KRA's The Hub

Part of KRA's "Voices from NAWDP" series and recorded live at the 2026 NAWDP Annual Conference in Phoenix, this episode features Kathleen Mahoney, Inclusion Consultant at Specialisterne. Kathleen discusses how workforce organizations and employers can create more inclusive systems for neurodivergent job seekers and employees. She shares practical approaches to competency-based hiring, clear feedback, supportive onboarding, and career advancement, and explains how strategies developed to support neurodivergent workers can benefit the broader workforce.

Part of KRA's "Voices from NAWDP" series and recorded live at the 2026 NAWDP Annual Conference, this episode features Sruti Bharat, Founder and CEO of Campground. Sruti explains how Campground helps workforce programs coordinate participant services, employer engagement, attendance, and outcomes in one place. Drawing on her experience as a program manager, she discusses the challenges of fragmented systems, the importance of strong partnerships and relationships, and how AI may help workforce organizations make sense of data, streamline tasks, and respond to changing job requirements.

Part of KRA's "Voices from NAWDP" series and recorded live at the 2026 NAWDP Annual Conference in Phoenix, this episode features Dr. Alexandria Wright, Director for Economic & Workforce Impact at Blue Stone Strategy Partners' Center for Advancing Rural & Tribal Economies. Dr. Wright discusses how workforce systems can build meaningful partnerships with Tribal Nations by honoring sovereignty, investing in trusted relationships, and understanding the distinct economic and cultural contexts of tribal communities. She shares examples from Northern Nevada, including collaboration on training and career pathways, and describes how adult education, community colleges, and workforce programs can work together to expand opportunity in rural and tribal areas.

Recorded live at the 2026 NAWDP Annual Conference in Phoenix, this episode of KRA's The Hub features Matt Berndt, Head of Indeed's Job Search Academy. Matt discusses Indeed's free resources for job seekers, including workshops and guidance on resumes, interviews, networking, and career planning. He also shares how Indeed is partnering with workforce boards and career centers to make those resources more accessible, why protecting job seeker trust matters, and what workforce research can reveal about people's experiences of the job market and AI.

Recorded live at the 2026 NAWDP Annual Conference in Phoenix, this episode of KRA's The Hub features Samantha Terry, Regional Director at EDSI. Samantha shares how her own experience as a dislocated worker—and the support that helped her complete her degree and enter the workforce system—informs her work today. She discusses leading with a participant-centered perspective, the mentors who encouraged her to step into leadership, and what she is learning through the NAWDP Leadership Academy. Her story offers a reminder that leadership can grow from where you are now, one step at a time.

Recorded live at the 2026 NAWDP Annual Conference in Phoenix, this special episode of KRA's The Hub features Heather Luhn, Associate Vice President at Home Builders Institute. Heather discusses HBI's construction trades training programs serving youth and other populations facing barriers to employment. She shares lessons on reframing operational constraints as gaps to solve, building partnerships that complement an organization's work, and using data to tell a fuller story about workforce program impact. The conversation also explores engaging young people in the trades, helping participants develop essential workplace skills, and bringing conference ideas back to support better work in the field.

In this episode of The Hub, guest host Ryan Rand, Manager of Communications, Innovation and Learning at KRA, speaks with Yolanda Johnson, Executive Director of CASA/Prince George's County, about the organization's 25 years of advocating for children and youth in foster care. Yolanda shares how CASA volunteers provide a consistent, trusted adult, help young people make their voices heard, and work with community partners to address practical needs such as education, housing, transportation, and mental health support. The conversation also explores the importance of individualized care and building stability as young people prepare for adulthood and life beyond foster care.

In this episode of The Hub, host Jonathan Overall speaks with Bethany Dentler, Executive Director of the Medina County Economic Development Corporation and Administrator of the Medina County Port Authority, about the critical connection between workforce development and economic development. Bethany shares how Medina County is responding to historically low unemployment, a shrinking labor pool, and the evolving talent needs of its growing manufacturing sector through close collaboration among employers, educators, workforce organizations, and economic development leaders. She also highlights innovative efforts such as manufacturing tours, industry led sector partnerships, teacher and student boot camps, training grants, and AI education that are helping businesses attract, develop, and retain the workers they need while building long term prosperity throughout the community.

In this episode of The Hub, Jonathan Overall speaks with Jennifer Meek Eells, Executive Director of the Ohio Workforce Association, about the challenges, opportunities, and innovations shaping Ohio's workforce system. Jennifer discusses the importance of developing strong talent pipelines, expanding apprenticeships into fields such as healthcare and education, and strengthening collaboration among workforce boards, employers, educators, and economic development organizations. She also previews the 4th Annual OWA IAWP Workforce Training Conference, taking place September 17 and 18, where workforce professionals from across Ohio will come together to share effective practices and explore topics including artificial intelligence, employer engagement, labor market information, and workforce development programs.

In this special episode of KRA's The Hub, recorded at the 2026 NAWDP Annual Conference, host Jonathan Overall speaks with Ritchie Thomas, a United States Army veteran and founder of Military Transition University. Drawing from his own difficult journey from active duty to unemployment—and ultimately to a successful career in technology—Ritchie explains how his AI-powered platform helps veterans translate their military experience into valuable business skills and identify promising career paths. He also discusses his "MOS to Marketplace" approach, the importance of meeting veterans where they are, and his mission to equip service members to successfully navigate what he calls the "economic battlefield."