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Reverend Dr. Josue Rosario-Caliz Joins THRIVE ON! Board as Secretary and Compliance Officer
THRIVE ON! Network Inc. (THRIVE ON!) is proud to announce that Reverend Dr. Josue "Sway" Rosario-Caliz has joined the THRIVE ON! Board of Directors as Secretary and Compliance Officer, bringing deep expertise in higher education leadership, equity practice, and Title IX compliance—alongside a history with THRIVE ON! that stretches back to its very beginning.
November 18, 2025
A Leader Rooted in Equity and Education
Reverend Dr. Josue "Sway" Rosario-Caliz is a higher education administrator, equity practitioner, and community advocate whose career has spanned some of the most demanding intersections of student affairs, compliance, and institutional leadership. A proud first-generation college student and Buffalo State alumnus, Dr. Sway earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from SUNY Buffalo State University and his Doctor of Education from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2023, with a focus on higher education leadership.
His work centers on belonging, empowerment, and transformation—creating environments where students, especially those from underrepresented communities, are seen, supported, and set up to lead.
Current Role and Areas of Expertise
Dr. Sway currently serves as Associate Dean of Students at Buffalo State University, where he oversees a wide-ranging portfolio that includes student leadership and engagement, orientation, transfer and family programs, and military and veteran services. His role is closely aligned with the university's institutional priorities around equity, inclusion, and student success.
Before stepping into this role, Dr. Sway served across a range of institutions and positions that reflect both the breadth and depth of his expertise:
Dean of Community Standards and Deputy Director of Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX at Sewanee: The University of the South — leading compliance, equity investigations, and community accountability.
Director of Student Engagement at Bard College — where his path and THRIVE ON!'s story first intersected.
Director of Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives at KIPP Capital Region Public Charter Schools — bringing equity practice into the K–12 landscape.
Strengthening THRIVE ON!'s Board
As Secretary and Compliance Officer, Dr. Sway will bring his background in Title IX, equity compliance, and organizational governance directly to bear on THRIVE ON!'s operations. His role will help ensure that as THRIVE ON! grows, it does so with the structure, accountability, and integrity that its mission demands.
What makes his appointment especially meaningful is that Dr. Sway is not joining as an outside expert—he has been part of the THRIVE ON! story since its earliest roots, when its founder, Keyvious Avery, first launched it as a TLS Project at Bard College. In fact, the very first THRIVE ON! project came to life in his living room.
"When someone has been in the room since the very beginning, they don't just bring expertise—they bring context that can't be taught,” said Keyvious Avery, President of THRIVE ON!. “Sway has both, and that makes him an invaluable addition to our Board."
About Reverend Dr. Josue "Sway" Rosario-Caliz
Dr. Sway is an equity-centered higher education leader, Title IX practitioner, and community advocate. He is an experienced supervisor and Dean of students, skilled in DEI, program development, interfaith relations, and student development.
About THRIVE ON!
THRIVE ON! is a youth-driven nonprofit based in Kingston, NY. Through its Early Thrivers program and Rootwork incubator, THRIVE ON! equips young people and grassroots leaders to design, build, and lead the solutions their communities need.