Zenith Education Group, a nonprofit affiliate of ECMC Group, today announced that its board of directors has appointed Peter J. Taylor as president and chief executive officer of Zenith Education Group (Zenith) effective Aug. 1. The ECMC Group Board of Directors also announced a $250 million contribution to ECMC Foundation to support Zenith grants and initiatives geared toward promoting student success. Zenith Education Group and ECMC Foundation are affiliates of ECMC Group.

"There is no one better to lead Zenith Education Group than Peter Taylor," said Dave Hawn, president and CEO of ECMC Group. "Peter's leadership of ECMC Foundation, his experience at the University of California system, his long history of supporting student success and his vision for the future of nonprofit career education are exactly what Zenith needs as we create a new model for nonprofit career school training."

"The board's contribution of $250 million to ECMC Foundation to help support Zenith initiatives is further evidence of ECMC Group's commitment to set the nonprofit career education standard for the future," Hawn stated.

Taylor joined ECMC Foundation in 2014 as president and will remain in this role as he assumes his new responsibilities. In this position, he led more than $26 million of investments in initiatives that affect educational outcomes, especially among underserved populations, in the focus areas of teacher and leader development, college success, and career readiness. Taylor also led the ongoing partnership between ECMC Foundation and Zenith that has thus far resulted in more than $6 million of ECMC Foundation grants to support Zenith initiatives since 2015.

Before joining ECMC Foundation, Taylor served as executive vice president and chief financial officer for the University of California (UC) system, where he oversaw all aspects of financial management at the system's 10 campuses, five academic medical centers and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Previously, Taylor held senior positions in investment banking, including at Barclays Capital, where he served as managing director of infrastructure finance. Taylor also served on the staff of the State Assembly Majority Leader in Sacramento.

"I am deeply grateful for this opportunity to lead Zenith Education Group, which is engaged in the important task of helping students succeed by giving them the skills they need to achieve their educational and career goals," said Taylor. "I look forward to working with Zenith faculty, staff, students, employer partners, and others to advance student success and to help bridge our country's growing skills gap by creating a new nonprofit model for the career college space. High-quality, affordable programs offered in an environment designed to care for the whole student and that position graduates ready to work on day one in fulfilling careers are both essential and within our reach."

Taylor will lead an organization of more than 2,600 faculty and staff at 24 Everest and WyoTech campuses, including many programs that are available online. As one of the largest nonprofit career college systems in America, Zenith is working to promote the long-term success of its graduates.

"Peter has a long history of putting students first and focusing on educational outcomes," said John F. DePodesta, ECMC Group chairman of the board. "Peter's ability to connect vision, people, and ideas to execute on mission makes him the ideal person to ensure students who attend and graduate from Zenith educational programs are well positioned to attain their academic and career goals."

"With the $250 million contribution to ECMC Foundation, the board of ECMC Group is providing resources to drive success and innovation in the nonprofit career education field," DePodesta added.

Taylor holds a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a master's degree from Claremont Graduate University. Active in the community, Taylor sits on the board of the Kaiser Family Foundation, where he chairs the Investment Committee, and on the board of the California State University system since being appointed by Governor Jerry Brown last year, where he chairs the Finance Committee.

Taylor previously chaired the James Irvine Foundation board of directors for three years and the UCLA Foundation for two years. He was also chair of the UCLA African American Admissions and Retention Task Force from 2006–2008. From 2000–2002 he was a member of the California Student Aid Commission and from 1998–2000 Taylor served as an alumni representative to the UC Board of Regents.