Human Resource Management

Michael K. Thomas is the president and chief executive officer of the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE), an organization working with business, policymakers, and leaders of the region's 260 colleges and universities across the six New England states. Its initiatives support the development of human capital and connecting the region's postsecondary institutions with the talent needs of business and industry. Under his leadership, the organization works to address issues related to New England's human capital, talent pipeline needs, skill demands, and economic competitiveness. Thomas directs NEBHE's policy, research, and programmatic activities focused on promoting innovative postsecondary, and lifelong learning policies. He works extensively in state political and higher education environments with governors, state legislators, higher education executives, and business leaders to address issues of: graduate employability and retention, paid internships, reskilling/upskilling, the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on entry-level hiring, and employers' changing skill requirements. He has extensive experience in strategic human resource management, employee development, corporate governance, and university administration. He previously worked in corporate training and human resources and in multiple roles in public and independent universities, including executive assistant to the president of Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Brigham Young University and master's degrees in higher education from the Teachers College at Columbia University. He earned a doctorate in higher education and social policy from Harvard Graduate School of Education and an MBA from Boston University.