Paolo DeMaria Principal
Paolo has a unique blend of K-12, higher education, and public finance experience from 25 years of public service in a variety of executive, legislative and administrative roles in Ohio government. Since joining Education First he has played a leadership role in the firm's college completion work by supporting clients like Complete College America and the Lumina Foundation. He has worked on projects as diverse as Education First's Education Policy Advising guide, strategic state engagement supporting K-12/Higher Education alignment around the Common Core State Standards, and analyzing alternative funding approaches for college-preparatory boarding schools.
Prior to joining Education First, Paolo served as the Executive Vice Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents. In this position he coordinated the agency's implementation of the Strategic Plan for Higher Education. This included the development of strategies targeted toward promoting college readiness, improving college completion, targeting adult learners, and expanding distance learning.
Previously Paolo served as the Associate Superintendent for School Options and Finance for the Ohio Department of Education. In this role, he managed the organizational units responsible for processing payments to schools and districts as well as the operation of Ohio's charter schools and voucher programs. He also managed the process for producing the state, local and building report cards based on state unit record data. Prior to that role he served as the Ohio state budget director, the Governor's chief policy advisor, and finance director for the Ohio Senate.
Paolo received his undergraduate degree from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, and holds a Masters in Public Administration degree from the Ohio State University. He lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife and two children.