketing, client revenue, and human resources), and has significant experience leading due diligence and integration activities, as well as with mergers and acquisitions.

She has experience working in the US, Canada, and France, as well as extensive experience leading virtual, global finance teams. Her past roles include 20 years with Carlson Wagonlit Travel, a global leader specialized in business travel, and most recently as CFO for Celerity Consulting Group, a provider of information management and litigation support solutions. She holds an Honors Bachelor of Commerce degree from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada and also studied at a Consortium of International Business Schools (University of St. Gallen, Cranfield University, Esade, Bocconi, EM Lyon).