Kristen P. McKenna 75 Chestnut Ave. Cranston, RI 02910

Cell # 401 225-6762, kpam66@gmail.com

C.V. Summary of Accomplishments and Qualifications EXPERIENCE and LEADERSHIP

Over 18 years of professional project and program leadership and management experience in higher education, workforce training & development and adult education

Proven leadership & organizational skills for developing, coordinating & managing at all levels

Strong communication and interpersonal skills with a variety of constituents: US (DOE, DOL & HUD), state and local government, employers, faculty, college adult learners, high risk youth, veterans, refugees and dislocated workers

● Leading a RI multi-agency team for Career Pathways System redesign ● Leading design and implementation of online Career Pathways Counseling tool ● Developing Career Counseling Standards ● Executive level administrative support for VP & Associate VP of MA community

college workforce development office and board members ● Collaborated with college student affairs, One Stop Career Center & faculty to

provide intensive case management student supports for 60% of 1344 college students

● Demonstrated program management for successful outcomes on over 10 state, federal and private funded education projects

● Built thirty-six relationships with employers and local community partners RESULTS- Successfully enrolled, graduated and employed the largest number of Round One DOL TAACCCT supported students of all the 15 MA community colleges INNOVATION- Implemented eight new projects in RI &MA from 1998-2015 to accelerate credential attainment with technology-based solutions

Created online/hybrid curriculum for various career sectors with 85% retention rate

Created and co designed industry standards competency-based hybrid and online Human Services curriculum for incumbent workers to pursue Human Service or Direct Support certificate

Designed & co-created the first tracking database for outcomes metrics in RI Program PRESENTATION- Successful workshop presenter on over 28 local and national conferences on a variety of Adult and Youth educational policy & program implementation issues, including:

• Community College of RI- Career Pathways, October 2015 • NISOD- University of Austin Texas, Master Presenter, Transformational Efforts at BCC to

support low skilled, low income, un and under employed adult learners May 2014 & Jan 2015 • Transformation Agenda Peer Summit and Commonwealth Workforce Coalition, Massachusetts,

Contextualized Curricula for Developmental and remedial adult learners, Jan 2014 and May 2013

• Coalition for Adult Basic Educators, New Orleans: Innovative Career Pathways MCCWDTA Project, March 2013

Professional Development Leadership

Conducted Professional Development trainings, worksite learning opportunities, Transitions to College, Out-of-School Youth and Civics Education programs

Coordinated professional development opportunities for college staff and faculty including: 1. What do Career Pathways look like at your Institution? 2. Establishing National Career Readiness Credentials 3. Supporting nontraditional students in college

Professional Memberships & Affiliations GWB Career Pathways Advisory and Adult Basic Education Committee - present WE RI – Employer Engagement Coalition 2016 MA DOE Career Pathways Team 2013-2015

Kristen P. McKenna 75 Chestnut Ave. Cranston, RI 02910

Cell # 401 225-6762, kpam66@gmail.com

RI Workforce Alliance - present National Career Development Association - present National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) 2014-15 National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) 2014-2015 International Society for Technology in Education 2007-2013 Research, Recognition, and Publications Research

● An Exploration of Transformative Learning Experiences of Adult College Students in Career Transition, April 2015

● An Overview of Prior Learning Assessment, A Viable College Path for Adult Learners, April 2014 ● It Takes More than 15 Minutes: Advising Non Traditional College Students and the Role of the

Transformation Agenda Navigator, May 2013 ● Applying Transformational Learning Methodologies to support Nontraditional Adult Students,

October 2013 ● Supporting Nontraditional Women Students at BCC, August 2013 ● Academic Co-Researcher: Effects of Online Contextualized Curriculum on Adult Learners

through the Transformation Agenda, preliminary findings presented May 2013 and Jan 2014 Recognition

● Coalition of Adult Education (COABE) National Incentive Grant Award for Building Internships and Career Pathways, 2009

● Massachusetts Literacy Champion Award -The MA Literacy Foundation and Verizon Foundation, 2008 Publications and policy papers

