As Chief Strategy Officer, Dr. Malatras drives research, policy and strategic planning for The Fedcap Group. As Sr. VP of Education, he is responsible for designing and overseeing innovative solutions that expand educational access for children and adults with barriers to sustainable economic well-being.
Dr. Malatras brings a wealth of experience to his work at The Fedcap Group serving twenty-plus years in government and higher education, serving as an energetic change leader and a problem solver with a deep understanding of government, education, crisis management, and public policy. Jim served as Director of State Operations for New York State where he was responsible for managing day to day operations of state agencies, the 120,000 plus workforce, and implementation of the $175+ billion annual budget.
Dr. Malatras served as the 14th Chancellor for the State University of New York—the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the U.S., Vice Chancellor for Policy and Chief of Staff at the State University of New York and President of Empire State College. In these roles he expanded college access and linked higher education with workforce demand—especially for underserved communities. He kept the SUNY system open to in-person instruction during COVID and was responsible for creating post-COVID policies/protocols to reopen the state’s 700 school districts for 2.7 million students.
Dr. Malatras brings a wide-ranging policy background to his role as Chief Strategy Officer, having served as Chairman of the New York State Reimagine Education Advisory Council, Executive Director of the New NY Education Reform Commission, and was the point on education policy for the Governor of New York State.
Finally, his research background as the President of the Rockefeller Institute of Government—a think tank providing evidence-based public policy to decision makers across the United States—advances the work of The Fedcap Group’s Community Impact Institute.
Dr. Malatras received his B.A. (summa cum laude), M.A., and Ph.D. in political science from the University at Albany where he won the Presidential Distinguished Dissertation Award.
