E79: Getting to Know KRA: Zaskia Ruiz on Operational Leadership and Organizational Excellence
Release Date: 01/21/2026
E79: Getting to Know KRA: Zaskia Ruiz on Operational Leadership and Organizational Excellence
KRA's The Hub
In this episode of Getting to Know KRA, we sit down with Zaskia Ruiz, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, for a behind-the-scenes look at how KRA’s operations support its mission and nationwide impact. Hosted by Jonathan Overall, the conversation explores operational strategy, fiscal oversight, compliance, and internal systems that ensure programs run effectively across diverse regions. Zaskia shares insights on leading through complexity, strengthening organizational infrastructure, and aligning people, processes, and resources to support workforce programs that serve...
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E78: Work With Dignity: Designing Pathways That Matter
KRA's The Hub
In this episode, we’re joined by Jermaine Donaldson, Director of Business Development for Genesys Works, to explore how human-centered leadership and intentional workforce design can turn access into real opportunity—and jobs into sustainable careers. The conversation examines the critical role employers play in building equitable talent pipelines, the importance of meeting young people where they are, and how thoughtful partnerships can create long-term career mobility. Tune in to gain insight into how people-first strategies, strong employer engagement, and intentional program design can...
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E77: Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity: Employer Solutions from the Front Lines
KRA's The Hub
Recorded live at the 2025 Raising the Bar Conference, this episode features Fahim Karim, Manager of Business Services for Employ Prince George’s, sharing insights on how effective employer engagement drives stronger workforce outcomes. Fahim discusses how his team supports businesses through economic uncertainty, responds to federal workforce disruptions, and helps employers recognize transferable skills and emerging talent. Listeners will also learn how Prince George’s County is approaching recruitment, business partnerships, and the practical integration of AI to improve efficiency and...
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E76: Getting to Know KRA: Reena Singh on Building a Client-Centered Workforce System
KRA's The Hub
In this episode of Getting to Know KRA, we sit down with Reena Singh, Program Director for KRA’s Northern Nevada region, to take a closer look at the role of one-stop operations in delivering a seamless, client-centered workforce experience. Hosted by Jonathan Overall, the conversation explores how EmployeeNV Career Hubs coordinate partners, community resources, and referral systems to meet individuals where they are and support meaningful job placement and career growth. Reena shares insights on serving a rapidly evolving regional economy, strengthening customer experience, and using...
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E75: Raising the Bar 2025: How Maryland’s Workforce System Responds, Adapts, and Leads
KRA's The Hub
In this episode, we’re joined by Kirkland Murray, President & CEO of the Maryland Workforce Association and Executive Director of the Anne Arundel Workforce Development Board, for a wide-ranging conversation recorded live at the 2025 Raising the Bar Conference. Kirkland reflects on a year marked by rapid change—federal layoffs, AI disruption, shifting economic conditions—and highlights how Maryland’s workforce system continues to respond with resilience, collaboration, and innovation. He discusses the vital role workforce professionals play as the “superheroes” of their...
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E74: Guiding the Next Generation—and Yourself: A Blueprint for Sustainable Leadership
KRA's The Hub
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Erin Anderson Williams for a powerful conversation about what it truly takes to support and engage youth in a rapidly changing world. Dr. Williams breaks down how workforce leaders can meet young people where they are—through fun, relevance, co-creation, and authentic connection—while also confronting the “superhero complex” that so often leads to exhaustion and burnout in our field. She invites us to pause, reflect, and reset, reminding leaders that caring for themselves is essential to doing meaningful, sustainable work. From the accelerating...
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E73: Getting to Know KRA: Mike Longo on Elevating Career Services and Expanding Community Impact
KRA's The Hub
In this episode of Getting to Know KRA, we are joined by Program Director Mike Longo, as he highlights how his decades of experience in workforce development inform the way his team meets job seekers with empathy, structure, and personalized support. You’ll learn how career coaches, business services staff, and community partners work together to make the OhioMeansJobs centers in Summit and Medina counties accessible, welcoming, and effective for anyone seeking employment. From innovative outreach tools to real success stories that show the impact of strong relationships, this episode offers...
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E72: Augmenting, Not Replacing: Using AI to Empower Workforce Professionals
KRA's The Hub
In this episode, host Jonathan Overall speaks with Brandon Tigges, CEO and Co-Founder of Job Machine, an AI-powered platform transforming how workforce organizations place people in jobs. Recorded live at the CWA Meeting of the Minds Conference in Monterey, they explore how Job Machine automates key parts of the job search—creating resumes, applying to positions, scheduling interviews—so career services teams can focus on human connection rather than data entry. Brandon shares how AI can augment, not replace, workforce professionals, the impressive placement results achieved with...
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E71: Fearless Forward: Redefining Workforce Pathways with Nia Ford
KRA's The Hub
In this episode of The Hub, recorded live at the CWA’s Meeting of the Minds conference, host Jonathan Overall sits down with Nia Ford, Workforce Services Specialist for the Alameda County Workforce Development Board. Nia shares how her team is advancing innovation through apprenticeships, medical assistant training, and a groundbreaking wellness and job-quality initiative that puts people at the center of workforce development. Reflecting on the conference theme “Fearless Forward,” she opens up about stepping beyond her comfort zone, embracing new challenges, and redefining what career...
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E70: Getting to Know KRA: Donna Eissoh and Thomas Thornton on Building Authentic Partnerships and Driving Business Success
KRA's The Hub
In this episode of Getting to Know KRA, we sit down with Donna Eissoh, Business Services Manager for KRA’s AJCC Rancho Dominguez program in Los Angeles County, and Thomas Thornton, Business Services Manager for Summit and Medina Counties in Ohio. Together, they offer an inside look at how KRA’s business services teams are helping employers thrive in two very different regions—one rooted in manufacturing and polymers, the other in logistics and healthcare. Tune in for a rich conversation about employer engagement, building authentic relationships, and workforce development strategies...
info_outlineIn this episode of Getting to Know KRA, we sit down with Zaskia Ruiz, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, for a behind-the-scenes look at how KRA’s operations support its mission and nationwide impact. Hosted by Jonathan Overall, the conversation explores operational strategy, fiscal oversight, compliance, and internal systems that ensure programs run effectively across diverse regions. Zaskia shares insights on leading through complexity, strengthening organizational infrastructure, and aligning people, processes, and resources to support workforce programs that serve communities with integrity and accountability.