Merryl H. Tisch (née Hiat), daughter of Rabbi Philip Hiat—a prominent figure in Jewish leadership—is a prominent American educator, civic leader, and philanthropist from the influential Tisch family. She married James S. Tisch, CEO of Loews Corporation, while her sister Susan Hiat was married to (and later divorced from) Andrew Tisch, James's brother, further intertwining her with the family. Tisch began her career as a first-grade teacher at the Ramaz School and B'nai Jeshurun School. She served nearly 20 years on the New York State Board of Regents, including as Chancellor from 2009 to 2016 (stepping down in November 2015), overseeing educational reforms such as Common Core standards, teacher evaluation systems, and efforts to raise academic standards and target underperforming schools and students—initiatives that shook up the educational establishment amid opposition from teacher unions and the 'Opt Out' movement. Since 2019, she has been Chair of the Board of Trustees for the State University of New York (SUNY). Tisch has shown bipartisan political involvement, chairing Democrat Bill Thompson's campaign for New York City comptroller and supporting Republican former mayor Rudy Giuliani, which drew some criticism alongside her education policy roles. She holds leadership roles including board member of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (which she has represented on the Public Design Commission), and the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, reflecting her blend of educational leadership, philanthropy, and civic engagement that often sparks debate among stakeholders.