President and CEO, Excellence4Life Consulting
Bio:
Carissa Pinkard, CWDP, is a seasoned workforce development leader with 20+ years of cross-sector experience. She is respected for balancing structure with innovation, bridging policy & practice, & turning strategy into impact. As President & CEO of Excellence4Life Consulting, she provides holistic workforce solutions to advance holistic human-centered programs, partnerships, & measurable outcomes. Led by a heart to serve, she is NAWDP’s PA State Director, serves on PA WDB committees & a mentor.
What is your vision for the workforce development profession?
My vision is for a workforce development profession that is resilient, nationally recognized, trusted as the expert informing policy & practice, & sought out as a driver of economic mobility, talent development, career pathways, job quality, credentialing, & community stability. A respected profession that is less dependent on a single federal funding stream & is strengthened through diversified partnerships, shared learning, and innovation as it extends beyond traditional WIOA silos.
Do you have a particular interest area or passion in workforce development?
My primary passion is strengthening our workforce development professionals, including onboarding, training, & staff retention. I am deeply committed to youth & emerging adult pathways & to using compliance & monitoring as tools for learning & continuous improvement rather than punitive oversight. I strive to advocate for professionals, promote equity between funders and providers, & offer practical solutions that help staff thrive and drive economic growth & stability within their communities.
Why do you want to serve on the Board?
Simply put, I am not done yet. I have more to contribute, both nationally & for PA. Through committee service, development of the New Professionals Cohort & Onboarding Toolkit, & both moderating & presenting at conferences, I have helped strengthen member value, engagement, & professional development. I am committed to ensuring PA remains an active, collaborative, & impactful Board voice, offering insight across the full spectrum of the workforce ecosystem & expanding membership beyond Title I.
What do you think is the biggest challege facing the profession today and how can NAWDP address that challenge?
A major challenge is system sustainability, turnover, burnout, funding instability, and inconsistent preparation for increasingly complex contract transitions, roles, and policy shifts. NAWDP can address this by expanding practical training, peer networks, advocacy, & tools that support professionals from onboarding through leadership; helping states like PA improve consistency, quality of service, outcomes and breaking down the silos so non-traditional partners can join the work.