President’s Executive Council

President and CEO

Marc Levin joined MUIH in March 2008 and has served as a senior officer for every president in the history of the University. He is highly respected both within and outside the University and recognized for his integrity, authenticity, and grace. He earned his Master of Arts in Transformative Leadership and Social Change from MUIH under the teachings of the University’s founders and elders. Today, he is a proud alum and continues to be a strong supporter of the University’s values and culture which are consistently shown through his leadership and actions.

“My dream is to unleash the collective passion, expertise, and creativity of our community to create a future where we strive to positively impact the health, wellness, and well-being of every person on the planet,” said Mr. Levin

“My dream is for MUIH to view itself as a real community and to live into that image.”

“I have a saying, ‘See the future, create the future, be the future.’ My dream is for MUIH to be the future.”

Mr. Levin brought more than 25 years of business experience when he joined MUIH. He holds a Master of Business Administration and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Maryland and is a certified public accountant. He is also the author of Eight Shifts for Wellness: Practical Transformative Steps to Enhance Health, Wellness, and Well-Being, a book inspired by the teachings and philosophy of MUIH.

Mr. Levin is on the Board of Trustees of the Community Foundation of Howard County and serves as its treasurer. He is also a volunteer coach for Leadership Howard County and is a member of the Howard County Estate Planning Council, serving on the membership committee. Mr. Levin and his family have been residents of Howard County for 30 years.

Vice President of Information Technology

Lesly Elvard is the Director of Information Technology at MUIH, providing strategic oversight of Information Technology activities, governance and standard IT policies and procedures, resource allocation, Information Technology protocols, and leadership for the continued development of a robust, and secure IT environment throughout the University.

With a reputation for judicious use of resources—and resulting cost containment — Mr. Elvard spent 19+ years in Information Technology roles in non-profit and higher education where he led responsive IT teams that consistently delivered results by aligning technology initiatives with business goals, with substantial improvement to service delivery, standardization, and business/systems performance.

Mr. Elvard holds a master’s degree in Information and Telecommunication Systems with a Focus in Information Security from Johns Hopkins University. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Networking from Strayer University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Theta Kappa.

Vice President, Natural Care Center

Dr. Michelle McNear has over 20 years’ experience in the field of public health and wellness. She holds a MS in Exercise Physiology along with a MS in Public Health and a PhD in Public Health. Dr. McNear is currently the Clinic Director at the Natural Care Center, where she manages clinical operations, marketing, and securing grant funding for future patients. Her career has focused on health care administration, clinical research, strategic planning and quality improvement initiatives. Many of her responsibilities have included design and delivery of community-based health education programs. In addition to her role as clinical director, she is currently adjunct faculty at Maryland University of Integrative Health.

Dean, Academic Affairs

Dr. Gregory Ochoa serves as the Dean of Academic Affairs. In this role, he leads efforts of the academic department chairs, program directors, department managers, and all faculty. He also chairs the University Curriculum Committee and the Academic Policies Committee, in addition to providing academic diversity, equity, and inclusion leadership for academic affairs.

Dr. Ochoa has over 20 years of higher education experience, in both small and large institutions. He has extensive leadership experience that includes responsibility for faculty and staff recruitment, supervision, evaluation, promotion and tenure, academic program review, strategic planning, student recruitment, student life, professional development, and budget management. His demonstrated experience working with and advocating for diverse student populations offer a consistent theme in his professional career.

Dr. Ochoa holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Duquesne University, an M.A. in Psychology from Marshall University, and B.A. in Psychology from Creighton University.

Provost and Vice President, Academic and Student Affairs

Dr. Christina Sax serves as the Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs and is the chief academic officer of the University. She provides strategic and operational leadership for academic programs and faculty, student affairs, registrar’s office, library, instructional design services, academic assessment and accreditation, and professional and continuing education. 

Dr. Sax has over 30 years of higher education experience as an administrator and faculty member, following a career as a research scientist at the National Institutes of Health. She is a nationally recognized expert in online education and was the Co-Founding Director of the Quality Matters program. She has extensive leadership experience and expertise in strategic planning, assessment, accreditation, academic innovation, science education, and serving the unique needs of adult and non-traditional learners is the unifying theme of her higher education career. Dr. Sax has received numerous national awards, serves as a reviewer for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, and has served on several national education-related boards.

Dr. Sax holds a Ph.D. in Human Genetics from the Medical College of Virginia of Virginia Commonwealth University, with Sigma Xi and Phi Kappa Phi honors. She also holds a B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Rochester, with high distinction in research honors.