Jamie Merisotis is the current president and CEO of Lumina Foundation, a private organization in the United States that aims to increase the number of Americans holding high-quality degrees, certificates, and credentials to 60% by 2025.^[1] With an endowment of $1.6 billion, Merisotis leads the foundation's efforts towards this goal.^[2]

Before joining Lumina Foundation as president and CEO in 2008, Merisotis was the founding president of the Institute for Higher Education Policy,^[3] an education research and policy center. He was also the executive director of the National Commission on Responsibilities for Financing Postsecondary Education, a bipartisan commission appointed by the U.S. president and congressional leaders to address college affordability. Merisotis also helped create the Corporation for National and Community Service (AmeriCorps), serving as an adviser to senior management on issues related to the quality and effectiveness of national service initiatives.

Merisotis is a frequent source and commentator on issues related to higher education, talent development, and the future of work. His writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, National Journal, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Washington Monthly, Huffington Post, Politico, Roll Call, and other publications. He is currently a regular Forbes contributor.^[4]

Merisotis holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, and has served on the college's board of trustees. He serves as a Governor of The Ditchley Foundation,^[5] based in the United Kingdom, and is past chairman and continuing trustee of the Council on Foundations^[6] in Washington, DC,^[7] and is a member of the board of directors for both the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership and ACT (nonprofit organization).^[8] He also has served as chairman of the board for The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, the world's largest museum for children.^[9][10][11]

Merisotis' work includes extensive global experience as an adviser and consultant in southern Africa, the former Soviet Union, Europe and other parts of the world.^[12] Merisotis is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.^[13][14]

Merisotis has published two books, America Needs Talent, and Human Work in the Age of Smart Machines.^[15]

Merisotis lives with his wife, Colleen O'Brien, and their children, Benjamin and Elizabeth, in Indianapolis.

Merisotis' 2012 book America Needs Talent,^[16] was named a Top Business Book of 2016 by Booklist.^[17]

Merisotis has received awards and honorary degrees from several colleges and universities, including Excelsior College, University of South Florida, Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, Miami Dade College and Western Governors University.^[18]

In 2003, he received the Distinguished Young Alumni Award from Bates College; in 2001, he was recognized with the Community College Government Relations Award presented by the American Association of Community Colleges and the Association of Community College Trustees.^[19]

Merisotis was a 2005 finalist for the Brock International Prize in Education,^[20] and in 1998 he was named by Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning as one of the emerging young leaders (under the age of 45) in American higher education.^[21]