Workcred, an affiliate of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), is pleased to name Karen Elzey as its new associate executive director, effective August 28, 2017. In this role, she will advance Workcred's mission to strengthen workforce quality by improving the credentialing system, ensuring its ongoing relevance, and preparing employers, workers, educators, and governments to use it effectively.
Ms. Elzey has over 20 years of experience in areas of workforce development. She is currently the vice president of the Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF), where she is involved with incorporating 21st-century competenciescritical thinking, problem solving, analytical reasoning, communication, and working in multi-cultural teamsinto the undergraduate experience to prepare students with the knowledge and experience to succeed in high-performing workplaces. She also leads several of BHEF's projects, including the integration of data analytics into specific academic disciplines, the development of cybersecurity undergraduate programs, and the creation of new media engineering programs.
Previously, Ms. Elzey served as vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for a Competitive Workforce, where she worked on K-12 education reform and job training policies. She was the founding director of Skills for America's Future, an employer-led policy initiative that was initially part of the Economic Opportunities Program at the Aspen Institute. The initiative helped identify solutions that allow education and training providers to work together for employers and prepare individuals for employment to help ensure American businesses are more productive, innovative, and competitive.
Her previous experience also includes coordinating public-private partnerships between K-12 school districts and employers for a local economic development agency in Indiana, and teaching English as a second language in Poland.
"Karen's deep expertise in workforce development and her proven success in forging meaningful, collaborative efforts with industry, higher education, and other partners will be a great asset to Workcred's mission," said Roy Swift, Ph.D., executive director, Workcred. "We are thrilled to welcome her to the organization."
Ms. Elzey earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and completed Georgetown University's executive leadership program at the McDonough School of Business.
About Workcred
Workcred, an ANSI affiliate organization formed in 2014, is committed to strengthening workforce quality by improving the credentialing system, ensuring its ongoing relevance, and preparing employers, workers, educators, and governments to use it effectively. Led by executive director Roy Swift, Ph.D., the organization's vision is a labor market which relies on the relevance, quality, and value of workforce credentials for opportunities, growth, and development. Dr. Swift, a retired U.S. Army colonel, previously served as ANSI's chief workforce development officer and senior director of personnel credentialing accreditation programs.
About ANSI
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and the American quality of life by promoting, facilitating, and safeguarding the integrity of the voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. Its membership is made up of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations. The Institute represents the diverse interests of more than 125,000 companies and organizations and 3.5 million professionals worldwide.
The Institute is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).