Coleman Named 2026 Ray Schroeder Leadership Award Recipient at SOLAR Conference in Boston

BOSTON, July 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Nancy Coleman, Dean of Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education (DCE), today received the 2026 UPCEA Ray Schroeder Leadership Award for the Advancement of Digital Learning at the SOLAR conference, held at the Westin Seaport Hotel in Boston. The award, presented annually by UPCEA, the leading association for professional, continuing, and online education, recognizes exemplary leadership in advancing digital and online learning.

Coleman was appointed Dean of DCE in 2020, becoming the first woman to serve in the role. She leads an institution whose engagement with distance and online learning spans more than six decades, from the first extension course broadcast on television in 1956 to the launch of Polaris University in 1960 that delivered coursework to Navy submarine crews, in-house hybrid learning technology that improved student persistence rates by four percent and was credited with enabling DCE to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic without emergency adaptation.

“I’m thrilled to share this award with the Harvard DCE staff who make it possible, and with the students whose lives have changed through online education,” said Coleman. “The tools keep changing — television, submarines, the internet, now AI-driven classrooms — but the mission hasn’t: real rigor, real access, real outcomes.”

Under Coleman’s leadership, DCE serves more than 25,000 learners annually from over 120 countries, in programs spanning from the Extension School, Harvard Summer School, to Crimson Summer Academy, which has served high-achieving students from Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston public schools for 40 years, with 99.8 percent of graduates enrolling in a four-year college since the program’s inception, to retirement learning through the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement. Professional and executive development programs designed in partnership with employers saw 74 percent of 2026 clients return for additional engagements.

Coleman is also the author of a recent book chapter, “Yes, That Harvard,” tracing the history and future direction of DCE and its role in shaping continuing education nationally.

About the Ray Schroeder Leadership Award

The UPCEA Ray Schroeder Leadership Award for the Advancement of Digital Learning recognizes leaders who have made significant contributions to the advancement of digital and online learning through sustained commitment to quality, access, and innovation. The award is presented annually by UPCEA at its SOLAR conference.

About Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education

Founded in 1910, Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education offers more than 900 open-enrollment courses and programs annually, serving learners from age 16 to well past 90. DCE encompasses Harvard Extension School, Harvard Summer School, Harvard Professional and Executive Development, the Crimson Summer Academy, and the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement. As one of Harvard’s twelve degree-granting schools, DCE operates on an ‘earn your way in’ admissions model, prioritizing demonstrated academic ability. More information is available at extension.harvard.edu.

Media contact: Trent Spiner, (917-502-8079), tspiner@gmail.com

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SOURCE Harvard University Division of Continuing Education

RICHMOND, Va., July 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — 37th Parallel Properties (“37th Parallel”), a multifamily real estate investment firm, today announced the acquisition of Woodbridge Villas, a 222-unit, 2002-built community in Sachse, Texas. The off-market acquisition is the firm’s latest investment in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro and expands its institutional-quality portfolio across the South and Southeast.

“Woodbridge Villas is the type of asset and submarket we have consistently pursued throughout our history,” said Dan Chamberlain, Managing Partner. “Sachse is an affluent, supply-constrained pocket of northeast Dallas with a median household income of approximately $117,000, top-rated schools, and a crime rate roughly half the Texas average. Those characteristics drive long-term, family-oriented demand. Submarket homeownership costs drive a durable rent-versus-own affordability buffer, which also supports occupancy and pricing power.”

The submarket benefits from a near-zero forward supply pipeline, with only one project under construction and none currently proposed within a seven-mile radius of the property. Limited entitled land, adjacency to established single-family neighborhoods, and political resistance to density collectively raise the barriers to new development, supporting steady occupancy and sustained rent growth.

Situated on 10.5 acres, Woodbridge Villas features a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units averaging 875 square feet across 11 residential buildings. Apartment and community amenities include nine-foot ceilings, private patios and balconies, attached and direct-access garages, a resort-style swimming pool, fitness center, clubhouse, business center, outdoor grilling and lounge areas, and a pet park.

Darci Poole, Transaction Manager, said, “Woodbridge Villas brings together the elements we prioritize most: an institutional-quality, low-density asset in a desirable suburban submarket with strong demographics and a constrained supply backdrop. Sourcing the transaction on an off-market basis allowed us to purchase below appraisal, comps, and replacement costs, all with conservative underwriting assumptions. “The acquisition is supported by low-leverage, Freddie Mac financing arranged by Cutt Ableson and Patrick Hickey at Berkadia. Structured at a fixed rate with a full-term interest-only period, the capitalization is designed to enhance current cash flow, limit refinance risk, and provide downside protection across a range of interest-rate and macroeconomic scenarios. The property will be managed on site by RPM Living, a top-five U.S. property management company.

