Full Name
Jorge Silva-Puras
Job Title
Interim Dean
Company
CUNY School of Professional Studies
Speaker Bio
Jorge Silva-Puras is Interim Dean of the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS), the City University of New York’s premier online institution, where he oversees the School’s efforts to provide top-rated online degree, certificate, and workplace learning programs to working adults who are seeking to finish a bachelor’s degree, progress from an associate’s degree, earn a master’s degree or certificate in a specialized field, and advance in the workplace or change careers.
Prior to this, Silva-Puras served as Provost at the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he led its transformation to a remote teaching institution with a full conversion to the Canvas LMS, integrating Zoom, Panopto, and various AI/ML edtech tools. Additionally, Silva-Puras has taught business and entrepreneurship classes at Sagrado, CUNY Hostos Community College and New York University.
Silva-Puras previously also served as President Obama's appointee as SBA Administrator for Region II in NYC, leading SBA’s programs in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he advocated for more than 2.7 million small businesses and managed a portfolio of over $6.1 billion in guaranteed loans.
Before the SBA, he served as the chief of staff to the former governor of Puerto Rico, Aníbal Acevedo Vilá, and held several other senior positions in government that focused on increasing business investment on the island, including Secretary of Economic Development & Commerce, Executive Director of the PR Industrial Development Company (PRIDCO), and President of the Economic Development Bank for PR (EDB).
Silva-Puras also served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of PRIDCO, PR Tourism Company, PR Commerce and Trade Company, and PR Science and Technology Trust, among others. Previous to these government roles, he also spent 13 years in the private sector, which included positions as brand manager at Procter & Gamble; VP at Citigroup; and attorney at O’Neill & Borges.
Silva-Puras holds a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University, a Juris Doctor from the University of Puerto Rico, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin and the Copenhagen Business School in Denmark
Prior to this, Silva-Puras served as Provost at the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he led its transformation to a remote teaching institution with a full conversion to the Canvas LMS, integrating Zoom, Panopto, and various AI/ML edtech tools. Additionally, Silva-Puras has taught business and entrepreneurship classes at Sagrado, CUNY Hostos Community College and New York University.
Silva-Puras previously also served as President Obama's appointee as SBA Administrator for Region II in NYC, leading SBA’s programs in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he advocated for more than 2.7 million small businesses and managed a portfolio of over $6.1 billion in guaranteed loans.
Before the SBA, he served as the chief of staff to the former governor of Puerto Rico, Aníbal Acevedo Vilá, and held several other senior positions in government that focused on increasing business investment on the island, including Secretary of Economic Development & Commerce, Executive Director of the PR Industrial Development Company (PRIDCO), and President of the Economic Development Bank for PR (EDB).
Silva-Puras also served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of PRIDCO, PR Tourism Company, PR Commerce and Trade Company, and PR Science and Technology Trust, among others. Previous to these government roles, he also spent 13 years in the private sector, which included positions as brand manager at Procter & Gamble; VP at Citigroup; and attorney at O’Neill & Borges.
Silva-Puras holds a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University, a Juris Doctor from the University of Puerto Rico, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin and the Copenhagen Business School in Denmark
Speaking At
