The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) named Antoinette Flores as vice president of federal policy and government relations, placing her at the center of the organization’s accreditation and quality assurance engagement. CHEA said Flores will lead federal policy strategy and analysis on emerging issues affecting accreditation and institutional accountability. CHEA president Nasser H. Paydar described Flores as bringing “deep expertise” across federal higher education policy, regulatory affairs, and accreditation. Flores previously worked as Director of Higher Education Accountability and Quality at New America, and earlier held senior roles in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education, including work tied to implementation of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. She succeeds Jan Friis, who retired after 20 years at CHEA. The staffing move signals CHEA’s intent to intensify alignment work with policymakers as federal oversight and accreditation expectations continue evolving.