JACK L. HENDERSON
Overland Park
Summary
Achieved significant improvements in economic mobility by designing and scaling work-based learning pathways that meet employer validation. Drove alignment between education systems and workforce strategies, resulting in enhanced placement and wage outcomes. Advanced racial and economic justice through strategic workforce initiatives that deliver impactful results.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Executive Director, Workforce Innovation
Kansas City Kansas Community College
2024.01 - Current
- Serves as the Chief Workforce Strategist responsible for aligning institutional strategy with regional and national labor-market demand, employer partnerships, and wealth-building career outcomes. Lead architect of employer-driven talent pipelines spanning apprenticeships, internships, and career-track placements across high-demand industries.
- Employer-Validated Talent Pipelines: Designed and launched employer-validated workforce pipelines connecting education to career-track roles with sustainable wages, advancement potential, and long-term economic mobility.
- Labor-Market & Demand Analysis: Led market labor-gap analyses in partnership with employers, workforce boards, and academic leaders to identify, design, and scale stackable credentials, apprenticeships, and integrated credit/non-credit pathways.
- Placement, Wage & ROI Analytics: Built outcome measurement systems tracking placement, employer satisfaction, wage progression, and return on investment; developed revenue forecasting tools and dashboards to support long-term sustainability.
- Employer & Workforce Partnerships: Cultivated multi-sector employer and workforce partnerships to expand access to selective, high-demand career pathways in manufacturing, healthcare, skilled trades, and emerging industries.
- Budget & Talent Infrastructure Leadership: Manages unit budgets and strategic staffing aligned to placement outcomes, including the creation of new workforce leadership roles to support pipeline scale and employer engagement.
- Regional Workforce Strategy & Accountability: Positioned KCKCC as a regional leader in workforce innovation by embedding accountability, equity-driven decision-making, and employer-aligned talent strategies into institutional practice.
Director, Student Services (Engineering Talent Pathways & Career Readiness)
University of Texas at Arlington – College of Engineering
2020.01 - 2024.01
- Senior leader responsible for engineering talent readiness, career preparation, and placement-aligned student success systems supporting large-scale undergraduate populations. Led data-driven strategies integrating experiential learning, employer engagement, and co-curricular programming to improve retention, completion, and post-graduation career outcomes.
- Talent Readiness & Placement Outcomes: Designed and led applied learning and career readiness strategies engaging 5,000+ students, resulting in a 35% increase in academic success, career readiness, and job placement outcomes.
- Pipeline Development for Underprepared Talent: Built and resourced a comprehensive peer advising and support framework that increased retention of underprepared students by 15%, strengthening the engineering talent pipeline into advanced study and career-track roles.
- Organizational & Talent Infrastructure Leadership: Re-architected unit structure and staffing to align services with career and placement outcomes, creating new leadership roles and an Engineering Student Success Center focused on workforce readiness and employer-aligned preparation.
- Employer Partnerships & Work-Based Learning: Expanded employer and industry partnerships to scale internships, co-ops, and applied learning experiences, strengthening direct pipelines between engineering education and workforce entry.
- Data-Driven Strategy & Cross-Institution Alignment: Led stakeholder-driven analysis to redesign student engagement systems and forged strategic partnerships with regional community colleges to improve transfer pathways into engineering programs aligned with labor-market demand.
Student Support Specialist (Workforce Analytics & University Partnerships)
Pearson, Online Learning Services
2018.01 - 2020.01
- Contributed to national online workforce pathways by supporting data-driven retention, completion, and career-aligned program expansion for nontraditional adult learners. Partnered with universities and external providers to align academic offerings with workforce demand and student employment outcomes.
- Retention & Outcome Analytics: Applied data-driven strategies to support an 82% retention rate across assigned adult learner populations, strengthening persistence in career-aligned degree pathways.
- University & Workforce Partnerships: Built and sustained partnerships with university clients to increase enrollment yield, retention, and graduation outcomes by 17% in high-demand, workforce-relevant online programs.
- Career-Aligned Student Support Models: Collaborated with external partners to integrate scalable wraparound supports—including embedded academic coaching—into advising models to improve completion and job placement readiness.
- Labor-Market & Program Demand Analysis: Leveraged workforce data and analytics tools to inform program expansion decisions, contributing to the launch of ten additional degree programs aligned to high-demand labor-market needs.
