Throughout his career, Dr. Pérez has worked to realize his belief that diversity and academic excellence are not mutually exclusive, and that every student who aspires to higher education should be afforded the opportunity. His work echoes his own story. Growing up poor in Puerto Rico and the South Bronx, he was the first in his family to graduate from college and went on to become a leader in higher education.

Prior to joining NACAC in 2020, Dr. Pérez served in higher education leadership positions, most recently, as Vice President for Enrollment and Student Success at Trinity College in Connecticut. His work to enroll and cultivate students from around the globe was described as transformative. He became NACAC CEO in the midst of a global pandemic and steered the organization through extraordinary change to meet the urgent needs of the profession. During his tenure, the association adopted a new mission and vision, restructured its governance, doubled its membership, developed new programs and research, overhauled its federal policy initiatives, and secured the largest philanthropic gifts in its history.  In September 2023, Dr. Pérez announced the founding of the Center for Reimagining College Access.

Dr. Pérez’s leadership has been featured in many outlets including the American Society for Association Executives, AwareNow, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. He is passionate about cultivating the next generation of leaders and created new initiatives for young professionals at NACAC, with a particular emphasis on diversifying the field of education. For his efforts to build an educational ecosystem that represents today’s society, he was recently awarded Skidmore College’s highest honor for diversity leadership.

Dr. Pérez’s expertise is often sought by policy stakeholders. He advised the Biden-Harris administration on issues of college access and affordability.  He also testified before the Pennsylvania State Board of Education in support of increased funding for higher education. During his time in Connecticut, the Governor appointed him to the New England Board of Higher Education, and he served on Forward50, a group of higher education leaders presenting solutions to Congress. He is a contributor and frequent commentator in media outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, The Hill, NPR, Forbes, PBS NewsHour, The Atlantic, and CBS Evening News.

Dr. Pérez’s passion for teaching led him to serve as a faculty member at Trinity College’s Educational Studies Department, UCLA’s College Counseling Certification Program, and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He also served as a visiting international faculty member at Rikkyo University in Japan. His trusteeships include the Berkshire School, United World College in Costa Rica, Hartford Youth Scholars, Tuition Exchange, Scholarship America, and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. He is a steering committee member for the Washington Higher Education Secretariat, and most recently, the Kresge Foundation appointed him to the Thrive Leaders Network.

Dr. Pérez is a Fulbright Scholarship alumnus. He holds a B.S. from Skidmore College, an M.A. from Columbia University, a PhD from Claremont Graduate University, and a Teaching Certification in Higher Education Pedagogy from the Derek Bok Teaching and Learning Center at Harvard University.