2025 Power Players in Education

Kenneth Adams, the fourth president of LaGuardia Community College, CUNY, leads an institution serving 25,000 students annually. Since 2020, he has focused on boosting enrollment, advancing student success, and expanding resources. He launched the $15 million “Tomorrow Campaign” in 2021 to aid students impacted by COVID-19. In 2024, Adams announced a record $116.2 million gift from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation to create the Cohen Career Collective, a groundbreaking workforce training center supporting economic mobility.

How has the educational landscape changed in recent years and what are your hopes for its future?
Concerns over tuition, student debt, and whether a degree guarantees economic benefit have grown. We must show positive outcomes in retention, degree completion, and employability. AI has emerged rapidly, bringing both promise and challenges – from personalized learning to concerns about academic integrity. Our future must focus on retention, completion, and job readiness. We must find ways of integrating AI and tech tools for efficiency and to strengthen learning, encourage equity, and protect academic integrity.

What do you most enjoy about working in education?
There’s a strong sense of mission in higher education: promoting access, equity, and serving the community. I enjoy witnessing students’ transformational journeys – academic, personal, and social. Helping students succeed, especially first-generation, low-income, or underrepresented students, is deeply meaningful. I enjoy making a difference in the communities our college serves through workforce development, cultural enrichment, and civic partnerships. Our commitment to serving students doesn’t just stay on campus; it reverberates outward.

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
We need increased support from the city, state, and federal governments to keep LaGuardia affordable and provide top-quality labs, classrooms, and facilities for our students. I want to ensure that more students – especially low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented groups – can access higher education via our associate degree programs or workforce training opportunities. I want to build more partnerships with NYC employers so we can offer paid internships to every LaGuardia student who wants one.

Michelle J. Anderson joined Brooklyn College as its 10th president in 2016. She has enhanced student support, academic excellence, and industry partnerships. She launched the Tow Mentoring Initiative to support students and faculty collaborating on research. Under her leadership, the Princeton Review ranks the college #1 in the nation for student body diversity, the WSJ ranks it #3 for “Best Value,” and Forbes ranks it #1 in the nation for “Highest Payoff.”

What do you most enjoy about working in education?
I most enjoy the way that education transforms what students believe is possible in their lives. College allows students to challenge their assumptions, discover their passion, and grow into more thoughtful and engaged adults. The best higher education ignites students’ potential.

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
Our 2026 goals focus on students. To enhance access to college, we will redesign some programs to attract non-traditional students. To help students obtain jobs, we will enrich our career-connected instruction and incorporate AI – or a disciplinary analysis of it – into classes so that students can understand how AI works, deploy it effectively, and critique it from different perspectives. We will also expand mentoring opportunities for students and faculty to forge deeper bonds through research.

Melissa Aviles-Ramos is chancellor of New York City Public Schools, the nation’s largest school district. She has dedicated nearly two decades to NYCPS as a teacher, principal, district leader, and chancellor. In her current role, she has expanded NYC Reads, NYC Solves, and Student Pathways to reach thousands more students. She also launched NYCPS Cares, an initiative to build cultures of care within schools. Under her leadership, student proficiency grew in both reading and math.

How has the educational landscape changed in recent years and what are your hopes for its future?
I’m thrilled to see the surge of nationwide interest in the science of reading. As a former high school English teacher, I saw the long-term impacts on our children when they didn’t receive research-based instruction in the younger grades, and I’m proud NYC has made this instructional shift through our NYC Reads initiative. Of course, the proliferation of AI has been another huge change, and we are focused on leveraging AI effectively and safely.

What do you most enjoy about working in education?
Getting to be in schools and classrooms! I spend a lot of my time engaging directly with staff, students, and families, and as a lifelong educator (and NYCPS parent myself), I cherish the opportunity to be on the ground, watching the magic happen. We have an incredible community, laser-focused on the success of our young people, and this community inspires me every day.

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
I want to ensure our priorities – NYC Reads and NYC Solves (our reading and math initiatives) and Student Pathways (reimagining college/career preparation) – are on a path of continuous improvement. These initiatives have already shown promising impact, and I am confident that this impact will continue to deepen. I’m also excited to expand our newest priority, NYCPS Cares, which is focused on building cultures of care in our schools through family empowerment, student safety initiatives, and more.

The fifth president of New York Institute of Technology and an expert in emergency medicine, Jerry Balentine, D.O., served as chief medical officer and executive vice president of St. Barnabas Hospital and Healthcare System in the Bronx, NY, prior to joining New York Tech as vice president for medical affairs and global health in 2014. He held numerous other positions throughout his career, including hospital medical director, emergency department director, and residency director.

How has the educational landscape changed in recent years and what are your hopes for its future?
The main change has been a decrease in public trust in higher education and questioning of the value of a college degree. I hope that we can regain this trust by being more transparent while at the same time educating everyone about the return on investment of a college education financially as well as an individual growth experience.

What do you most enjoy about working in education?
Talking with our students and using their energy and enthusiasm to fuel my day, as well as talking to our alumni and realizing how we have empowered their lives.

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
To continue the great path New York Tech is on. Seeing our campuses in New York City, Long Island, Arkansas, and Vancouver continue to grow. On a personal note, I hope I can help each one of our faculty, staff, and students achieve their goals.

Brian Bannon is the Merryl & James Tisch director of branch libraries and education at The New York Public Library, leading education and reading across 88 neighborhood branches and leading the teams that deliver those services within a system serving over a million New Yorkers annually. He oversees early literacy, school-age, teen, and adult learning that strengthens reading, language, and digital skills and promotes lifelong learning.

