Leading College Advising Nonprofit, Bottom Line, Welcomes Three New Board Members to Help Drive Goal of Reaching 20,000 Students Annually by 2030
Boston, MA, July 31, 2024 – Today, Bottom Line-a leading education nonprofit partnering with students from first-generation and low-income backgrounds to get into college, graduate, and go far in life-announced three new additions to its Board of Directors. Mark Cox, Iris González, and Jonathan Law each began their three-year terms on July 1, bringing their expertise, resources, and network to advance Bottom Line’s mission and fulfill its strategic plan to serve 20,000 students annually by the year 2030.
Mark Cox is the Chief Operating Officer of Kingfield Corporation and former board chair of Bottom Line New York. Previously, he was a Managing Director at BlackRock where he was a senior leader in BlackRock’s Global Investment Operations. Cox’s connection to Bottom Line began in 2014 when he attended Bottom Line New York’s annual Spring fundraiser. “I was deeply moved and inspired by the personal stories of students and the impact of Bottom Line partnering with them achieve their college ambitions,” Cox shared. “Ever since, I’ve been committed to increasing the reach of Bottom Line’s services to our students in New York City and nationally. After serving six years on Bottom Line New York’s Regional Advisory Board, I’m honored to continue my service on the organization’s national Board of Directors.”
Iris González, Chief Operating Officer at IVI RMA Global, becomes the board’s second alumni appointee. A trailblazer within business operations, González brings more than 15 years of expertise in organizational effectiveness with an intense focus on creating integrated, scalable systems and increasing equity in STEM and business. Since her time as a Bottom Line student when she graduated from Smith College, González has been recognized by the Miami Marlins Foundation as a Community Gamechanger, honored by the City of Boston as an “Outstanding Bostonian,” and she’s a Broward County Commission on the Status of Women Women’s History Month Honoree. She’s also a published author.
“As a Bottom Line alumna, I look forward to supporting our organization’s vision to help others get in, graduate, and go far,” shares González.
Final appointee, Jonathan Law, is a Senior Partner with the consulting firm McKinsey & Company where he leads the Global Education Practice and is a core member of the Public Sector Practice. He’s worked with dozens of higher education institutions, governments, investors, education service providers, and leading philanthropic organizations on topics related to higher education access and affordability; teaching and learning; research and innovation; and workforce development. Law is a first-generation college graduate and, prior to joining McKinsey, worked at the United Nations and the New York City Economic Development Corporation.
Following his appointment to the board, Law said, “As someone who has the privilege of working in the education sector, I see firsthand the transformative power of education daily. Bottom Line’s mission is as urgent as ever, given its proven results to expand college access and enable economic mobility. I couldn’t be more excited by the work to come.”
Bottom Line’s announcement comes after a highly successful 2023-2024 year for the nonprofit. Namely, partnering with nearly 7,000 students in Chicago, Massachusetts, New York City, and Ohio, a year-over-year increase in student engagement, and achieving high FAFSA completion rates despite this year’s unprecedented FAFSA challenges. Cox, González, and Law join the Board of Directors which is helping to steer the organization’s strategic plan to expand its reach to 7-10 new regions and 20,000 students per year by 2030.
“As we enter another school year partnering with degree-aspiring students from under-resourced backgrounds, I’m thrilled to have Mark, Iris, and Jonathan on board,” shares Bottom Line’s CEO, Steve Colón. “I’m proud that we continue to attract board members who resemble the identities and have the life experiences of the students we serve. I’m certain their knowledge, leadership, and care for our mission will bring tremendous value.”