IBHE Executive Director
| Gender | Male |
|---|---|
| Industry | Government |
| Introduction | Dr. James Applegate became Executive Director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education in February 2014, succeeding Dr. Harry Berman. He formerly worked as a consultant advising national, state, and regional education and philanthropic organizations on increasing the effectiveness of programs to improve college access and success. He also served as the vice president for program development at the Lumina Foundation, where he led the development of Lumina’s funding programs supporting Goal 2025, to increase educational attainment in the U.S. In addition, he served as the senior fellow and vice president for academic affairs at the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education in Lexington, as well as professor of communication and department chair at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. Dr. Applegate earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in Communications from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and his B.A. in American Studies from Georgetown College in Georgetown, KY. |