Leadership
Executive leadership.
A team of proven leaders from government, industry, academia, and the nonprofit sector.
DE
Dr. Elena Ramirez
President & Chief Executive Officer
Former Under Secretary at the U.S. Department of Labor; workforce economist.
MT
Marcus Thompson
Chief Operating Officer
Two decades leading national scale nonprofits and public-private partnerships.
PA
Priya Anand
Chief Research Officer
Labor economist and former senior fellow at a leading policy institute.
JO
James O'Connor
Chief Programs Officer
Built national workforce academies across manufacturing and healthcare.
DA
Dr. Aisha Bello
Chief Innovation Officer
Leads ASCEND's AI, digital, and technology strategy.
RC
Robert Chen
Chief Financial Officer
Nonprofit finance leader specializing in federal grant management.
Join The National Effort
Build the American workforce of the next century.
Whether you are a leader, funder, employer, mentor, or learner — there is a role for you at ASCEND.