January 31, 2023
MINNEAPOLIS—ECMC Group today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Jacob Fraire, MPA, as president of ECMC Foundation, effective February 21, 2023. ECMC Foundation is a national organization focused on improving equity in postsecondary education through evidence-based innovation.
“Jacob’s depth of expertise in philanthropy, public policy and advocacy, as well as his personal experience as a first-generation college graduate, make him the ideal leader to further advance the work of ECMC Foundation as well as ECMC Group’s mission of helping students succeed,” said Dan Fisher, president and CEO of ECMC Group. “Together, we will broaden the ability of students—particularly those from underserved backgrounds—to access, persist and complete their education pathway of choice.”
With 35 years of professional experience in postsecondary education and nonprofit management, Fraire joins ECMC Foundation from the University of Texas at El Paso, where he served as the director of policy and strategy for the Diana Natalicio Institute. Previously he served as president and CEO of the Texas Association of Community Colleges, where he led a statewide association of 50 community college presidents and chancellors. Prior to that, he served as vice president of philanthropy for Trellis Company.
Fraire succeeds Peter Taylor, who is retiring as president of ECMC Foundation.
“I genuinely believe that strategic philanthropy is critical to advancing transformational change in postsecondary education,” Fraire said. “To be successful, we must not only focus on access and persistence but also strive to accelerate the attainment of credentials of value and post-graduation outcomes that lead to family-sustaining wages. Students from all walks of life deserve nothing less from postsecondary education institutions and systems and their philanthropic partners.”
Fraire also has served on many national boards and advisory committees, including the board of Grantmakers for Education and the Committee on Measures of Student Success, a federal advisory committee authorized by Congress to study effective measurement of community college success.
The son of migrant farmworkers, Fraire grew up in El Paso, Texas. He holds a bachelor of science degree from St. Edward’s University and a master of public affairs from the University of Texas at Austin.
About ECMC Foundation
ECMC Foundation is a Los Angeles-based, nationally focused foundation whose mission is to improve higher education for career success among underserved populations through evidence-based innovation. It is one of several affiliates under the ECMC Group enterprise based in Minneapolis. ECMC Foundation makes investments to remove barriers to postsecondary completion; build the capacity of institutions, systems and organizations; and transform the postsecondary ecosystem using a spectrum of funding structures, including strategic grantmaking and program-related investments, to support both nonprofit and for-profit ventures. Working with grantees, partners and peers, ECMC Foundation’s vision is for all learners to unlock their fullest potential. Learn more about ECMC Foundation by visiting www.ecmcfoundation.org and ECMC Group by visiting www.ecmcgroup.org.
About ECMC Group
ECMC Group is a nonprofit corporation focused on helping students succeed. Headquartered in Minneapolis, ECMC Group and its family of companies are focused on creating, providing and investing in innovative educational opportunities, including financial tools and services and programs to help students achieve their academic and professional goals and to address the future of work. To learn more, visit www.ecmcgroup.org.