Steve Gunderson, President & CEO

​Steve Gunderson’s entire career has held the issues of education and workforce investment as priorities for both the nation and his professional work.  Today, he advances this work as the President and CEO of the Association of Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU).

His commitment began at the age of 23, when he was first elected to the Wisconsin State Legislature. After three terms in Madison, Gunderson served 16 years in the U.S. Congress and was a recognized leader on agriculture, education, employment policy, health care and human rights issues. Following his career in public service, he was named the senior consultant and managing director of the Washington office of The Greystone Group, a strategic management and communications consulting firm. His portfolio centered around research, writing, speaking and consulting on the jobs revolution in America. He was the lead author of a book on this subject, The Jobs Revolution: Changing How America Works and published “The New Middle Class:  Creating Wealth, Wages and Opportunity in the 21st Century. 

Gunderson served as President and CEO of the Council on Foundations between 2005 and 2011.  One of his many priorities at the Council was education and workforce investment.  Under his leadership the Council has created a division for Public-Private Partnerships including the National Fund for Workforce Solutions.

In 2012 Steve became President and CEO of the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities.  Under his leadership, he has worked to refocus the association and the sector on workforce education programming. He has become a strong voice for postsecondary career education, writing and speaking on this topic across the nation.  He is still recognized for his insight and analysis on the national political issues of the day, and has lectured widely from Harvard University to The Brookings Institution.   

A graduate from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and the Brown School of Broadcasting, Gunderson and his husband, Ethan Ngo, live in Arlington, Virginia.  He is an active member of Redeemer Lutheran Church and today serves on the Board of Directors of Lutheran World Relief.  He has previously served on a wide range of non-profit boards including The White House Fellows Selection Commission, The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg and the Human Rights Campaign.