American Public Education Appoints Former Staples CEO Shira Goodman to Board of Directors

American Public Education appointed Shira Goodman, a 26-year Staples veteran who became its CEO, to its board of directors, filling the seat vacated by James Kenigsberg, who now serves permanently as chief innovation and technology officer. The company announced the appointment on October 27, 2026, according to PR Newswire.

Goodman's Staples Career and Board Seats

American Public Education said Goodman spent 26 years at Staples, holding leadership roles in marketing, human resources and global growth before becoming CEO. She currently serves on the boards of Burlington Stores, CBRE and Box Partners, and previously served on the boards of Staples, CarMax, Henry Schein, Stride Rite and Reef Lifestyle, LLC. She was also an advisory director at Charlesbank Capital and earlier worked as a manager at Bain & Company, where she helped develop the initial business plan for the Staples delivery business.

Angela Selden, president and chief executive officer of American Public Education and chancellor of American Public University System, said: "Shira's experience advising organizations on growth and strategy while leading through transformational change will add valuable perspective as we advance our mission of empowering students through education, helping them transform their lives, advance their careers and contribute to their communities." Goodman said she was "honored to join the APEI board of directors and support its mission of transforming lives through education." She is an executive coach, chairs the Jim Joseph Foundation and was a member of Harvard University's Finance Committee. She holds a master's degree in management science from the MIT Sloan School of Management, a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a bachelor's degree from Princeton University.

Kenigsberg's Permanent Technology Role

Kenigsberg stepped away from the board last year to serve as interim chief innovation and technology officer and recently took the role permanently. Selden said: "We are so pleased that James has agreed to assume the chief innovation and technology officer role on a permanent basis. It is a clear reflection of his personal commitment to the company's mission of expanding educational opportunities for service-minded students." The company said Kenigsberg will continue to lead its technology transformation, using artificial intelligence, intelligent systems and student-centered products.

American Public Education's Operating Scale

According to akta.pro company records, American Public Education enrolled approximately 109,000 students as of Q1 2026, about 89,500 in its Military+ segment and 19,400 in Health+. The same records show Q1 2026 consolidated revenue of $174.7 million, up 6.2% from $164.6 million in Q1 2025, and full-year 2025 revenue of $649 million with adjusted EBITDA of $85.7 million.

Earlier Steps in the Technology and Consolidation Push

In August 2026, American Public Education announced an AI-powered Student Lifecycle Platform built on Salesforce's infrastructure to enhance student engagement across its university system, Intelligentedu reported. In April 2026, the company received Higher Learning Commission approval to consolidate American Public University System, Rasmussen University and Hondros College of Nursing into a single accredited institution, according to akta.pro company records. Rasmussen University also selected D2L Brightspace as its new learning management system to replace Blackboard, with implementation beginning after a pilot in May 2026.