● Creator & co-editor, The Change Agent Fall 2010 Issue Mid-Term Elections: What is at Stake? ● Co-editor & contributor to The Change Agent, Democracy in Action Issue, March 2008 ● White paper, Youth in Adult Programs: for National Council of State Directors of Adult

Education, disseminated to President- elect Obama’s transition team, Dec 2008 Educational Background, Certifications and Training 2015 Eastern Nazarene College, Quincy MA. M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration 2011 Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA. Graduate level Educational Leadership coursework 1989 RI College, Providence RI, Bachelor of Fine Arts, LGBTQ Safe Zone Training & Designee Computer proficient in Microsoft Office and various MIS software Professional Experience and Responsibilities

June 2015- present RI Governor’s Workforce Board, Cranston, RI

Coordinator of Labor and Training,

Provides strategic leadership to develop & oversee RI Career Pathways System vision, policy & implementation

Statewide online management for National Career Readiness Credential (NCRC) & onsite trainer/instructor

Advising Foreign-born adults to crosswalk credentialing and educational opportunity to work Developed Career Counseling Standards and created support network for career advisors Support centralized web-based education portal and online counseling tools Evaluate, credentialing and oversight and credentialing on state and federal funded programs:

College, CTE, Adult Ed. Employer-based Creating and supporting employer engagement programs Event planning and support, staffing board committee chairs

Kristen P. McKenna 75 Chestnut Ave. Cranston, RI 02910

Cell # 401 225-6762, kpam66@gmail.com

June 2012 – April 2015 Bristol Community College- Fall River, MA

MA Community College Transformation Agenda Program Director, Leadership and management

▪ Managed over 1-million-dollar grant in compliance with US DOL regulations & MA Higher Education in a range of projects across 5 campuses

▪ Coordinated program design and implementation of local employer-driven curricula and service learning components including internships and job shadowing

▪ Co facilitated one-year Business Administration Transfer program, Veterinary Animal Care Program, Associate Degree to transfer program and Clean Energy 16 credit certificate program

▪ Open Educational Resources in 6 sectors and 36 contextualized modules for Developmental Education

▪ Supporting student goals, student access and attainment for credentials with advisement, work readiness instructions, career fairs and employer outreach

▪ Marketing, event planning and PD coordination for all events and programs, designed flyers and web content

▪ Oversaw 10 employees and 4 Work Study Students: handled HR issues, union contracts, compliance, training and yearly reviews

April 2007 – August 2012 Bristol Community College- Attleboro, MA Program Director for Non-Traditional Learners: Leadership and management ▪ Coordinating and managing programs including: curricula development, 11 staff, MA DOE, US

DOE/DOL and Bristol County Workforce Investment reports,

▪ Coordinated with Campus Dean to manage campus events and common projects including a mentoring program, campus events, job fairs and community partnerships

▪ Created sector-based hybrid courses in human service, clean energy and healthcare

▪ Coordinated 11 local employer partnerships for student experiential learning, multiple field trips and onsite learning opportunities to enhance career and community opportunities for 16-24 young adults, English Language Learners and unemployed adults.

▪ College Success, Work Readiness and Technology Skills adjunct faculty

May 2005-April 2007 Institute for Labor Studies and Research - Cranston RI Project Director for US DOL Congressionally-funded Mobile Technology Learning Lab Leadership, planning and organization of Mobile Education (MEC) Unit; ▪ Working with diverse populations, created technology-based education for unemployed and

incumbent workers ▪ Advised and counseled adult learners to include Union 1033 workers and dislocated workers ▪ Managed $500,000 budget, 5 program staff & 5 volunteers, data collection and reporting

Other Prior Experience: RIFLI, Providence RI- Adult Education Director for 5 years managed 11 programs in 7

libraries around the state with 21 employees, served 400 adults and 230 children Providence Public Library, Providence, RI- Five years’ experience in supervision and on-

going training of volunteers for career and education programs Bryant College, Smithfield, RI- Instructor for International young adults in pre-college

English, Mentor to high school students from 11 countries Grant writer with 78% success rate Independent Consultant to defense contractors on disability and veterans’ HR compliance Managed small electronics business and negotiated business sale transaction