Jim Chavez

Jim is a visionary and strategic leader who has dedicated much of his professional life to working for education-related causes, providing and fostering opportunities for youth to pursue higher levels of education.  From 2004 to 2022, Jim served as the Executive Director of the Latin American Educational Foundation, a Colorado nonprofit providing college assistance and guidance to Colorado’s Latino students and their families, including direct scholarship support.     

Jim was deeply and intimately involved with like-minded organizations to successfully establish and pass the ASSET legislation benefiting Colorado’s undocumented student population.   And more recently, he worked together with Denver officials, and business and political leaders to successfully pass the legislation creating the Prosperity Denver Fund. 

Jim is currently a Colorado Commissioner for the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education.  He is also a current board member of the Denver Health and Hospital Authority.  Over his career, Jim has served on the Board of Directors for many other organizations, including the University of Northern Colorado, Denver Housing Authority, Iliff School of Theology, the Colorado Non-Profit Association, Clayton Early Learning Center, and Rocky Mountain Public Broadcasting Corporation.  

Jim was instrumental in creating Colorado’s first prepaid college tuition program, CollegeInvest, and then worked across the country to develop and implement numerous state college savings programs.  He began his career as a certified public accountant with Ernst & Young.  He is a graduate of Colorado State University.

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