2026 Commencement Speaker

Jeffrey Franco '88 is a nationally recognized nonprofit executive, leadership advisor, and executive coach with more than 25 years of experience guiding mission-driven organizations, philanthropic institutions, and senior leaders through periods of growth, transition, and transformation. Known for his steady leadership, strategic clarity, and deep partnership with boards and executives, Jeffrey has built a career helping organizations navigate complexity while strengthening leadership from the inside out.

 

He is the Founder and CEO of Camino Consulting Group and the founder of Camino Leadership Coaching and the Transformation Leadership Institute, initiatives dedicated to advancing effective leadership and organizational excellence across the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. Through these platforms, Jeffrey advises CEOs, executive teams, and boards on strategy, governance, leadership transitions, fundraising, organizational change, and executive development. Over the course of his career, he has coached more than 100 nonprofit CEOs and Executive Directors and has served as interim chief executive for organizations across Washington, DC, Miami, San Francisco, Chicago, and other major cities, helping stabilize institutions and position them for long-term success.

 

Jeffrey’s work sits at the intersection of leadership, governance, and philanthropy. He is frequently called upon by nonprofit boards and family foundations to provide trusted guidance during pivotal moments — including executive transitions, organizational restructuring, and strategic repositioning. His engagements often involve working closely with governing boards, investment advisors, and funders to ensure strong fiduciary oversight, clear decision-making, and mission alignment. His experience includes designing and managing full-cycle grantmaking processes, supporting board-directed philanthropy, and helping foundations balance donor intent with evolving social priorities.

 

Prior to founding Camino Consulting Group, Jeffrey spent more than a decade with City Year, the national education nonprofit, serving both as Executive Director of City Year Washington, DC and as a Senior Vice President on the organization’s national leadership team. During his tenure, he led a period of dramatic organizational expansion — tripling staff size, quadrupling the number of students served, and growing the organization’s budget from approximately $2.3 million to $8.6 million while securing major philanthropic investments and establishing the organization’s first multimillion-dollar partnership with DC Public Schools.

 

Under Jeffrey’s leadership, City Year Washington, DC became one of the organization’s flagship sites, recognized for strong governance, sustainable fundraising, and deep community partnerships. He surpassed fundraising goals for twelve consecutive years, built a high-impact board of civic and philanthropic leaders, and represented the organization nationally and internationally — including policy engagement at the White House and U.S. Department of Education and global education leadership engagements abroad.