About Dr John McGrath
Dr. John J. McGrath is the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President of American Collegiate Acquisitions, Inc. (ACA), a company whose mission is to acquire, re-organize and operate fully accredited proprietary colleges in the United States.
McGrath is also the President of Empire Education Corporation, which owns Mildred Elley College with campuses in New York and Massachusetts. As President, 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. These responsibilities include assuring high quality college education, accreditation and regulatory compliance, financial planning / modeling, and execution of the “Mission of the College”.
John McGrath served as the Chairman, CEO and President of a public company that owns and operates colleges in New York and Pennsylvania. Additionally, his experience in academic administration includes being a Distinguished College Professor, Department Chairman, Campus Dean, Assistant Vice President, President, CEO and Chairman of multiple colleges.
McGrath was a Professor of Law and Criminal Justice at Mercy College, Graduate Adjunct Professor at Long Island University, an Adjunct Associate Professor at Fordham University, and a Distinguished Professor of Business at TCI College. His specializations include Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure Law, Business Law, Evidence and Jurisprudence.
McGrath’s experience in academic administration includes serving as a Campus Dean and later becoming Assistant Vice President at Mercy College where he opened and supervised seven new Extension Centers throughout New York. He subsequently opened an additional three Extension Centers at other New York colleges. John has opened and supervised more fully accredited College Extension Centers than any other college administrator in New York State.
As the former President of Educational Video Conferencing, Inc. (EVCI), Dr. McGrath grew the company to become a leader in offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs through videoconferencing. Under EVCI, McGrath raised over $100 million from public and private investors and signed long term contracts with over 15 large institutions including Merrill Lynch Global Training and Development, Citibank North America, American International Group and Lockheed Martin Corporation.
Dr. McGrath’s company partnered with Bell Atlantic for its revolutionary Telecommute to College and University Program. McGrath also negotiated and executed long-term contracts with approximately 20 leading colleges and universities, including the University of Notre Dame, Saint John’s University, Mercy College, Adelphi University, Manhattan College, and the College of Insurance. By 2000, it was Bell Atlantic’s second largest marketing initiative on the eastern seaboard of the United States.
EVCI went public on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange in 1999. The business model evolved into owning and operating colleges in 2000 and became EVCI Career Colleges Holding Corp. The colleges acquired several colleges including TCI College of Technology. In addition to President, John also became the Chief Executive Officer in 2003 and also Chairman of the Board of EVCI in 2007. He has extensive experience with running a public company and working with both public and private investors. EVCI was named the #1 Stock in Westchester County (suburb adjacent to NYC) in 2003 for enhancing shareholder value and in 2007, EVCI raised an additional $20 million dollars from private equity investors.
Up until 2015, Dr. McGrath also served as CEO and President of TCI College in New York City. For over a decade, John oversaw the overall academic, administrative, and financial operations of the College. Under McGrath’s entrepreneurial leadership, TCI became the second largest two-year proprietary college with approximately 4,500 full-time students in the New York City metropolitan area. John is very familiar with regulators, regional and state accreditors, the U.S. Department of Education, and college regulatory compliance.
TCI is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and separately by the Regents of the State of New York. It is also accredited by the Electronics Board Engineering Technology. TCI is consistently ranked in the top three Associate Degree Colleges in America for Engineering by Community College Week. The Ophthalmic Dispensing Degree Program is accredited by the Commission on Opticianry Accreditation and it is consistently ranked #1 in New York State. The Paralegal Degree Program has the distinction of being recognized by the American Bar Association.
Dr. John J. McGrath received his Bachelor’s Degree (summa cum laude) in Philosophy from Long Island University. He also studied for his Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice at Long Island University before moving on to earn a Ph.D. (highest honors) from Fordham University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
McGrath’s Doctoral Dissertation is a 483-page comparative analysis of the national liberation movements in Northern Ireland, South Africa and Algeria, and the interrelationship between political ideology and military strategy, including the Irish Republican Army. Also a Professor of Irish History, John was one of five experts that participated in the CNN worldwide debate focused on the Northern Ireland Peace Process. He has spoken and debated extensively on Irish history and the peace process in Northern Ireland, and was one of the principal speakers throughout the United States on the topic of Constitutional Constructs for Peace in Northern Ireland.
Dr. John J. McGrath engaged in postdoctoral work in Entrepreneurship at the University of Notre Dame. Furthermore, he was selected to attend Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education’s Program for Experienced College Presidents.
John McGrath was President of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in Stamford, Connecticut and an executive member of the Brehon Law Society in New York City. He was voted Man of the Year by the Nassau County Police Department on Long Island and was chosen to be the Master of Ceremonies in New York City for the upcoming celebration of the 100th Year Anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rebellion in Ireland.
For more information regarding College Presidencies or American Collegiate Acquisitions, Inc., please contact Dr. John J. McGrath.
Included herein are links to John McGrath’s Education Website, Business Website, Chronicle Vitae, LinkedIn and Social Media:
EVCI’s NASDAQ Pyramid Plaque
NASDAQ Honor for EVCI
EVCI’s $10M in Raised Capital
McGrath’s Key to the City of Mount Vernon