Raised at Sea to Law Degree to College President to CEO of AGB(Association of Governing Boards) Inspired in All by MLK and JFK: Meet Fram Virjee, JD
Fram Virjee, President and CEO of AGB, will be one of the featured speakers at GlobalMindED’s second annual United Nations/FSUN event on October 10th, sharing his wisdom on: Re-Inventing Education as a Workforce Engine: Governance, Policy, Industry, Funders. This opening session will frame the day’s topics and discussions.
What is your personal/professional story?
I am the immigrant son of an orphaned Indian sea captain and polio-stricken Iowa farm girl. Born in London, I was raised on the ocean and moved to California to attend school when I was 6. I grew up in a working-class neighborhood and attended public schools. No one in my family went to college, but they understood its value. It was not if I would go, but where?
My grandfather was a custodian at the local community college. On Saturdays, he sometimes took me to work – fixing electrical problems and cleaning bathrooms. It was there that my college dreams began. My immigrant parents told me I would be a doctor or a lawyer. When they saw my math grades, it was a lawyer. I attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, and UC Hastings College of Law. I did well and went on to practice law at one of the largest and best law firms in the nation, O’Melveny & Myers. I was at O’Melveny for 30 years, working as a labor and employment lawyer and litigator. Because of my love for the transformative power of education, I also represented educational institutions and was an adjunct professor at two universities.
I retired from the law to devote time to a non-profit started by my wife and me to help Rwandans help themselves. (YambiRwanda.org) I then served the California State University System for 5 years as its Executive Vice Chancellor and General Counsel, where I fell deeper in love with higher education, and specifically board governance and leadership.
From there, I served for 6 years as the President of California State University Fullerton and its 42,000 students -- the best job I ever had. I loved the students, the mission, the community, and the chance to help shape lives. I felt like I was working every day to build a better world.
Today, I am the President/CEO of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges in Washington DC. Through AGB, I follow my passion for supporting and improving higher education on a national stage, especially in board governance.
My passion to serve runs deep, generated by multiple mentors and role models. The heroes of my youth (besides my parents and grandparents) are Robert Kennedy and MLK. They and others taught me that the purpose and fulfillment of life is to make the world a better place; to leave it better than you found it. I grew up standing up for social justice and equity. I believe in the power of opportunity, which is why I believe in higher education.
Reflecting, I see my life as a series of events leading to the work I do. As an immigrant from a working-class family, I understand the power of opportunity and access to it. As a lawyer, I value the concepts of justice and freedom. As an educator, I recognize knowledge is the key. And as an advocate, I am all about making change for the better.
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