Woodbridge Villas represents the final investment from 37th Parallel’s second fund, 37P – Fund II, an income and equity growth vehicle that employs a similar strategy as Fund I, targeting value-add and core-plus multifamily real estate in growth markets across the Southeast and Texas. With this acquisition, Fund II now holds diversified investments in Charlotte, Austin, Atlanta, and Dallas.

“In an environment where capital discipline and market selection matter more than ever, Woodbridge Villas reflects our continued focus on acquiring institutional-grade, well-located assets in growth submarkets with durable demand and limited supply,” said Chad Doty, Managing Partner. “We look forward to delivering an attractive tax-advantaged investment to our investor family on this project.”

ABOUT 37th PARALLEL PROPERTIES

37th Parallel Properties is a multifamily investment firm focused on owning and operating institutional-quality multifamily communities in the South and Southeast. Based in Richmond, VA, and founded in 2008, 37th Parallel has completed transactions totaling more than $1.2 billion in value, all while maintaining a 100% profitable track record for its family of high-net-worth, family office, and institutional investors.

To learn more about 37th Parallel, visit www.37parallel.com.

MEDIA CONTACT
Kieran Donohue
Director, Client Communications
kdonohue@37parallel.com

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SOURCE 37th Parallel Properties

$150,000 commitment to support human trafficking awareness, prevention, and survivor assistance

SCHILLER PARK, Ill., July 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Encore, the world’s leading event production and technology company, announced a $150,000 commitment to the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) Foundation’s No Room for Trafficking (NRFT) Survivor Fund, becoming the first premier hospitality industry partner to support the industry initiative.

Beginning 2027, the two-year investment expands Encore’s longstanding commitment to helping prevent human trafficking through awareness, training and industry collaboration. In addition, Encore requires all global team members to complete human trafficking awareness training as part of onboarding, reinforcing our commitment to identifying and reporting signs of human trafficking.

Human trafficking remains a significant global challenge:

Approximately 28 million people are trafficked worldwide on any given day.Human trafficking generates more than $172 billion annually across the global economy.

“Human trafficking is an urgent issue facing the hospitality industry and our communities,” said Ben Erwin, president and CEO of Encore and a member of the AHLA Board of Directors. “As a partner to 2,200 hotel and event venues around the world, we have an opportunity to help address challenges that impact our industry. Through our support of the No Room for Trafficking Survivor Fund, we’re helping advance prevention efforts while supporting survivors on their path forward. We’re proud to be the first premier hospitality industry partner to join this important initiative.”

The No Room for Trafficking Survivor Fund provides grants to organizations that deliver job training, workforce development, emergency assistance and other services that help survivors achieve long-term economic independence.

“We are grateful for Encore’s support of No Room for Trafficking and their commitment to helping create safer environments across the hospitality industry. It is yet another example of Encore demonstrating its differentiated role as a leading partner to the hotel industry. By raising awareness and equipping teams with the tools to recognize and respond to the signs of human trafficking, we can make an impact for guests, employees, and the communities we serve,” said Kevin Carey, President & CEO, AHLA Foundation.

Encore’s support reflects the company’s broader commitment to responsible business practices, industry leadership and creating safer environments for customers, venue partners and communities worldwide.

About Encore
Encore is a global leader in event production, supporting meeting and event professionals with event technology and production. Committed to delivering an exceptional customer experience, the company is guided by its purpose to connect and inspire, supporting more than 2,200 premier event venues, including hotels, convention centers and corporate campuses worldwide. Encore is one of the 2026 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® for the second year and has been a certified Great Place To Work™ for five years running, reflecting the company’s investment in its people as the foundation of customer success. Headquartered in Schiller Park, Illinois, Encore operates in 23 countries across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and Asia Pacific. Learn more at encoreglobal.com and connect with Encore on LinkedIn.

About AHLA Foundation
AHLA Foundation, the charitable arm of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, works to support the hotel and lodging industry’s greatest asset – our people. By connecting employees, employers, and their communities, we seek to continuously nurture a culture of professional growth and belonging. When the people who work in our industry thrive, the industry thrives along with them. The Foundation is funded by grants and charitable contributions from generous individuals and organizations who want to support individuals seeking opportunities to thrive in the hotel and lodging industry. Learn more at www.ahlafoundation.org.

Encore Contact: candace.mueller@encoreglobal.com 

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SOURCE Encore