Partnership for Education Advancement (formerly known as Education Finance Institute) was formed in 2018 by Tony James, Chairman of Jefferson River Capital, and Jim Runcie, former Chief Operating Officer of Federal Student Aid (FSA), the higher education regulatory oversight and student financing arm of the federal government. Mr. James and Mr. Runcie believe strongly in the benefit of obtaining a college education and have seen first-hand the significant and generational impact of higher education on students’ lives. They have also witnessed the structural inequities that keep this opportunity out of reach for many Americans.
Hamilton “Tony” James is Co-founder of the Partnership for Education Advancement. James serves as Chairman of Jefferson River Capital. He was previously Executive Vice Chairman of The Blackstone Group, a global alternative asset manager and provider of financial advisory services. James transformed Blackstone from a private-equity shop into an investment giant with $731 billion in assets across numerous business lines. James is co-chairman of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and chairman of the finance committee at Mount Sinai Hospital System. He is also board chairman of retailer Costco Wholesale Corporation