Alison R. Griffin has over twenty years of experience working at the intersection of education and employment, policy, and practice. Alison is a Senior Vice President with Whiteboard Advisors, a social impact agency that helps entrepreneurs, donors and investors navigate the complex intersection of policy, the media and technology.
Alison’s experience on the implementation side of higher education and workforce development, and as a grant-maker, is reflected in her practical understanding of how policy shapes outcomes. Her career in postsecondary education policy includes two terms as a policy advisor to the Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce, as well as a policy advisor role with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), where she guided state policy development. Alison managed her own higher education government relations and policy practice in Denver, Colorado for four years before joining Strada Education Network. During her tenure with Strada, Alison was a member of the senior leadership team, leading external affairs, government relations, and national engagement activities.
Alison has been appointed by Governor Jared Polis to serve Colorado Mesa University as a Trustee. She serves Chair of the Board. Alison also serves as a member of the American Enterprise Institute’s Conservative Education Reform Network and as a member of AEI’s Leadership Network where she contributes to national policy conversations concerning college affordability, financial aid and innovative student finance tools.
Alison is a regular contributor to Forbes and EdSurge and her opinion pieces have appeared in Bloomberg and The Washington Post.
Alison holds a M.Ed. in College Student Affairs Administration from the University of Georgia, and a BBA in Organizational Behavior and Business Policy and BA in Psychology from Southern Methodist University. She resides outside of Boulder, Colorado with her young family.