President's Message
Jamie P. Merisotis, president and CEO of Lumina Foundation.
Biography of Jamie Merisotis
As I begin my service to Lumina Foundation for Education, I look forward to working with you to turn our common goal of a well-educated American society into reality. I was inspired by the opportunity to lead Lumina because the Foundation is uniquely positioned to help guide this effort by drawing upon the expertise of leaders in American higher education, philanthropy and business. In collaboration with existing and new partners, we can promote state and national policies aimed at increasing college access and deepening the knowledge and skills students gain from postsecondary education, including work-related training and two- and four-year programs.
Our country faces social and economic challenges that can be addressed only by educating many more people beyond high school. We must continue to focus on approaches that make higher education more accessible and affordable for all. We also must ensure that students who come to college without adequate preparation leave not just with meaningful credentials, but with an ability and desire to become lifelong learners and workforce contributors. We will strive to address these national challenges in many states where Lumina makes grants, including its home state of Indiana.
Taking up these challenges will require searching for innovative approaches in new and unexpected places. Lumina can contribute by convening diverse and imaginative groups that are willing to tackle tough issues. We can foster new thinking in higher education that draws on the possibilities—instead of the limitations—of our current environment. Working together, generating new solutions, we can better serve more students and keep our economy internationally relevant and competitive.
We intend to convene higher-education stakeholders more often, especially as we vigorously pursue public and institutional policy changes that promote students’ access and attainment. For instance, based on my past work with minority-serving institutions, I believe we have much to learn from colleges that are engaging and educating large numbers of underrepresented students. We also can draw ideas from other nations’ experiences as they transform their higher-education systems into engines of social and economic advancement.
As a grant-making institution, Lumina primarily serves the public interest by investing in the dedication and expertise of colleges, universities, and nonprofit and educational organizations that share our mission of furthering postsecondary study. Our grantmaking ranges from modest, short-term projects to large, longer-term investments, such as Making Opportunity Affordable, Achieving the Dream and KnowHow2GO. We are committed to maintaining these efforts. We also are exploring ways to help support our current intermediary organization partners and to expand the talent pool that can carry out this work with us. Our partners' success is vital to the Foundation’s ability to inform and, ultimately, to influence the policies and practices needed to improve college access and degree attainment.
Finally, I come to the Foundation with a great deal of optimism and enthusiasm for its mission and what we can accomplish. Lumina Foundation has shown a sustained commitment to higher education that is unparalleled in size or scope. I invite you to join me and my Lumina colleagues as we build upon the Foundation’s achievements. Together, we can take our investments to the next level by supporting innovation, disseminating knowledge, and promoting policies and practices that will increase the likelihood of students’ success beyond high school. In the end, the success of these students will be measured not only by their individual accomplishments, but by their contributions to the well-being of our nation.
Sincerely,
Jamie P. Merisotis
President and Chief Executive Officer
Lumina Foundation for Education
