National Student Clearinghouse Announces Daniel Hae-Dong Lee as President and Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Daniel Hae-Dong Lee

Dr. Daniel Hae-Dong Lee has been named the new President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Student Clearinghouse. Dr. Lee started in the role on February 3, 2025.

Dr. Lee is a seasoned leader with over 25 years of experience in management consulting, corporate leadership, and the education technology sector. He joins the Clearinghouse after serving as Senior Vice President of Business Operations and Transformation at Smithbucklin, an association management and professional services company. Previously, Dr. Lee served as Vice President of Business Strategy and Operations at Ellucian, a private equity-backed EdTech company specializing in the higher education sector. At Ellucian, he helped drive cloud acceleration and modernization for higher education institutions. Lee also held management roles at McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, and Accenture, and served as interim CIO/COO at the Common Application. He also served on Common App’s board of directors as the chair of the audit and finance committees. Today, Dr. Lee serves on the board of trustees for Scholarship America, the nation’s largest nonprofit, private scholarship organization.

“On behalf of the entire Board, I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Lee to the National Student Clearinghouse,” said Board Chair Dr. Debra Chromy. “Dr. Lee is a skilled leader who believes in the transformative power of education and is excited to build upon the Clearinghouse’s critical role in supporting student success. Dr. Lee’s leadership will be instrumental in driving innovation to meet the needs of our nation’s learners, building value for our customers, and expanding our services.”

As CEO of the Clearinghouse, Dr. Lee takes the reins of an organization that serves nearly 3,600 higher education institutions, nearly 25,000 K-12 schools, and 43 states with verification, data exchange, learner insights, and compliance services. The organization also provides education data insights through the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

“I have long admired the Clearinghouse’s mission to support learners and workforce communities with trusted data and insights,” Dr. Lee shared. “I believe the Clearinghouse has a pivotal role to play in changing higher education environments and skills-based learning. I am truly honored to have the opportunity to work with all stakeholders and excited about enabling students, educators, and business leaders with reliable services and actionable insights.”

Dr. Lee takes over leadership of the Clearinghouse from Rick Torres, who, as announced in August, is retiring after nearly two decades as CEO.

To learn more about Dr. Lee, read the press release.

“I have long admired the Clearinghouse’s mission to support learners and workforce communities with trusted data and insights. I believe the Clearinghouse has a pivotal role to play in changing higher education environments and skills-based learning. I am truly honored to have the opportunity to work with all stakeholders and excited about enabling students, educators, and business leaders with reliable services and actionable insights.”

Dr. Daniel Hae-Dong Lee
New President and CEO of the National Student Clearinghouse

Additional Resources:

• More About the Clearinghouse
• Read the press release on Dr. Lee