Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates Annouces Executive Director

Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates, a statewide program committed to raising graduation and employability rates for Michigan youth, announced today that Kristin Harrington has been named Executive Director. Harrington joined the company’s parent organization (Kinexus) in April 2011 and has played a critical role in ongoing statewide expansion efforts. Under Harrington’s leadership, the organization has increased its statewide impact for total students served by 300% in the past two years.  

“With a proven organizational track-record as a Kinexus senior leader, we are confident Kristin is the right person to lead Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates towards the vision of measurable impact on education and workforce outcomes,” said Todd Gustafson, Chief Executive Officer of Kinexus. “Our exponential growth under Kristin’s leadership has laid the foundation for the systemic impact that the organization will have on Michigan’s future workforce pipeline.”  

Headquartered in Benton Harbor MI, Harrington will be responsible for leading Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates strategic and operational efforts on a statewide scale. The executive role is an extension of her professional experiences in the skills and training sector.

A Teach for America alumna, Harrington taught kindergarten on Chicago’s south side and in Gary, IN before re-locating to Michigan and joining team Kinexus. Harrington has held leadership roles across the Kinexus Talent Division, including tri-county Michigan Works! service center operations and the Kinexus Bridge Academy for re-engaged high school dropouts. During her tenure, she has also helped to secure over $10 million in organizational funding. Harrington has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan, a Master’s of Science in Education from Dominican University, and is currently completing a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan-Flint.

“I have had the distinct pleasure of leading a dedicated team that consists of partners across the public and private sectors,” said Harrington. “In my new role, I look forward to building and leveraging statewide partnerships to expand dropout prevention, recovery, and school-to-career services that make a measurable impact on Michigan’s economy.”

For more information on Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates, visit the newly launched website at www.jobsformigrads.org.

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Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates is a state-based affiliate of the national Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) program. Programming emphasizes completion of a high school diploma or GED and successful transition into employment, post-secondary education, and/or the military. The program operates in 25 Michigan cities, serving approximately 1600 students. Last year, JMG achieved a 97% graduation rate with 87% of graduates entering employment, post-secondary education, and/or the military.