Hamilton E. “Tony” James

Hamilton “Tony” James, chair of the board, is co-founder of the Partnership for Education Advancement and 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.