Mike Krause is a Senior Advisor at the John M. Belk Endowment, where he focuses on serving adult learners, particularly in the community college sector. Previously, he was the executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, serving as the state’s higher education executive officer (SHEEO) and leading THEC to be named as the top higher education agency in the nation. As THEC Director, he focused on expanding access for adult learners, financial aid simplification, and implementation of the state’s first governance change since the 1960s. Prior to his time at THEC, he served on the staff of Governor Bill Haslam as the founding Director of the Tennessee Promise, where he led the creation of the nation’s first statewide free college program and provided advice and counsel on an array of higher education policy matters.