How has the educational landscape changed in recent years and what are your hopes for its future?
Education has become more fragmented – overstretched schools, declining reading proficiency, and widening gaps in access to learning. Libraries now carry a civic responsibility to restore depth and connection in an age of distraction. My hope is that we build a more coherent learning ecosystem, where reading, skill-building, and community belonging are linked. Public libraries can be that connective tissue – free, trusted, and built for the kind of focus and curiosity our culture urgently needs.

What do you most enjoy about working in education?
I love watching people discover what they’re capable of – when a child proudly finishes a book, a teen takes a leadership role in their community, or an adult masters a new skill. Libraries make those moments possible every day. I’m grateful to work alongside educators and librarians who turn small acts of learning into lifelong confidence, and who remind us that learning is active, embodied work that builds attention, connection, and possibility for everyone.

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
In 2026, my focus is on deepening the impact of our education programs and extending their reach across the communities we serve throughout New York City. We’ll strengthen early-literacy and After School outcomes, expand opportunities for teen leadership and adult learning, and continue to connect reading and skill-building across neighborhoods. The goal is to help New Yorkers rebuild attention, confidence, and connection – proving that libraries remain one of the city’s most powerful engines of opportunity.

Michael Benedetto represents District 82 in the New York State Assembly, where he has also served as chair of the Education Committee since 2019. During his time as committee chair, Assembly Member Benedetto has sponsored and passed historic APPR legislation and has presided over hearings regarding the admissions requirements of New York City Specialized High Schools. Assembly Member Benedetto graduated from Iona College with a B.A. degree in history/education and an M.A. in social studies/education.

Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D., is the eighth president of St. Joseph’s University, New York (SJNY), beginning his tenure in July 2017. During his time as president, Dr. Boomgaarden has made significant improvements to the University, including increasing the endowment, successfully leading the institution during an unprecedented pandemic, making capital improvements to its two campuses, adding new, in-demand academic programs to the curriculum, and leading a historic designation change from College to University in April 2022.

How has the educational landscape changed in recent years and what are your hopes for its future?
The number of college-age youth has declined across the nation and the COVID pandemic accelerated certain negative trends as well. This has made for a competitive and complex environment for colleges and universities, but I am optimistic about the future and helping the next generation reach their educational goals.

What do you most enjoy about working in education?
I love working with our students. I still teach, so I have a good sense of the dreams and concerns of young people. St. Joseph’s makes sure these students graduate with the tools they need to achieve success financially, but also provides the opportunity for spiritual growth that is all-important in our rapidly changing world.

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
I want to see all of our students graduate and go out in the world and get great jobs, and have fulfilling lives. I want our faculty and staff to continue to love their work, and I want St. Joseph’s to continue to fill the hearts of our alumni with a sense of pride in their institution and connection to the traditions of the Sisters of St. Joseph.

Vincent Boudreau has worked at City College for over 34 years, starting as an assistant professor in the department of political science. He was the founding dean of the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership (in 2014), became CCNY’s interim president in October 2016, and has served as the confirmed president since November 2017.

How has the educational landscape changed in recent years and what are your hopes for its future?
Colleges today face real instability in how America values knowledge. Is a college education still important, or should people just learn job-specific skills? More generally, does our society still value the shared social good of a broadly educated society? Are we willing to subject our most important public decisions to rigorous empirical scrutiny? I hope the answer to these questions is “yes” and that a stronger educational system is seen as a path forward.

What do you most enjoy about working in education?
I love developing talent, especially in students who often don’t (yet) know they’re talented. I love the prospect of designing new programs to meet changing economic needs or trying to solve puzzles associated with boosting student resilience and retention. I love the feeling that something a professor says to a student may reorient their whole way of thinking. I love that one student’s success at CCNY can change their whole family’s trajectory.

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
At the moment, it seems like the most important goal for 2026 is defending the institutions of higher education against those that seek to make us smaller, to diminish our impact on society, to deflate our vital research efforts, or to limit the number and kinds of students who can reasonably aspire to a college education and a better life. If I can help hold the line on these vital matters, I’ll be satisfied.

Lola W. Brabham has served as president of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU) since 2021. On behalf of New York’s 100+ independent colleges and universities, she leads efforts to shape policies and practices that increase access to high-quality education. A former NYS commissioner with over 25 years in public service, she serves on multiple boards, including the NYS DOH Board for Professional Medical Conduct and the NYS Insurance Fund.

Dr. Susan R. Burns is the sixth president of the University of Mount Saint Vincent. Since taking office in 2021, she has led the institution through transformative milestones, including its transition from a college to a university, and launched Seton College, a holistically supportive associate degree program for high-need students. Her leadership has expanded online and graduate offerings, including the Bronx’s first registered physician assistant program and a new community music school.

How has the educational landscape changed in recent years and what are your hopes for its future?
Higher education today is marked by political pressures, financial strain, and declining enrollments – forcing institutions to adapt boldly or risk irrelevance. At the same time, innovation, partnerships, and mission-driven leadership are creating new pathways to serve learners of all backgrounds. For the future, I hope for a sector that embraces reinvention with courage, leverages technology ethically, and remains steadfast in its mission to expand opportunity, foster human dignity, and prepare graduates to lead with purpose.

What do you most enjoy about working in education?
What I enjoy most about working in education is building community and opening doors for learners of all ages and backgrounds who might not otherwise have access. I find fulfillment in creating new pathways that make education more inclusive and mission-driven. Just as important is the energy of colleagues and learners coming together, united in purpose and possibility. That spirit of human connection and impact is what inspires me every day.

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
In 2026, my goals are to launch and advance our new strategic plan; actively drive institutional innovation and resilience; deepen a culture of belonging by expanding inclusive pathways for learners and strengthening engagement among faculty and staff; and elevate the University’s visibility in New York City and beyond. By positioning UMSV as a leader in ethical innovation, student success, and social impact, I want to ensure our mission continues to inspire and shape the future.