After an eight-month search, the National Association of College Stores has chosen Robert A. Walton to be its CEO. The professional trade association represents the $10 billion collegiate retailing segment. Walton, who will start the job on July 1, is succeeding Brian E. Cartier, who announced his retirement last March.
Walton will become the fourth person to hold the top post in the association’s 93-year history. He has a background in higher education management, most recently as v-p for finance and administration for Vassar College. At Vassar, he directed the college’s finance, facilities, and auxiliary operations, including the campus store. He also has experience in the IT and library science industries.
NACS board president Anthony Martin called Walton a "proven leader with business vision and broad experience in higher education." Martin, who is director of the Houston Baptist University Bookstore in Houston, Tex., said Martin's "strong track record in coalition building and his deep understanding of the non-academic services and function that support higher education institutions" will be an asset to NACS as it coninues to "evolve the role of the campus store.”
