Dr. Jim Goenner is a champion for excellence and a member of the National Charter Schools Hall of Fame. He is on a mission to change the arc of education. Jim sees chartering as a powerful strategy for challenging the givens and an opportunity to create the conditions where innovation and excellence can thrive.

Jim currently serves as the President & CEO of the National Charter Schools Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the charter schools movement and equipping schools, boards and authorizers with the ideas, tools and resources they need to win for kids.

Prior to joining the Institute, Jim led Central Michigan University’s chartering efforts, making CMU the nation’s first and largest university authorizer of charter public schools. Under his leadership, CMU became known as the “gold standard” for charter school authorizing, earning recognition from both the U.S. and Michigan Departments of Education.

As a movement builder, Jim helped found the National Association of Charter School Authorizers and the Michigan Council of Charter School Authorizers. He also helped found and led the Michigan Association of Public School Academies, which continues to serve as the unified voice of Michigan’s charter schools movement.

Jim has testified before numerous policymaking bodies, including the United States Congress, and was invited by the U.S. Department of Education to serve on the advisory board of the National Charter Schools Resource Center. He has received gubernatorial appointments from Michigan Governors John Engler and Jennifer Granholm.

Jim serves on the board of the Charter Schools Development Corporation, which specializes in facilities financing for charters. He also serves on the board of CharterFolk, and is a Blue-Ribbon Panel Judge for the prestigious Yass Prize.

Jim earned his doctorate in educational administration from Michigan State University and is the proud father of seven children and two grandchildren.