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Keith Witham, Board Member

President and Chief Executive Officer, Ascendium Education Group

Keith Witham is the President and CEO of Ascendium Education Group. In this role, he is responsible for the implementation of Ascendium’s philanthropic strategy to elevate opportunities and outcomes for learners from low-income backgrounds so they can better achieve the postsecondary education and career goals that matter most to them. He joined the organization in 2021 as director of education grantmaking.

Previously, Witham was Managing Director of the College Excellence Program at the Aspen Institute where he led operational and programmatic growth to advance community college student success with equity. Prior to joining Aspen, Witham was on the faculty of the College of Education at Temple University and has also held positions with Complete College America and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. He has authored numerous articles and book chapters on issues of student success, equity, finance, and organizational change in postsecondary education.

Raised in New Mexico, Witham received a Ph.D. in urban education policy from the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education. He also earned a master’s degree in social service administration and a bachelor’s degree in political science, both from the University of Chicago.