NAICU Welcomes New Staff Members in Government Relations and Research
Tim Powers, Director of Accountability and Regulatory Affairs
Powers joined NAICU in January, coming directly from Capitol Hill, to assume much of the issue portfolio previously covered by Susan Hattan who has retired but remains a part-time consultant to NAICU. For more than five years, Powers was the higher education specialist for former Congressman Tim Bishop of New York, where he focused primarily on higher education issues under the jurisdiction of the House Education & the Workforce Committee.
Prior to serving in Congress, Bishop had a long career in higher education including serving as both a financial aid officer and Academic Provost at Long Island University, a NAICU member institution. Bishop was regarded as one of the most knowledgeable Members of Congress on higher education issues. Powers was well mentored by Bishop and was well known to NAICU members and staff.
Powers will be responsible for representing NAICU on accountability and regulatory issues, including accreditation, state authorization, campus-based aid, and the proposed college ratings system.
He has a bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University and is currently pursuing an MBA from Georgetown University in Washington, DC.
Jason Ramirez, Director of Research and Policy Analysis
Ramirez comes to NAICU after nearly ten years with the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Working in the Division of Research and Analysis as a senior research analyst and manager, Ramirez and his team produced reports and data sets required for state and federal reporting as well as the maintenance and evaluation of the statewide accountability system.
Prior to TEA, Jason was a senior research analyst for nearly five years in the Research and Analytical Services Division of the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation (TG). At TG, Ramirez and his team produced reports, data sets, and web materials that focused on higher education access, indebtedness, retention, and state and federal financial aid policies.
Earlier in his career, Ramirez was a strategic planner for the Texas Commission for the Blind (TCB). There he worked with agency staff, external agencies, and consumers to produce strategic plans and data sources that facilitated the employment of blind Texans.
Ramirez holds a bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Texas and a master’s degree in political science from Texas A&M University.