User Profile

Vice President, Building Educational Pathways, Jobs for the Future

Michael Collins is a vice president at Jobs for the Future (JFF). He leads the postsecondary state policy team, developing and advocating for state policies on behalf of national initiatives, such as Achieving the Dream, Completion by Design, and the Student Success Center Network. A policy researcher, analyst, writer, and strategy consultant, Michael helps states to develop and implement public policies designed to increase the number of low-income and minority students who successfully transition from high school into college, persist, and earn credentials and degrees. Michael leads JFF’s Postsecondary State Policy Network, which provides access to the state lawmakers, faculty, and college leaders in almost 50 percent of the community colleges in the nation, educating over 50 percent of the nation’s students in public two-year colleges. Michael regularly convenes education thought leaders and collaborates with public policy decision makers, state and national intermediary organizations, philanthropic organizations, academic researchers, and nationally recognized policy experts to design and execute on-the-ground policy/action agendas for dramatically improving the rates at which students reach their individual education goals, and at which states reach their statewide education attainment and workforce goals. Before joining JFF, Michael served as assistant commissioner for participation and success at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. In that capacity, he worked with K-12, higher education, the business community, the Texas Legislature, and community-based organizations to increase college access and success. He earned a Master's of Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. He is a Fellow of the 20th class of the Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.