Cheryl Oldham

Cheryl A. Oldham is vice president of education and workforce policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and senior vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. In her role with the Foundation, she serves on the senior leadership team informing the strategic direction of the Foundation in addition to leading 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; and post-secondary education, skills, and training.

She 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 eight years in President George W. Bush’s administration.

The president designated Oldham as acting assistant secretary for postsecondary education at the U.S. Department of Education while she also served as chief of staff to the undersecretary. The secretary of education appointed Oldham executive director of the Commission on the Future of Higher Education—the first of its kind to look at needed reforms in higher education related to accessibility, affordability, and accountability. The Commission produced a seminal report titled, A Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of U.S. Higher Education.

Oldham was appointed by Governor Glenn Youngkin to the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia. She also serves on the Achieve Workforce Fund Advisory Board and Strategic Education Inc.’s Hire Board.

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.