KRA's The Hub

In this episode of Getting to Know KRA, we sit down with Nicole Ganier, Executive Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at KRA, to learn more about her professional journey, leadership philosophy, and vision for the future of workforce development. Nicole shares insights from her experience in staffing, workforce services, and organizational growth, discussing the importance of authentic leaders...

In this episode of Getting to Know KRA, we are joined by Kathy Koontz for a conversation about KRA's long-standing partnership with Qlarant and their work supporting performance reviews for Maryland's Medicaid program. Kathy shares insights from her extensive healthcare background, explains the role of managed care organizations, and discusses how data analysis, monitoring, compliance reviews, and...

Tune in to discover how stronger partnerships, innovative workforce strategies, and a commitment to lifelong learning can help create more responsive systems for the future of healthcare and workforce development. In this episode, we are joined by Van Ton-Quinlivan, a nationally recognized leader in workforce education and talent development, for a conversation about expanding access to opportunit...

Recorded live at the 2026 NAWB Forum, this episode features conversations with Van Freeman of STRIVE, Sharon Bonney, CEO of the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE), and Matt Weis, workforce and education leader focused on career pathways and talent development. Together, they explore the future of workforce education, adult learning, and innovative approaches to building stronger pathways t...

Recorded live at the 2026 NAWB Forum, this episode features conversations with Darrell Andrews (Coach D), nationally recognized workforce development speaker and founder of Darrell Andrews LLC, and Karla Coleman, workforce development leader and advocate for community impact. Together, they discuss leadership, opportunity, and innovative strategies for empowering individuals and strengthening the...

Recorded live at the 2026 NAWB Forum, this episode features conversations with Anthony Murphy, CEO of Lead The Way, Anthony Gagliano, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of CareerSource Suncoast, and Denise Reading, CEO of Future Plans. Together, they discuss leadership, workforce innovation, and the partnerships helping shape stronger career pathways and communities across the country.

Recorded live at the 2026 NAWB Forum, this episode features conversations with Brent Balog, Interim Executive Director of Clackamas Workforce Partnership, and Thurman Roberts, Tribal Career Navigator at Nevadaworks. Together, they share insights on workforce development, community partnerships, and the innovative ideas shaping the future of workforce systems across the country.

In this  Getting to Know KRA  episode of  The Hub , we sit down with Kevin Mayo, Corporate Data Analyst at KRA Corporation, to explore the critical role data plays in driving performance, accountability, and impact across workforce programs. Drawing on his background in the U.S. Air Force and logistics management, Kevin shares how data integrity, strong team culture, and proactive quality assuranc...

Recorded live at the 2026 NAWB Forum in Las Vegas, this episode features a dynamic conversation with Ron Painter, former CEO of the National Association of Workforce Boards and current principal at Forbes Field Associates. Together, we explore what it takes to lead in today's rapidly evolving workforce landscape—from navigating policy shifts and leveraging data, to building agile, collaborative or...

In this episode of KRA's The Hub , host Jonathan Overall sits down with Jaime Cruz, Executive Director of Workforce Connections in Southern Nevada, to discuss how Las Vegas is transforming its workforce system to meet a rapidly evolving economy. Jaime shares his journey from hospitality to workforce leadership and highlights how a demand-driven approach, strong business engagement, and innovative...

In this Getting to Know KRA episode, we turn the tables and interview KRA's The Hub host Jonathan Overall, Director of Communications and Innovation at KRA, to explore the organization's expanding work in consulting. Jonathan shares how KRA is building on its deep experience in workforce services to help agencies, boards, and nonprofits navigate complexity, strengthen performance, and translate po...

Tune in for a conversation with Andrew Bercich, Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB), as he shares his vision for the future of the workforce system and the leadership needed to navigate a rapidly changing economy. Drawing on more than two decades of experience in talent operations with companies like Amazon and IBM, Andrew discusses how workforce boards c...

In this special episode of Getting to Know KRA , we sit down with Mr. Knowlton Atterbeary, Founder, President, and CEO of KRA, to celebrate the organization's 45th anniversary and reflect on the vision that launched KRA in 1981. Hosted by Jonathan Overall, the conversation explores Mr. Atterbeary's early inspiration to strengthen disadvantaged communities through workforce development, the core va...

