Dr John McGrath

Dr. John J. McGrath has served as a Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President of a public company that owns and operates colleges. Additionally, he has been the Chairman, CEO and President of multiple colleges in New York and Pennsylvania.

Dr. McGrath is also the President of Empire Education Corporation, which owns Mildred Elley College with campuses in New York and Massachusetts. As President of Empire, McGrath works with the Chair of its Board of Directors with respect to the academic, administrative and financial operations of the parent company and the college.

Dr. John McGrath World Business Review

Dr. John McGrath on World Business Review TV Program discussing EVCI’s business construct

Dr. McGrath has transformed his passion and dedication of higher education into extraordinary business successes. With his belief that higher education should be accessible to any student who wants it, combined with his passion, determination and entrepreneurial business acumen, McGrath has strengthened the intellectual competencies and financial prospects of tens of thousands of college students.

John McGrath graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy (summa cum laude) and a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Long Island University in New York. McGrath secured a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (highest honors) from Fordham University, and subsequently engaged in postdoctoral work at both the University of Notre Dame and Harvard University.

EVCI Corporate Brochure

EVCI Corporate Brochure

McGrath’s career trajectory led him into higher education in the 1980s when he served as a Professor, Department Chair, Campus Dean, and Assistant Vice President at Mercy College. John opened and supervised seven Extension Centers for Mercy College – more than any other college administrator in New York State.

Taking his educational experience and accomplishments, John McGrath began his current career as an entrepreneur in 1997, starting a business venture called Educational Video Conferencing, Inc. (EVCI). Transferring EVCI’s vision to expand the traditional classroom through videoconferencing into reality for working adults, John McGrath’s business savvy broadened the learning forum to employees of large financial institutions seeking undergraduate and graduate degrees from multiple colleges and universities.

John McGrath accepting the Visionary Vanguard Award from TCI Chairman Philip M. Getter

Dr. John McGrath’s company initially raised over $100 million from public and private investors. He signed long term contracts with financial leaders such as Merrill Lynch, Citibank, American International Group, Lockheed Martin, to name just a few. McGrath grew EVCI into a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange in 1999. By 2000, EVCI’s shares rose from $12 a share to over $40 a share. EVCI was ranked the #1 Public Company in Westchester County (suburb adjacent to NYC) in 2003 based upon increasing shareholder value.

Utilizing the proprietary components of the videoconferencing technologies, EVCI partnered with Bell Atlantic and approximately 20 leading educational institutions, including University of Notre Dame, St. John’s University, Manhattan College, Mercy College and the College of Insurance  to create the Telecommute to College Program. The endeavor eventually became Bell Atlantic’s second largest marketing initiative on the eastern seaboard of the United States.

EVCI’s Academic Schedule to employees at Merrill Lynch

EVCI transformed its business model in 2000 to owning and operating colleges. The company acquired several accredited colleges including TCI College of Technology. The combined accreditors and regulators included the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the Board of Regents of New York State, and the Pennsylvania Department of Education. John has extensive experience with starting new academic degree programs and college regulatory compliance.

Dr. John McGrath of TCI College

Dr. John McGrath cutting the ribbon at the opening of a new TCI College Site in Manhattan

Aside from his leadership of EVCI, Dr. John McGrath also served as the President and CEO of TCI College of Technology in New York City. From 2005 to 2015, McGrath oversaw TCI’s academic, administrative, and financial operations. Under McGrath’s leadership, TCI became the second largest Associate Degree proprietary college in the New York metropolitan area with approximately 4,500 students and, for the past 10 years, has been ranked as a top two-year college in the United States for Engineering.

Dr. John J. McGrath has a proven track record as a successful entrepreneur. His new venture is American Collegiate Acquisitions, Inc. (ACA), a company whose mission is seeking, acquiring, owning and operating fully accredited colleges in the United States. He is in the process of raising new capital from strategic and institutional investors and conducting due diligence to acquire prospective colleges with financial challenges. ACA’s Executive Management Team includes former Corporate CEOs, College CEOs and Presidents, and a highly experienced corporate attorney.

For more information regarding American Collegiate Acquisitions, Inc. with respect to raising capital or acquiring colleges, please contact Dr. John J. McGrath.