Elio Jahaj '18
Assistant Vice President in the President’s Office
Elio Jahaj ’18 is Assistant Vice President in the President’s Office at Bennington College, where he helps steer institutional strategy, operations, and governance. Since graduating from Bennington in 2018, he has built his professional career at the College in progressively senior roles, serving as Director of Special Projects before being appointed AVP. In these capacities, Elio has partnered closely with the President, Cabinet, and academic and administrative leaders to design and deliver cross-departmental initiatives that strengthen Bennington’s academic mission and financial resilience.
Elio also serves as Assistant Secretary to the Board of Trustees, coordinating trustee engagement and governance processes. He manages the annual cycle of meetings and retreats; develops agendas and materials; tracks and advances board actions; and works with committee chairs to align oversight with institutional priorities. Day to day, he helps translate strategy into execution—aligning budgets and timelines, clarifying decision rights, and ensuring effective communication among stakeholders.
Across his tenure, Elio has supported projects spanning academic planning, enrollment strategy, new program development, process improvement, external partnerships, and institutional effectiveness. He is known for bridging analysis with implementation: framing choices with clear data, building collaborative work plans, and driving follow-through.
Elio is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in the Economics of Sustainability, with particular emphasis on monetary theory and the evolving global payments system. His graduate work explores how public finance, private liabilities, and emerging payment technologies intersect—insights he brings to bear on long-term planning, risk management, and investment decisions in higher education. He is energized by work that connects people and ideas across the College to deliver tangible results for students, faculty, and the broader community.
Since October 2023, Elio has coached the Bennington College soccer team. He has also taught classes and advised students, including serving as a First-Year Forum advisor.
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