In this episode of Getting to Know KRA , we sit down with Zaskia Ruiz, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, for a behind-the-scenes look at how KRA's operations support its mission and nationwide impact. Hosted by Jonathan Overall, the conversation explores operational strategy, fiscal oversight, compliance, and internal systems that ensure programs run effectively across diverse re...

In this episode, we're joined by Jermaine Donaldson , Director of Business Development for Genesys Works , to explore how human-centered leadership and intentional workforce design can turn access into real opportunity—and jobs into sustainable careers. The conversation examines the critical role employers play in building equitable talent pipelines, the importance of meeting young people where th...

Recorded live at the 2025 Raising the Bar Conference , this episode features Fahim Karim, Manager of Business Services for Employ Prince George's, sharing insights on how effective employer engagement drives stronger workforce outcomes. Fahim discusses how his team supports businesses through economic uncertainty, responds to federal workforce disruptions, and helps employers recognize transferabl...

In this episode of Getting to Know KRA , we sit down with Reena Singh, Program Director for KRA's Northern Nevada region, to take a closer look at the role of one-stop operations in delivering a seamless, client-centered workforce experience. Hosted by Jonathan Overall, the conversation explores how EmployeeNV Career Hubs coordinate partners, community resources, and referral systems to meet indiv...

In this episode, we're joined by Kirkland Murray, President & CEO of the Maryland Workforce Association and Executive Director of the Anne Arundel Workforce Development Board, for a wide-ranging conversation recorded live at the 2025 Raising the Bar Conference. Kirkland reflects on a year marked by rapid change—federal layoffs, AI disruption, shifting economic conditions—and highlights how Marylan...

In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Erin Anderson Williams for a powerful conversation about what it truly takes to support and engage youth in a rapidly changing world. Dr. Williams breaks down how workforce leaders can meet young people where they are—through fun, relevance, co-creation, and authentic connection—while also confronting the "superhero complex" that so often leads to exhaustion an...

In this episode of Getting to Know KRA, we are joined by Program Director Mike Longo, as he highlights how his decades of experience in workforce development inform the way his team meets job seekers with empathy, structure, and personalized support. You'll learn how career coaches, business services staff, and community partners work together to make the OhioMeansJobs centers in Summit and Medina...

In this episode, host Jonathan Overall speaks with Brandon Tigges, CEO and Co-Founder of Job Machine, an AI-powered platform transforming how workforce organizations place people in jobs. Recorded live at the CWA Meeting of the Minds Conference in Monterey, they explore how Job Machine automates key parts of the job search—creating resumes, applying to positions, scheduling interviews—so career se...

In this episode of The Hub , recorded live at the CWA's Meeting of the Minds conference, host Jonathan Overall sits down with Nia Ford, Workforce Services Specialist for the Alameda County Workforce Development Board. Nia shares how her team is advancing innovation through apprenticeships, medical assistant training, and a groundbreaking wellness and job-quality initiative that puts people at the...

In this episode of Getting to Know KRA , we sit down with Donna Eissoh, Business Services Manager for KRA's AJCC Rancho Dominguez program in Los Angeles County, and Thomas Thornton, Business Services Manager for Summit and Medina Counties in Ohio. Together, they offer an inside look at how KRA's business services teams are helping employers thrive in two very different regions—one rooted in manufa...

In this episode, originally recorded at CWA's Meeting of the Minds conference, we are joined by Latoya Reed-Adjei, from the Alameda County Workforce Development Board, to explore what it means to lead through change with courage, creativity, and purpose. Discover how workforce systems can evolve from compliance-driven bureaucracy into proactive, relationship-focused engines of equity and opportuni...

Tune in to hear from guests Alexis Franks and David Barch from The National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) as they take you inside the 2025 Business Services Academy. You'll hear about how workforce professionals come together to exchange best practices, strengthen strategic employer relationships, and push past the limits of "business as usual" to reimagine what except...