Summit Professional Education Names Education Industry Veteran Jeff Wahl as Chief Executive Officer

Veteran education executive brings four decades of leadership and operating experience to Summit's next phase of growth

FRANKLIN, Tenn., Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Summit Professional Education, a leading national provider of continuing education, board exam preparation, professional certification, and advanced clinical training for healthcare and wellness professionals, today announced the appointment of Jeff Wahl as Chief Executive Officer.

Wahl brings more than 40 years of leadership experience, including more than two decades in education. He joins Summit as the company continues to build a comprehensive professional education platform serving clinicians and other professionals throughout their careers. Across its brands, Summit helps professionals build the knowledge, confidence, and clinical skills to advance their careers and ultimately deliver better care.

Summit has served more than 500,000 healthcare professionals and today operates a growing family of education brands spanning physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, pelvic health, behavioral health, fitness, certification, and board exam preparation. Its portfolio includes Summit Professional Education, Herman & Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute, Kids Bowel & Bladder, PT Final Exam, The Knowledge Tree, and the National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT).

"Jeff is exactly the kind of leader we believe Summit needs for its next chapter," said Paul Skordilis, Chairman of the Board of Summit Professional Education. "We have built an exceptional portfolio of brands with deep expertise, strong professional communities, and a shared commitment to improving professional practice. Jeff has a proven ability to build strong teams, scale education businesses, and create meaningful value for learners. He brings the experience and leadership to unlock the potential of the broader Summit platform while preserving what makes each of our brands distinctive."

Wahl most recently served as CEO of Big Blue Marble Academy (BBMA), a leading early childhood education provider, where he led the organization through a period of significant expansion. He joined BBMA as Executive Chairman in 2019 and was named CEO in 2020. Prior to BBMA, Wahl served as an Executive in Residence with Avathon Capital, Summit's investment partner. He previously served as Chairman of Glynlyon, the education company behind Odysseyware and Alpha Omega Publications, and as CEO of EdisonLearning. Earlier in his career, Wahl spent 15 years with General Electric in operational and P&L leadership roles, including senior positions with GE Capital.

"I have spent much of my career working with education businesses at moments when they have the opportunity to become something substantially bigger and more impactful, and I see that opportunity at Summit," said Jeff Wahl, CEO of Summit Professional Education. "What makes this organization particularly compelling is the connection between the education we provide, and the care people ultimately receive. Across the Summit family of brands, we have extraordinary clinical expertise, respected educators, and deeply engaged professional communities. Our opportunity is to build on those strengths, continue raising the quality of the education we deliver, and reach more professionals throughout every stage of their careers."

Wahl's appointment reunites him with Avathon Capital following the firm's successful partnership with him at Big Blue Marble Academy. Avathon recruited Wahl to lead BBMA in 2020. Under his leadership the company more than tripled in size to 67 schools across eight states, educating more than 10,000 students and employing more than 2,000 staff, significantly expanding its scale and geographic footprint and strengthening its position as a leading early childhood education provider.

"We know Jeff extraordinarily well as a leader, operator, and partner, and we have seen firsthand his ability to build organizations that scale without losing sight of the people and mission at their core," said Shoshana Vernick, Managing Partner at Avathon Capital. "Summit has evolved considerably since our initial investment, bringing together a collection of highly respected brands across healthcare and professional education. Jeff combines deep education-sector experience, operational discipline, and people-first leadership, and we believe he is exceptionally well suited to turn those individual strengths into an even stronger platform."

As CEO, Wahl will focus on strengthening Summit's position as a leading professional education platform, expanding the reach of its brands, enhancing the learner experience, and creating more ways to support professionals from exam preparation and initial certification through continuing education, specialization, and advanced credentials.

Wahl holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Walsh University, with concentrations in Accounting, Management, and Finance. He is also a certified Six Sigma Black Belt.

About Summit Professional Education

Summit Professional Education is a national provider of continuing education, board exam preparation, certification, and advanced professional education for healthcare and wellness professionals. Since its founding in 2004, Summit has served more than 500,000 professionals through live, virtual, and on-demand learning experiences. Across its family of brands, Summit is committed to providing high-quality, clinically relevant education that helps professionals strengthen their skills, advance their careers, and ultimately deliver better care to the patients, clients, and communities they serve.

The Summit family of brands includes Summit Professional Education, providing continuing education for rehabilitation and healthcare professionals; Herman & Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute, a leader in specialized pelvic rehabilitation education and certification; PT Final Exam, providing board exam preparation for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants; The Knowledge Tree, providing continuing education for behavioral health professionals; and the National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT), providing certification and continuing education for fitness professionals. Summit has also recently acquired Kids Bowel & Bladder, whose pediatric pelvic health curriculum and advanced practitioner certificate program are being integrated into the Herman & Wallace education platform.

Together, the Summit family of brands supports professionals from exam preparation and entry into practice through continuing education, certification, specialization, and lifelong professional development, helping them become better prepared, more confident practitioners throughout their careers. For more information visit: https://summit-education.com

About Avathon Capital

Avathon Capital is a private equity firm specializing in investing in lower middle-market companies in the education and workforce markets. Avathon's sector specialization creates compounding advantages—enabling the Firm to deeply understand its markets, identify opportunities early, and build an extensive network of industry leaders and seasoned executives. With its research-first, executive-first approach, Avathon brings decades of experience and a partnership-driven mindset to every investment, engaging with conviction and working collaboratively to drive meaningful growth. Recognized by Inc. as a Top Founder-Friendly Private Equity Firm, Avathon is committed to building enduring companies that shape the future of education and workforce. For more information visit: https://avathoncapital.com/.

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SOURCE Summit Professional Education, LLC