George Rogers Harris

George Roger Harris has been at the forefront of education reform in the United States for over three decades. His dedication to creating an education system where every child is given the opportunity to thrive is the driving force behind his work at Pharos Foundation where he has served as the Chairman and CEO since 2013. A New Jersey native, George’s work to improve access to quality education began in his home state where he was a trustee of the Schumann Fund for New Jersey, a director of Excellent Education for Everyone, and most notably founded and ran the New Jersey Institute for School Innovation. Later expanding his reform efforts to Wyoming, George served as the chairman of the Jackson Hole Institute and the Coalition for Educational Freedom.

In recent years, George has been a leading voice in education reform taking place in Arizona, where Pharos Foundation has worked closely with nonprofit, government, and education partners to help innovative leaders reimagine education models and maximize opportunities for Arizona students in real time. Pharos Foundation has been the initial supporter of multiple non-profits, playing a significant role in the reform movement including: Arizona Leads, All in Education, Elevate Ed and partnering with Phoenix Union in the creation of two schools: Educator Prep Academy and PHU City.

A lawyer in specializing in trust and estate, George was a senior partner with Harris-Dickson, Attorneys-at-law until his retirement in 1998. He is a graduate of Princeton University, University of Virginia Law School J.D, and NYU Law School, Master in Taxation.

George currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona and Jackson Hole, Wyoming with his wife Suzanne. They have three children and are the proud grandparents of seven grandchildren.