TICAS Announces Incoming President Jen Mishory
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) announced the selection of Jen Mishory as its new President.
Jen joins TICAS as a higher education and workforce policy expert and seasoned executive. Among other roles, Jen previously served as the Deputy Under Secretary in the U.S. Department of Education and in the White House as First Lady Jill Biden’s Senior Advisor on workforce and education, leading efforts to improve career and technical education, community college and other workforce programs, financial aid, and public benefits access for students. Prior to that work, she co-founded and served as the Executive Director of Young Invincibles, and most recently served as a Senior Advisor at America Achieves, focused on transforming state workforce and education systems.
“After an extensive national search, the Board is proud to welcome Jen as the next president of TICAS,” says, TICAS Board Chair, Zakiya Smith Ellis. Jen brings a strong record of building and leading high-impact teams, advocating fiercely on behalf of students, and securing the resources organizations need to do their best work—all of which position her well to lead TICAS into its next chapter. We are thrilled to have her join the TICAS family, and deeply grateful for the skilled and steady leadership of Executive Vice President Jessica Thompson during the interim period.”
For over 20 years, TICAS has been a leader in federal and state higher education research and policy. Jen’s selection as President exemplifies the organization’s continued commitment to a national higher education system where students can successfully complete a college credential with confidence that their education will afford them a pathway toward economic mobility and financial sustainability.
“We have so much work to do to ensure that our postsecondary education and workforce systems deliver for students,” says incoming TICAS President, Jen Mishory. “TICAS is uniquely positioned to tackle the critical barriers that stand in the way of expanding real pathways to economic mobility today—and to anticipate the challenges of tomorrow while pursuing a positive vision for the future. I’m honored to join an organization that has such a track record of leveraging evidence and research to have a lasting impact on state and federal policy—and, ultimately, on people’s lives.”
Jen earned her Bachelor of Arts in economics and political science at UCLA and her Juris Doctor at Georgetown University Law Center. She is slated to begin her tenure on May 18, 2026.
