KRA is committed to hiring the best people and investing heavily in professional development to deliver the highest caliber Program Management Team. As part of this commitment, in August 2010, KRA launched a formal leadership development program, the Leadership Edge. Last month, in his welcome to the group of 30+ staff members who make up the Leadership Edge Class of 2013, Knowlton R. Atterbeary, KRA President & CEO, stated “The operative root word in this program is ‘Leader’. Whether you’re a Vice President, Director, Operations or Program Manager, or a future KRA leader, you represent the best the company has to offer and are part of a team that is the driving force behind our operations.”
As KRA continues its planned expansion into new regions, the goals of the Leadership Edge program are to leverage best practices and lessons learned through cross-functional interactions, to improve company systems and processes that increase program effectiveness, and to fine-tune the decision-making and problem-solving skills necessary for company leaders to respond effectively to changing and challenging situations. The day-long kick-off meeting introduced the Class of 2013 to a year-long professional development curriculum that will encompass 24 seminars covering Business Practices, Program Operations, Human Resources, Quality Assurance, Communications Management, and Finance and Accounting.
According to Krista Roberson, one of KRA’s Corporate Operations Managers, “A major highlight of the workshop was the ‘State of Workforce Development’ keynote address by Bridget Brown, Executive Director of the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals, who spoke about how the Workforce Development industry is expected to evolve, and the resulting implications for KRA service delivery. In addition to the preview of the 2013 program and Ms. Brown’s presentation, an exciting element of the workshop was the opportunity for staff to collaborate across programs in planning the implementation of projects, that they selected, that will add value to individual program operations, and to KRA as a whole. The class was very enthusiastic and excited to share ideas and eager to delve into new project initiatives critical to KRA continued expansion and growth.”
Dr. Boone’s 20+ years’ experience in the industry is extensive and her expertise in private-, public-, and non-profit sector workforce-services organizations is unparalleled, particularly in the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan area.
