ALBANY, N.Y. — In his career, John King, Jr. has served as New York education commissioner, U.S. secretary of education, and he now has another high-profile title on his résumé. The SUNY board of trustees on Dec. 5 announced the appointment of King as the 15th chancellor of the SUNY system. He’ll begin his new […]
ALBANY, N.Y. — In his career, John King, Jr. has served as New York education commissioner, U.S. secretary of education, and he now has another high-profile title on his résumé.
The SUNY board of trustees on Dec. 5 announced the appointment of King as the 15th chancellor of the SUNY system. He’ll begin his new duties in January.
Described by SUNY as a “lifelong educator,” King assumes the duties that interim chancellor Deborah Stanley has conducted since her appointment as interim chancellor early in 2022 following the resignation of former chancellor Jim Malatras.
Stanley’s appointment followed her retirement as president of SUNY Oswego.
Joanie Mahoney, president of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), was among those extending greetings to the new SUNY chancellor.
“The ESF community is excited and honored to welcome such a distinguished leader as John B. King, Jr. to SUNY. His commitment to excellence and equity within education will continue to elevate SUNY’s mission to ensure everyone has access to education that is high-quality and affordable. We look forward to working with him,” Mahoney said.
King’s background
From 2011 to the beginning of 2015, when he joined the administration of President Barack Obama, Chancellor King served as New York State’s first African American and first Puerto Rican education commissioner between 2011 and the beginning of 2015. At that point, King then joined the Obama administration as delegated deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. Obama nominated King as secretary of education a few months later.
King currently serves as president of the Education Trust, a Washington, D.C.–based nonprofit organization that promotes high academic achievement for all students in early childhood, K-12 education, and higher education.
King brings to the role “decades of experience” as a leader in education administration and policy at the local, state, and national levels. He has focused on expanding access to “high-quality, affordable education in recognition of the transformative power it holds for students from all walks of life,” SUNY said.
“As we work to continue to transform SUNY to meet the needs of the next generation of students and New York’s economy, we need a leader who understands how to balance striving for both excellence and equity. John King has a proven record of doing both,” Merryl Tisch, chair of the SUNY board of trustees, said.
SUNY is the largest system of public higher education in the U.S.