Assistant Dean, Faculty Engagement & Applied Learning Systems
William Rainey Harper College
2013.01 - 2016.01
- Senior academic leader responsible for quality assurance, workforce alignment, and scalable instructional systems across career and transfer pathways. Led enterprise-wide initiatives to strengthen talent readiness by aligning instructional practice, assessment standards, and faculty engagement with postsecondary success and workforce expectations.
- Talent Quality & Readiness Systems: Designed and led institution-wide frameworks to align high-enrollment “gatekeeper” courses with evidence-based standards, improving learner persistence, skill development, and readiness for career and advanced study pathways.
- Enterprise-Scale Leadership & Budget Authority: Directed large-scale faculty engagement and development initiatives across multiple academic divisions, leading a staff team and managing a $500K operating budget to ensure consistent quality and performance outcomes.
- Standards, Assessment & Accountability: Built and implemented evaluative instruments and quality metrics to measure instructional effectiveness across departments, establishing accountability systems that improved course success rates in critical pathway courses.
- Cross-Sector & Departmental Alignment: Partnered with academic and career-technical departments to embed applied learning and high-impact practices aligned to workforce-relevant competencies across liberal arts, CTE, STEM, and health pathways.
- Resource Development & Innovation Enablement: Secured grant funding to support scalable instructional innovations and system improvements, expanding institutional capacity to deliver high-quality, workforce-aligned learning experiences.
Education
Doctor of Education - Higher Education Leadership
Union Institute & University
Cincinnati, OH01.2013
Master of Science in Education & Allied Professions - Higher Education Administration
University of Dayton
Dayton, OH01.2005
Bachelor of Science in Business - Management Information Systems
Wright State University
Dayton, OH01.2002
Skills
- Achieved successful talent placements by executing strategic workforce strategies Improved recruitment processes, leading to increased candidate satisfaction and better fit Strengthened organizational talent pipelines through targeted initiatives, enhancing overall talent acquisition
- Achieved increased career opportunities for candidates through strategic employer partnerships Streamlined job placement processes by implementing effective career-track pipelines Enhanced program relevance by collaborating with industry leaders to meet workforce requirements
- Achieved workforce alignment through in-depth labor market analyses Improved recruitment results by applying strategic demand forecasting techniques Drove workforce analytics initiatives that effectively informed talent strategy formulation
- Achieved optimal resource allocation through effective budget management practices Enhanced project efficiency by fostering accountability for return on investment Delivered comprehensive financial oversight that substantially supported organizational growth
- Achieved significant enhancement of career pathways for apprentices through effective implementation of work-based learning programs Improved skill acquisition and job readiness by developing comprehensive training frameworks Enriched apprenticeship experiences by cultivating strategic relationships with industry leaders
- Implemented strategic leadership programs focused on advancing systemic enhancements in education and public sectors
Certification
- Certified Workforce Development Professional (CWDP)
- National Association for Workforce Development Professionals – Projected March 2026
- Certificate of Entrepreneurship
- Joseph Business School, Forest Park, IL | 2017
Affiliations
- National Association for Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP)
- National Association for Student Affairs Personnel (NASPA)
- National Organization for Student Success (NOSS)
- -Positions Held: National Chair for Workforce Innovations Network
Relevant Career Highlights
- Advanced underrepresented talent into career-track, wealth-building pathways through employer-aligned workforce and apprenticeship models.
- Designed and led college access, workforce development, and economic equity initiatives that strengthened labor-market alignment and improved career outcomes.
Timeline
Executive Director, Workforce Innovation
Kansas City Kansas Community College
2024.01 - Current
Director, Student Services (Engineering Talent Pathways & Career Readiness)
University of Texas at Arlington – College of Engineering
2020.01 - 2024.01
Student Support Specialist (Workforce Analytics & University Partnerships)
Pearson, Online Learning Services
2018.01 - 2020.01
Assistant Dean, Faculty Engagement & Applied Learning Systems
William Rainey Harper College
2013.01 - 2016.01
Doctor of Education - Higher Education Leadership
Union Institute & University
Master of Science in Education & Allied Professions - Higher Education Administration
University of Dayton
Bachelor of Science in Business - Management Information Systems
Wright State University