About Us

With 10 years of experience in federal education policy, Michael Itzkowitz has held senior roles inside and outside of government. His work and expertise is often cited by national news outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and NBC.  

Prior to beginning the HEA Group, Michael worked as a Presidential Appointee in the Obama Administration at the U.S. Department of Education, assuming a number of roles in K-12 and higher education. Most notably, he was the Director of the Administration's College Scorecard, an initiative focused on higher education transparency and accountability. The Scorecard, announced by the President in February 2013, is the largest release of higher education data ever by the Federal government.  

Michael also served as the Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of Postsecondary Education, where he helped oversee the policy and administrative functions of the office, which includes over 180 employees across three divisions that disburse approximately $2.5 billion in grants and establish policy for nearly $120 billion in Federal student aid every year. There, he led the office’s Organizational Performance team and directed policy initiatives on accreditation, minority serving institutions, financial aid award letters, and data transparency. 

Michael Itzkowitz
Founder and President

Laura Jimenez is a 20-year veteran in the education industry, serving as a teacher, policymaker, and technical assistance provider across the United States. Most recently, she served as the director of the Office of State and Grantee Relations at the U.S. Department of Education where she oversaw the successful administration of $200 billion in federal education covid-relief funding to K-12 schools. Other roles include the director of standards and accountability at a Washington D.C. think tank and the director of the American Institute for Research's College and Career Readiness and Success Center, which provided technical assistance to State departments of education.

Laura Jimenez
Senior Policy and Technical Assistance Advisor

Min Goodman-Cheng brings six years of communications experience from across the political and policy sectors. She recently concluded more than five years of service in the U.S. Senate, most recently as Communications Director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. In this role, she led a team advising Chair Sherrod Brown on press and digital strategy covering issues from infrastructure investments to national security, bank failures, and Congress's COVID-19 response. Previously, Min was a key member of the Third Way Education communications team, where she generated and executed innovative approaches to social media and press relations.

Min Goodman-Cheng
Senior Communications and Strategy Advisor

Our Work

  • Policy Development

    We know how to influence laws or regulations that may affect your organization. The HEA Group can help you understand the implications and take necessary action.

  • Data Analysis

    As a leading source on federal higher education data, we can run the numbers on over 7,000 institutions and create a narrative to tell what's working and what's not.  

  • Government Relations

    Need help ensuring that your organization's priorities will be adequately reflected in new laws or regulations? Our extensive experience working with Congress and the Administration can help.