Leah Matthews is the Executive Director of the Distance Education Accrediting Commission located in Washington, DC. The DEAC is a private, non-profit organization founded in 1926 that accredits fully distance education institutions serving nearly 1.2 million students annually. The DEAC is recognized by the US Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Dr. Matthews began serving as the DEAC Executive Director on April 1, 2013. Dr. Matthews came to DEAC from her previous position as Vice President for Recognition Services at the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), the national coordinating organization for higher education accrediting organizations. In that role, she managed the CHEA recognition process for 60 accreditors that provide regional, national and programmatic accreditation. Prior to working with CHEA, Dr. Matthews served nearly 12 years on the staff of the Accrediting Commission for Career Schools and Colleges, of which for seven years she held a senior leadership position. Prior to joining ACCSC, Dr. Matthews worked for five years at the U.S. Army Japan Headquarters in Zama, Japan where she directed family support services and post-secondary education opportunities for soldiers and families assigned to the U.S. Army Japan, Headquarters. Dr. Matthews earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Education from Westminster College, New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma and a PhD in Education from George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia.