Jim Malatras Named President Of Empire State College By SUNY Board Of Trustees

Jim Malatras, the current president of the Rockefeller Institute of Government, was named president of Empire State College by the SUNY

Board of Trustees.
His appointment is effective July 15.
“Dr. Malatras has dedicated his career to serving the state of New York, and he has a keen focus on public education as a path to ensure social mobility for our citizens,” said SUNY Chairman H. Carl McCall.
“Empire State College offers a highly individualized education and in doing so it provides a unique opportunity for a campus president,” said SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson. “We are confident in Dr. Malatras’s abilities to move the campus forward in its mission to provide a high-quality academic experience.”
James W. Lytle, chairman of the Empire State College Council, said Malatras “will be an outstanding president and the members of the college council and I look forward to working with him and the entire SUNY Empire community, as we advance the mission of the college.”
As president of the Rockefeller Institute of Government, Malatras is leading the institute’s modernization effort to offer policymakers evidence-based policy analysis and recommendations on timely topics. He previously served as SUNY system administration’s vice chancellor for policy and chief of staff.
He has held several high ranking positions in state government. Most recently, he served as director of state operations. He also served as Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s deputy secretary for policy management. Malatras served as the executive director of the New NY Education Reform Commission from 2012-2014.
“I am extremely grateful for the support and confidence of Chairman Carl McCall, Vice Chair Merryl Tisch and the members of the board of trustees, and of SUNY Chancellor Kristina Johnson and her team, for providing me the opportunity to serve as president of SUNY Empire State College,” Malatras said. “
“I am eager roll up my sleeves and confront the complex challenges before us. The sustainable careers of today and tomorrow require higher education and Empire State College is the model to meet our jobs challenge. The value of a college degree is being questioned by the public as never before. Now, more than ever, New York needs the flexibility, quality and support offered by SUNY Empire State College.
“Together we can solve the problems facing us and provide students with even greater flexibility and higher quality as they seek to improve their lives, the lives of their families and the communities where they live and work.”
Malatras holds a doctorate in political science from the Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at SUNY Albany, where he received the Presidential Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation Award. He also holds a masters and bachelors of arts in political science from SUNY Albany.
Malatras is the college’s fifth president since its founding in 1971.