Kate Kinder is a passionate, student-centered leader with over 20 years of experience expanding college and career opportunities through transformative community college programs, partnerships, and policies. She currently serves as the Executive Director at the National Council for Workforce Education (NCWE), where she supports a national network of community colleges and their partners to advance workforce education excellence and propel economic prosperity. Previously, Kate served as the State Strategies Director at National Skills Coalition (NSC), where she advanced policy and led postsecondary technical assistance projects across the country to increase pathways into postsecondary education and quality careers. In addition, she contributed to coalition building and worker voice efforts in California and New Mexico.
Prior to NSC, Kate worked at Portland Community College (PCC) for 18 years, serving in multiple student-serving and administration roles, most recently as a dean of Career Pathways. There, she oversaw stackable credential programs, integrated education and training, sector and employer partnerships, corrections education, work-based learning, dual credit, basic needs and benefit access initiatives, and many innovative grant-funded workforce initiatives or programs (SNAP E&T, WIOA, Title III, Perkins, TANF, Head Start, TAACCCT, Voc Rehab).
While at PCC, Kate developed and led Oregon’s nationally-recognized Community College STEP (SNAP 50/50) Consortia and Pathways to Opportunity initiative–two statewide consortia amongst all 17 community colleges and human service and workforce partners that close opportunity gaps and increase career pathways. Her ability to collaborate and mobilize coalitions around a shared vision led to the passage of Oregon’s landmark Benefit Navigator Bill that reduced student basic needs insecurity and funded benefit navigators at all 24 public community colleges and universities.
Throughout her career, Kate has focused on centering lived expertise, and lifting up solutions driven by those closest to the issues. She is committed to reimagining systems, breaking down silos, and braiding funding and aligning investments to better serve people. Kate is a deep believer in the transformative power of community colleges, effective partnerships, and the importance of shifting the narratives to expand opportunity.