Eloy Oakley

Eloy Ortiz Oakley is an American educator, leader, and advisor. He is considered a leading voice on improving equity in higher education and for positioning institutions for the global shifts in the workforce and the future of learning. Oakley is President and CEO of College Futures Foundation, where he leads California’s premiere philanthropic and post-secondary success organization focused on improving post-secondary credential attainment for Californians of all backgrounds. Previously, he served as Chancellor of the California Community Colleges for six years where he led the nation’s largest and most diverse system of higher education. Under his leadership, the California community colleges were positioned as a vital source for maintaining global competitiveness of the California workforce. In 2021, while on a sabbatical, he served as Senior Advisor to US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and the Biden Administration where he supported the development and communication of President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda for Higher Education and the America’s College Promise proposal. Oakley’s work included the establishment of the California College Promise, the design and implementation of the systems’ strategic vision, the Vision for Success, the elimination of standardized testing, the reform of state-based financial aid for community college students, and the design and launch of California’s first public fully online competency-based education college.