National Education and Career Coaching Nonprofit Names Two Workforce Development Experts to Advisory Board

InsideTrack welcomes leaders from Jobs for the Future and the National Fund for Workforce Solutions to its national advisory board, bringing more than three decades of experience in lifelong learning and workforce development

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- InsideTrack, the national student success nonprofit that has served over 3.5 million learners in the last two decades, today announced the appointment of two new members to its national advisory board: Carrie Felton, director of worker success at the National Fund for Workforce Solutions and Eugene So, managing director of lifelong learning at JFF Labs. The two new advisory board members will bring more than three decades of expertise in workforce and lifelong learning as InsideTrack works with a growing number of organizations focused on workforce development, helping the organization expand its coaching solutions and offerings to serve workforce development organizations in the public, private and nonprofit sector.

"As the lines between our education and workforce systems continue to blur, we're seeing new opportunities—and increased demand for coaching to meet the needs of working adults, who are often balancing complex responsibilities and navigating career transitions," said Ruth Bauer White, president of InsideTrack. "We're thrilled to welcome these two experts in workforce development and lifelong learning to our advisory board as we work to scale the practice of evidence-based coaching in the complex—and often fragmented—workforce development landscape."

A nationally-recognized expert in workforce policy and practice, Carrie Felton is the director of worker success at the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, where she leads efforts to ensure that both training providers and workforce systems deliver training, education and career navigation services that are informed by the individuals they serve, advance equitable outcomes, and support workers in shaping  their own career paths. Prior to joining the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, Carrie led the National Center on Employment and Homelessness, where she worked to design, build and scale programs to create employment opportunities for individuals experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.

Eugene So, managing director at Jobs for the Future (JFF), leads the Lifelong Learning team at JFFLabs, which is the research and innovation arm of national education and workforce nonprofit Jobs for the Future. There, he leads a team that structures unique industry partnerships between education providers, employers and third-party organizations working to improve career and education outcomes for adult learners. A veteran of large-scale education technology companies, Eugene holds 17 years of experience in the education field. Before joining JFF, he served as director of academic programs and pathways at InStride. Prior to his role at InStride, Eugene worked as the associate vice president for global solutions at Shorelight Education, a Boston-based education technology firm that works with institutions of higher education to serve international students and a rapidly growing international education sector.

Since its founding in 2001, InsideTrack has served learners across a broad range of educational institutions and workforce development organizations—from community colleges and minority-serving institutions, to employers, labor unions, and workforce agencies. InsideTrack draws on the extensive expertise of its advisory board members to provide offerings such as retention coaching, career coaching, professional development and training along with other high-touch and trauma-informed services that are designed to elevate the success of learners and workers everywhere.

InsideTrack's existing national advisory board members are Amy Dunham, chief communication officer at Habitat for Humanity International;  Isa Ellis, senior program officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Zakiya Smith Ellis, Ed.D, principal at the Education Counsel; Marla Franco, Ph.D., vice president of Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) initiatives at the University of Arizona; Abby Marquand, managing partner of economic mobility at New Profit; David Morales, senior vice president of technology and chief innovation officer at Western Governors University; Timothy Renick, Ph.D., executive director at the National Institutes for Student Success at Georgia State University; Yolanda Watson Spiva, Ph.D., president at Complete College America; Julian Thompson, senior director of strategy at the Institute for Capacity Building UNCF.

About InsideTrack: InsideTrack is a mission-driven nonprofit that fuels positive change by empowering and advancing all learners to achieve their educational and career goals through the transformative power of coaching. We help people get the education they need to enhance well-being, create opportunity and secure meaningful employment — ultimately facilitating economic and social mobility. Since 2001, we have served over 3.5 million learners, partnering with more than 380 institutions and organizations to directly improve enrollment, retention, completion, and career advancement – tailoring our coaching outcomes to fit the needs of our partners and the learners they support. Our coaching methodology is evidence-based and research-confirmed, supporting all types of learners at every stage of their journey — especially those who face systemic barriers to postsecondary success. We are a catalyst for transformational impact, ultimately empowering learners and the organizations who serve them. To learn more, visit www.insidetrack.org and follow us on LinkedIn @InsideTrack and X fdv@InsideTrack.

SOURCE InsideTrack