In 1981, Knowlton founded KRA Corporation, defining its Vision to engage businesses, develop workers, and nurture stronger communities. His view of how KRA could make such an impact evolved into goals, strategies, and a corporate Mission to provide businesses with a trained and reliable workforce by preparing jobseekers for a competitive workplace and a global economy. In 2016, NAWDP selected Knowlton as the recipient of its prestigious Peter E. Kaiser Leadership Award, an honor recognizing workforce-services professionals—in this case, a “visionary leader”—who are making exceptional contributions to our industry. A member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Workforce Development Council, Knowlton has 40+ years’ experience in community and economic development; program and policy research, analysis, and evaluation; operations management; and training and technical assistance, both in the U.S. and abroad. He holds an MBA in Management/Finance, and a BS degree in Systems Science/Economics, both conferred by Michigan State University.