Executive Leadership & Advisory Council
Our governance comprises nationally recognized university deans, former state labor officials, corporate workforce executives, and senior instructional researchers.
Executive Leadership
Leading strategic expansion, federal apprenticeship compliance, and collegiate partner networks.
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Senior Vice President of Innovation
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Dean of Apprenticeship Excellence
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Senior Vice President of Innovation
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Dean of Apprenticeship Excellence
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Senior Vice President of Innovation
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Dean of Apprenticeship Excellence
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Senior Vice President of Innovation
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Dean of Apprenticeship Excellence
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Senior Vice President of Innovation
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Dean of Apprenticeship Excellence
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Senior Vice President of Innovation
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Dean of Apprenticeship Excellence
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Senior Vice President of Innovation
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Dean of Apprenticeship Excellence
Dr. Marcus Vance, Ph.D.
Executive Director & Chief Academic Officer Executive LeadershipDr. Vance has dedicated over 22 years to higher education, workforce development policy, and national apprenticeship design. Formerly Dean of Applied Technologies at State University, he advises federal and state labor departments on modern skill standard alignment.
Elena Rostova, M.S., CWI
Dean of the National Instructor Academy Academic Affairs & Faculty DevelopmentElena brings 18 years of aerospace manufacturing leadership combined with a decade of adult education research. She developed the national Certified Workforce Instructor (CWI) competency matrix adopted across 38 states.
Reginald Hayes
Vice President of Employer Partnerships & Economic Mobility Enterprise & Community PartnershipsReginald leads the Institute employer engagement network of 640+ corporate and public-sector sponsors. A former Fortune 500 Chief Talent Officer, he specializes in building scalable corporate talent pipelines that guarantee family-sustaining wage progression.
National Workforce Advisory Council
Cross-sector leaders representing state labor cabinets, enterprise employers, and public community college boards.
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Chairperson of State Workforce Board
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Chairperson of State Workforce Board
Hon. Arthur Sterling
Chairman, National Workforce Advisory Council Advisory BoardFormer State Secretary of Labor and president of the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals. Arthur chairs our 16-member advisory council providing strategic governance.
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Dr. Sophia Chen-Alvarez
Director of Workforce Intelligence & Policy Research Research & AnalyticsDr. Chen-Alvarez directs the Institute national labor market analytics observatory, producing peer-reviewed intelligence on emerging AI skills demand, regional wage trends, and credential efficacy.
Tanya Washington, PMP
Director of Apprenticeship Programs & Compliance Apprenticeship OperationsTanya oversees RAPIDS registration, wage compliance, and mentor training for over 4,800 active apprentices across manufacturing, healthcare, and IT pathways.
Prof. Alexander Wright, Sc.D. 6aa10aeab583b
Distinguished Fellow of Applied Artificial Intelligence Technology Research LabPioneering researcher in neural networks and industrial automation.
Prof. Alexander Wright, Sc.D. 6aa10aff44496
Distinguished Fellow of Applied Artificial Intelligence Technology Research LabPioneering researcher in neural networks and industrial automation.
Prof. Alexander Wright, Sc.D. 6aa10b0f596c0
Distinguished Fellow of Applied Artificial Intelligence Technology Research LabPioneering researcher in neural networks and industrial automation.
Prof. Alexander Wright, Sc.D. 6ab1182dc8f78
Distinguished Fellow of Applied Artificial Intelligence Technology Research LabPioneering researcher in neural networks and industrial automation.
Prof. Alexander Wright, Sc.D. 6ad39bbb811ce
Distinguished Fellow of Applied Artificial Intelligence Technology Research LabPioneering researcher in neural networks and industrial automation.
Prof. Alexander Wright, Sc.D. 6ad3a19c11da0
Distinguished Fellow of Applied Artificial Intelligence Technology Research LabPioneering researcher in neural networks and industrial automation.
Join Our Faculty or Advisory Council
Are you a seasoned industry practitioner or workforce policy leader? Explore fellowship and advisory opportunities.