{{for|the footballer|Jim Shelton (footballer)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Jim Shelton | image = Jim Shelton (2024).jpg | office = United States Deputy Secretary of Education | president = Barack Obama | term_start = May 2013 | term_end = January 4, 2015 | predecessor = Anthony W. Miller | successor = Mick Zais | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | party = Democratic | education = Morehouse College (BS)<br>Stanford University (MEd, MBA) }} '''James H. Shelton III''' is the chief executive officer of Blue Meridian Partners.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2024-12-12 |title=Blue Meridian, a Big-Bet Funder, Promotes Jim Shelton to CEO |url=https://www.philanthropy.com/article/blue-meridian-a-big-bet-funder-promotes-jim-shelton-to-ceo |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=The Chronicle of Philanthropy |language=en}}</ref> He was previously the Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Education, and the head of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative's Education division.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.edsurge.com/news/2014-10-01-jim-shelton-leaving-department-of-education|title=Jim Shelton Leaving Department of Education (EdSurge News)|newspaper=EdSurge|language=en-US|access-date=2016-11-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fortune.com/2016/05/04/chan-zuckerberg-jim-shelton/|title=Mark Zuckergberg's Foundation Has a New Chief On The Education Front|date=2016-05-04|website=Fortune|access-date=2016-11-15}}</ref>
Shelton also serves on the board of directors for Duolingo.<ref name=":3">{{cite web |title=Jim Shelton - Director |url=https://investors.duolingo.com/board-member/jim-shelton |website=Duolingo |access-date=6 February 2026}}</ref>
== Early life and education == Shelton holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from Morehouse College, as well as master's degrees in business administration and education from Stanford University.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rouston |first=Joyce |date=2011-04-01 |title=James H. Shelton: We Must Transform Schools |url=https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/james-h-shelton-we-must-transform-schools |access-date=2025-12-17 |website=Stanford Graduate School of Business |language=en}}</ref>
==Career==
Earlier in his career, Shelton spent four years in Atlanta with McKinsey & Company. He left as a senior manager to join Knowledge Universe, Inc., where he launched, acquired, and operated education-related businesses.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Newton |first=Edmund |title=The Root 100 Close-Up: James Shelton |url=http://www.theroot.com/the-root-100-close-up-james-shelton-1790867459 |access-date=2017-03-23 |work=The Root |language=en-US}}</ref> Shelton also co-founded LearnNow, a school management company later acquired by Edison Schools, and subsequently served as the East Coast lead for venture philanthropy fund New Schools.<ref>{{Cite news |title=No. 2 U.S. education official heads for exit |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/no-2-us-education-official-heads-for-exit/2014/10/01/68d996e4-49cc-11e4-891d-713f052086a0_story.html |access-date=2017-03-23 |newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref>
Shelton also served as program director for education at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,<ref>{{Cite web |title=James Shelton Confirmed as Deputy Secretary of Education - |url=https://thejournal.com/Articles/2014/03/13/James-Shelton-Confirmed-as-Deputy-Secretary-of-Education.aspx |access-date=2026-01-16 |website=THE Journal |language=en-US}}</ref> where he managed portfolios ranging from $2 to $3 billion in non-profit investments, targeting increased high school and college graduation rates.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Guynn |first=Jessica |title=Zuckerberg taps Shelton to run education effort |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2016/05/04/shelton-mark-zuckerberg-priscilla-chan-education/83928572/ |access-date=2026-01-16 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref>
Shelton joined the Department of Education in March 2009, to lead its office of innovation and improvement.<ref name=":2" /> In that position, he a portfolio that included most of the Department's competitive programs, such as the Investing in Innovation Fund (i3), Promise Neighborhoods, and others focused on teacher and leader quality, school choice, and learning technology.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gov2summit.com/gov2010/public/schedule/speaker/93704|title=Speaker: Jim Shelton: Gov 2.0 Summit 2010 - Co-produced by UBM TechWeb & O'Reilly Conferences, September 07 - 08, 2010, Washington, DC|website=www.gov2summit.com|access-date=2016-11-15|archive-date=2016-11-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161115193504/http://www.gov2summit.com/gov2010/public/schedule/speaker/93704|url-status=dead}}</ref> He later served as Deputy Secretary of Education from May 2013 to December 2014 under Arne Duncan.<ref name="wsj">{{cite news|title=The Obama Education Profit Seekers|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-obama-education-profit-seekers-1458946171|accessdate=5 April 2016|work=The Wall Street Journal|date=25 March 2016}}</ref>
Shelton was also the founding executive director of My Brother's Keeper Challenge.<ref name=":0" /> In 2015, Shelton joined education company 2U as president and chief impact officer.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2015-06-03 |title=Why Jim Shelton Decided to Join 2U - EdSurge News |url=https://www.edsurge.com/news/2015-06-03-why-jim-shelton-decided-to-join-2u |access-date=2025-12-17 |website=EdSurge |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Herold |first=Benjamin |date=2018-07-11 |title=Jim Shelton to Step Down as Head of Chan Zuckerberg's Education Initiative |url=https://www.edweek.org/technology/jim-shelton-to-step-down-as-head-of-chan-zuckerbergs-education-initiative/2018/07 |access-date=2025-12-17 |work=Education Week |language=en |issn=0277-4232}}</ref> He then joined the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, serving as president of its education division from 2016 to 2018.<ref name=":4" />Shelton subsequently founded the advisory firm Amandla Enterprises,<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Paris |first=Wendy |date=2024-02-21 |title=A Conversation With Jim Shelton of Blue Meridian Partners |url=https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2024-2-21-a-conversation-with-jim-shelton-of-blue-meridian-partners |access-date=2026-03-17 |website=www.insidephilanthropy.com |language=en-US}}</ref> and was named to Duolingo's board of directors in October 2020.<ref name=":3" />
Shelton joined nonprofit organization Blue Meridian Partners in 2020, as chief investment and impact officer.<ref name=":5" /> In March 2025, he later was appointed the role as the organization's president and chief executive officer. <ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Korn |first=Melissa |title=Historically Black Colleges Land $124 Million Donation to Boost Enrollment, Graduation Rates |url=https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/historically-black-colleges-land-124-million-donation-to-boost-enrollment-graduation-rates-8e639878 |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=WSJ |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kroll |first=Luisa |title=Billionaires Sergey Brin, David Tepper Join Steve Ballmer, Stanley Druckenmiller In $850 Million Philanthropic Bet To Help Nation's Kids |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/luisakroll/2016/12/07/billionaires-sergey-brin-david-tepper-join-steve-ballmer-stanley-druckenmiller-in-850-million-philanthropic-bet-to-help-nations-kids/ |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Paul |date=2017-10-13 |title=The Link Uniting Donors and Doers for Social Change |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/13/your-money/philanthropy-wealth.html |access-date=2025-03-17 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
==Personal life== Shelton currently resides in his hometown, Washington, D.C., with his wife Sonia and their two sons.<ref name=":2">{{cite web|url=https://www2.ed.gov/news/staff/bios/shelton.html|title=James H. Shelton, III, Deputy Secretary—Biography|date=15 January 2015|website=www2.ed.gov}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}} *{{C-SPAN|1018695}}
{{s-start}} {{s-gov}} {{s-bef|before=Anthony W. Miller}} {{s-ttl|title=United States Deputy Secretary of Education|years=2013–2015}} {{s-aft|after=Mick Zais}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shelton, Jim}} Category:Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation people Category:Living people Category:Morehouse College alumni Category:Stanford University alumni Category:United States deputy secretaries of education Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Duolingo
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