Following a national search led by Kittleman and Associates, National Skills Coalition’s Board of Directors has named Robert Espinoza as the organization’s next CEO, effective January 1, 2024. He previously served for nearly a decade as Executive Vice President of Policy for PHI, the nation’s leading organization on the direct care workforce.
“For over two decades, National Skills Coalition has tirelessly championed economic opportunities for each and every worker, business, and industry, and I’m thrilled to carry forward this crucial work,” said Espinoza. “Throughout my career, I have prioritized equity within organizations and across our society, and I firmly believe that now is the time to integrate inclusive skills training in workforce, education, and antipoverty policies nationwide, improving the livelihood of workers and sustaining the growth of local businesses.”
The Board identified deep federal and state policy experience as an essential asset for NSC’s next leader. Espinoza has testified before congressional committees, served on federal agency advisory groups, authored numerous policy reports across a range of workforce and equity-centered issues, and built trusted relationships with congressional leaders and senior staff on both sides of the aisle. As a member of NSC’s Healthcare Industry Recovery Panel in 2021, he helped lead conversations with the Biden administration and Congressional leaders. Espinoza also has led multi-state advocacy campaigns and is a talented communicator and thought leader who has successfully made the case for complicated policy solutions to broad audiences.
“Robert brings to NSC a multi-decade, executive level track record of impact in research, state and federal government relations, advocacy, communications, fundraising, and organizational development,” said Dr. Girard Melancon, Director of the National Green Jobs Advisory Council at the National Council for Workforce Education and NSC Board Chair. “It’s a track record that has been centered in equity, which was a priority for the Board.”
