Career Education Corporation Names Patrick W. Gross to Board of Directors; Technology Executive Brings Extensive Management and Governmental Experience to Company's Board; Demonstrated Commitment to Promoting Quality Education

Business Wire, Dec 28, 2005

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- Career Education Corporation (NASDAQ:CECO) today appointed to its board of directors Patrick W. Gross, 61, founder and former principal executive officer of American Management Systems and founder and chairman of The Lovell Group. Mr. Gross, who assumes his position immediately, brings to the board significant expertise in business operations, corporate governance, information technology, governmental policy and educational affairs. Mr. Gross' appointment follows the appointment last week of Leslie T. Thornton, former chief of staff to the U.S. Secretary of Education, to CEC's board. These appointments increase the size of the Company's board to nine directors, seven of whom are independent.

"Pat's long career as an information technology innovator, combined with his experience in public affairs and business, will add significant insight and expertise to Career Education as we pursue our long-term strategy of expanding access to quality education and career opportunities in the U.S. and abroad," said John Larson, Career Education Corporation's chairman and chief executive officer.

"The addition of Pat Gross and Leslie Thornton to Career Education's board of directors fulfills our promise to shareholders to appoint two more highly qualified independent directors to our board," said Tom Lally, chairman of Career Education Corporation's Nominating and Governance Committee. "These appointments reflect the board's commitment to appoint directors who possess the experience necessary to advise management in addressing the changing educational landscape and to meet the needs of our students while creating value for our shareholders. We welcome new insight from Leslie's and Pat's unique perspectives and look forward to their contributions."

Prior to founding The Lovell Group, a business and technology advisory and investment firm based in Washington, D.C., Mr. Gross provided top leadership to virtually every aspect of American Management Systems, Inc. (AMS), a technology company he co-founded in 1970. During his tenure at AMS, the company grew to $1 billion in revenue with over 7,000 professionals throughout North America and Europe.

Mr. Gross has focused his extensive professional activity in working to shape government and economic policy, and in developing educational opportunities for students in a variety of areas. Among his many accomplishments, he is co-founder and former chairperson of the World Affairs Council of Washington, D.C., vice chairman of the Council for Excellence in Government, a member of the advisory board of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, and a trustee of the Aspen Institute. Mr. Gross also serves as co-chairman of the Trustees Research and Policy Committee of the Committee for Economic Development (CED).

Mr. Gross has long been an advocate for quality education. He served as vice chairman of Youth for Understanding International Exchange during the 1990s and is a director of the All Kinds of Minds Institute, a non-profit organization assisting students who struggle with learning to find success in school and life. Mr. Gross currently serves on the board of the D.C. Preparatory Academy charter school; for five years he served on the board of the D.C. Public Charter School Resource Center. He also served for sixteen years on the board of the Sidwell Friends School.

"For America to remain competitive in the global market, each segment of the education sector must work together with legislators, business and industry to open the door to quality education for everyone in this country," said Mr. Gross. "CEC provides important opportunities and fills an educational need unmet by traditional schools. Having spent many years building a global company and working to shape government and international policy, I look forward to assisting CEC in bringing its innovative voice to the debate and in making a positive impact on the future of education and career training."

Mr. Gross currently serves on the boards of the Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE), and Mobius Management Systems, Inc. He has previously served on the boards of five other public companies, and numerous private companies. He served as chairman of the board of two private equity-owned firms: Baker & Taylor, Inc. and Aegis Communications, Inc. Mr. Gross attended Cornell University and received a BES from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He earned an MSE from the University of Michigan, and an MBA in 1968 from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

About Career Education Corporation

Career Education Corporation (www.careered.com) Career Education Corporation (www.careered.com), through its colleges, schools and universities, offers quality higher education to more than 100,000 students both on-campus and online in a variety of career-oriented disciplines. CEC reports and discusses its operating results in two separate segments: the Colleges, Schools and Universities segment, which represents the results of the campuses providing education on-ground, and the Online Education Group, which represents the results of its campuses providing education online.