American Public Education, Inc. announced that Karmela Gaffney has joined the company as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). A marketing professional with over 25 years of experience driving successful digital and integrated marketing strategies at Fortune 500 companies and higher education institutions, Ms. Gaffney will lead the APEI team to expand market strategy, shape brand identity, and attract and retain students on behalf of APEI's four educational institutions. Ms. Gaffney, APEI's Acting Chief Marketing Officer since July 2023, previously served as CMO at Academic Partnerships, where she led digital and organic marketing, operations, brand and product marketing, field sales, public relations, student experience, and research.

Ms. Gaffney has a wealth of expertise in marketing strategy, brand development, product marketing, partner marketing, and customer engagement across Business-to-Consumer (B2C) marketing. She has led large teams to deliver demand generation, customer acquisition, and retention strategies throughout the entire enrollment lifecycle. Before working at Academic Partnerships, Ms. Gaffney served as Vice President of Digital and eCommerce Marketing at University of Phoenix, where she led the strategy and implementation of all marketing endeavors including the development of a consumer roadmap and web content strategy.

Before that, she served in several senior roles at Choice Hotels International, and Best Western Hotels & Resorts. Ms. Gaffney holds a bachelor's degree from Arizona State University.