Staff
Jay Menees, Ph.D.
Senior Policy Analyst, Higher Education and Economy & Trade Policy
No man becomes good by chance. Virtue must be learned.
- Seneca
Dr. Jay Menees is from Memphis, Tennessee, and serves as the Senior Policy Analyst for Higher Education and Economy and Trade Policy at the America First Policy Institute. In this role, Jay researches postsecondary education policies that impact workforce development, including apprenticeships and career and technical education (CTE).
Before joining the America First Policy Institute, Jay worked at the Florida Department of Education and Northwest Florida State College, where he advanced and implemented CTE policy initiatives. At the Florida Department of Education, he contributed to major projects such as the CTE Program Quality Audit, Master Credential List, and Education Meets Opportunity Platform (EMOP), all of which are designed to guide CTE learners toward high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand careers. As Associate Director of Institutional Research at Northwest Florida State College, Jay chaired the college’s Return on Investment Workgroup and helped prepare the institution for federal and state efforts to assess CTE program quality and return on investment.
Jay earned his Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Florida, Master of Public Administration from the University of Georgia, Master of Arts in History from East Carolina University, and Bachelor of Arts in Classics from the University of South Carolina. In his free time, Jay enjoys cheering for the Carolina Gamecocks, playing chess, and learning about Ancient Rome.