Early Leadership
Before founding JS&A in 1987, Mr. Silny served for 16 years as Director of International Admissions at both the City University of New York and the University of Miami. In these roles, he evaluated and advised thousands of students from around the world, establishing himself as a trusted authority on global education systems and U.S. academic equivalencies. While at CUNY, Mr. Silny and Stephen H. Fisher founded World Education Services (WES) in 1974. Mr. Silny left WES in 1980 when he became the Director of International Admissions at the University of Miami.
Founding of JS&A
Mr. Silny founded JS&A in 1987 to provide accurate, ethical, and expert evaluations of foreign academic credentials — a mission that continues to guide the company today. Under his leadership, JS&A became a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) in 1989 and a respected partner to universities, professional licensing boards, government agencies, and employers across the United States. Mr. Silny and two other senior administrators at JS&A have also served as Chairpersons of NACES.
Professional Contributions
Over the decades, Mr. Silny has contributed to numerous professional organizations and has been invited to speak on topics such as international credential recognition, detecting fraudulent academic credentials, admissions best practices, and comparative education systems. He has published numerous articles and three books. His lifelong commitment to fairness and precision in evaluation has earned him recognition as a pioneer in international education consulting.
“My goal has always been to ensure that every applicant’s educational achievements are understood, respected, and properly valued — no matter where in the world they were earned.”
— Josef Silny
