ROBERT EVANS
President & CEO
When Robert Evans founded The Evans Consulting Group, Inc. (the parent company of CHESS), he imagined an organization that would combine his own experience in educational management and policy with the skills of a hand-selected team of consultants. Building on a career which spans more than thirty years, Mr. Evans continues to assist colleges, universities, and nonprofit organizations in the restructuring of various operational processes related to student finance and higher education services.
Because of his impressive history in various arms of the education field, Mr. Evans is regarded as one of the country's leading experts in student financial aid. He possesses a prodigious knowledge of financial aid policies, and even more importantly, the necessary experience to lead organizations in restructuring their operations to improve services.
Mr. Evans's career began in the financial aid offices of institutions such as The Pennsylvania State University, Kansas State University, and Oglethorpe University. In these positions he gained an in-depth knowledge of all aspects of the federal Title IV student aid programs, and the day-to-day functioning of aid offices.
Eventually, Mr. Evans's experience in compliance and financial aid management led him to the public sector where he involved himself in educational policy. Most importantly, he served at the U.S. Department of Education (ED) as Director in the Office of Postsecondary Education, Division of Policy Development & Student Financial Assistance Programs. He was involved in several policy-oriented projects at ED, most notably as a founding member of the Department of Education Direct Student Loan Program Task Force, which designed and implemented the Federal Direct Loan Program.
After his tenure at ED, Mr. Evans accepted a position as Senior Manager at KPMG Peat Marwick's Student Services Practice in Washington, D.C. There he was responsible for designing the Institutional Certification and Evaluation Services (ICES) module, which provides a comprehensive review of an institution's eligibility for student financial assistance and its compliance with student aid policies and procedures. As technology began to play an increasingly important role in his work at KPMG, Mr. Evans developed a nuanced understanding of computer systems planning and implementation.
Mr. Evans's decision to create The Evans Consulting Group, Inc. (ECG) in 1995 was the natural culmination of his first-hand experience as an institutional manager, federal policy-maker, and private-sector consultant. Since that time, he has served clients of all sizes and helped them to address specific needs. ECG's core service is to assist colleges and universities in the operational support of their financial aid programs, and to ensure federal and state compliance. Additionally, ECG has assisted clients with the integration of a financial aid program into their enrollment goals and retention plans, all within the context of an ever-changing technology environment. Notable clients include The California Institute of Technology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, and The Johns Hopkins University.
Education & Achievements
MS in Student Personnel Administration for Higher Education, Emporia State University
BA in Political Science, magna cum laude, Ottawa University
Mr. Evans is a Past President of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and a lecture speaker at various professional conferences.
