Alison Griffin

Senior Vice President, Whiteboard Advisors

Alison Griffin’s experience on the implementation side of higher education and workforce development, and as a grantmaker, is reflected in her practical understanding of how policy shapes practice. Her career in postsecondary education policy includes two terms as a policy advisor to the Chairman of the U.S. House of Education and the Workforce, as well as an early career role with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities where she guided state policy development. Alison joined Whiteboard Advisors after leading national engagement, government relations and external affairs for Strada Education Network.

Alison believes the solutions to our most pressing education and workforce challenges from access to affordability to the alignment between skills and employment are rooted in thoughtful collaboration among a growing community of diverse voices. As a natural convener and connector across policymakers, impact investors, entrepreneurs, practitioners and employers, Alison is often at the center of moderating conversations and guiding solutions among national and state-level subject matter experts.

Alison is a frequent commentator in the media on issues at the intersection of postsecondary education and employment. She is a Forbes contributor and her opinion pieces have appeared in The Hill, The Washington Post and EdSurge. Alison co-leads Whiteboard’s postsecondary education practice from Boulder, Colorado. Appointed by Governor Jared Polis (D) in 2019 to the Colorado Mesa University Board of Trustees, Alison currently serves as chair of the Board. She is the vice chair of the Board of the Colorado League of Charter Schools and served the state of Colorado as a 2020 Governor’s Fellow. Alison holds a masters degree in education from the University of Georgia and graduated with undergraduate degrees in business and psychology from Southern Methodist University. As an avid reader and live music lover, her goal each year is to read more than 52 books and see at least 20 concerts.

Henry Whipple

Director of College Success, DSST: Cedar Campus

Through my experiences in post-secondary guidance, college admissions recruitment, and various student-focused settings, I've developed critical skills in leadership, project management, recruitment, and advocacy. My long term professional goals center around reducing economic and educational inequities that persist as a result of longstanding federal and local policies.

Kyle Hartung

Associate Vice President, Jobs for the Future

Dr. Kyle Hartung is an associate vice president in Jobs for the Future’s (JFF) Education Practice and a co-author of The Big Blur. Over the last 25 years Kyle has worked as a teacher, leader, consultant, and researcher in public K–12 systems and higher-education settings. In his current role at JFF he leads strategy and initiatives with state, regional, and local leaders to design, strengthen, and scale solutions to reimagine the ways in which people experience and move through education and workforce development systems to ensure that they access the knowledge, skills, credentials, and capital critical to advance in a career, achieve economic advancement, and realize their best possible futures. Kyle is regular participant in the ongoing conversation about equity, education, workforce development, and the future of work in the media and at events around the country. His areas of expertise include college and career readiness, education-industry partnerships, work-based learning, secondary and postsecondary alignment, intermediary design and development, career navigation, systems change, adult learning, and mixed-methods research.