Full Name
Cheryl Oldham
Job Title
Senior Vice President
Company (Please input the full name of your organization)
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
Speaker Bio
Cheryl A. Oldham is vice president of education policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and senior vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. In this role, she serves on the senior leadership team to inform the strategic direction of the Foundation in addition to overseeing the Center for Education and Workforce (CEW).
The CEW team are pioneers who conceive of and lead long-term systems change in education and workforce—the underpinnings of American competitiveness and prosperity. Oldham sets the vision and manages a multi-million-dollar program of work around early childhood education and childcare; K-12 education; postsecondary education; and employment, skills, and training.
Oldham has 25 years of experience in public policy development and implementation as well as in project management and government relations. Her previous experience includes serving for 8 years in President George W. Bush’s administration. In July 2008, the president designated Oldham as acting assistant secretary for postsecondary education while also serving as chief of staff to the under secretary of education.
In September 2005, the secretary of education appointed Oldham executive director of the Commission on the Future of Higher Education. The commission was the first of its kind to look at needed reforms in higher education related to accessibility, affordability, and accountability and produced a seminal report titled A Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of U.S. Higher Education.
Oldham previously served in the White House offices of Presidential Personnel and Cabinet Affairs.
Oldham received her Juris Doctor from St. Mary’s University School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts from Texas Christian University. She resides in Alexandria, Virginia with her two sons, Jeffrey and Dylan.
The CEW team are pioneers who conceive of and lead long-term systems change in education and workforce—the underpinnings of American competitiveness and prosperity. Oldham sets the vision and manages a multi-million-dollar program of work around early childhood education and childcare; K-12 education; postsecondary education; and employment, skills, and training.
Oldham has 25 years of experience in public policy development and implementation as well as in project management and government relations. Her previous experience includes serving for 8 years in President George W. Bush’s administration. In July 2008, the president designated Oldham as acting assistant secretary for postsecondary education while also serving as chief of staff to the under secretary of education.
In September 2005, the secretary of education appointed Oldham executive director of the Commission on the Future of Higher Education. The commission was the first of its kind to look at needed reforms in higher education related to accessibility, affordability, and accountability and produced a seminal report titled A Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of U.S. Higher Education.
Oldham previously served in the White House offices of Presidential Personnel and Cabinet Affairs.
Oldham received her Juris Doctor from St. Mary’s University School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts from Texas Christian University. She resides in Alexandria, Virginia with her two sons, Jeffrey and Dylan.
