Jesse O’Connell, whose nearly two decades of extensive higher education strategy and experience with funders and philanthropy includes serving at Lumina Foundation, is joining ACE as chief advancement officer.
Jesse O’Connell
O’Connell, who has been serving as senior vice president for education at the Center for American Progress, will bring his expertise in building partnerships to support programmatic work and advocating for policies dedicated to postsecondary excellence to bear in his new role at ACE.
At Lumina Foundation O’Connell was strategy director for federal policy for more than six years, managing a multi-million-dollar grantmaking budget and staff in the DC office and building relationships with relevant subject-matter experts, grantee organizations, and policy officials. He led the development and advancement of the foundation’s federal policy priorities to increase the share of adults nationally with college degrees, certificates, or other credentials of value. Prior to Lumina, he held roles at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and Georgetown University.
Jesse received an M.A. and B.A. from Georgetown, and was an All-American there on the track and field team. He will officially join ACE on June 26.