Longtime workforce, philanthropy exec tapped to lead Great Jobs KC, ‘carry Mr. Kauffman’s vision’

A former Kauffman Foundation leader who helped design the KC Scholars program that ultimately would evolve into one of the region’s most successful workforce training initiatives is coming full circle — taking the helm as CEO of Great Jobs KC a decade after he helped launch its predecessor.

Aaron North, a veteran leader within philanthropy, education, workforce development and regional economic growth verticals, was announced Wednesday as the next chief executive for the industry-leading workforce development and education organization.

“Great Jobs KC invests in people by helping them gain the education, skills, and support they need to create real options and build better lives for themselves and their families,” said North, who currently serves as executive vice president of strategy and economic growth for the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City.

Great Jobs KC traces its roots to the vision of Kansas City civic and philanthropic icon Ewing Marion Kauffman, whose Project Choice initiative first put into practice his belief that access to education is the surest path to opportunity, the organization said in a press release. That belief grew into Kauffman Scholars, then KC Scholars, and eventually — over the past 10 years — into the standalone Great Jobs KC organization.

North helped create and launch KC Scholars, giving him a firsthand understanding of Great Jobs KC’s origins, and positioning him to lead the organization into its next chapter, the organization said.

“Great Jobs KC has a unique place in my professional journey,” said North, who begins his tenure as CEO on Dec. 8, in a LinkedIn announcement post. “During my years at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, I worked with a great team to architect and build KC Scholars, which has grown into Great Jobs KC, and I have remained close to its mission and work. That work was shaped by Mr. Kauffman’s belief that people should have the opportunity to build better lives for themselves and their families, a legacy that has guided much of my career. The opportunity to lead the organization’s next chapter, expand pathways to education and careers, and help strengthen the future of our region’s talent pipeline is deeply meaningful to me.”

The incoming executive succeeds Earl Martin Phalen, who is set to depart after four and a half years leading the organization to return to entrepreneurial endeavors, the organization said.

Earl Martin Phalen, CEO of Great Jobs KC

“Ewing Kauffman believed that every person deserves the chance to achieve their full potential,” said Jeff Simon, chair of the Great Jobs KC Board of Directors. “For ten years, this organization has carried that belief forward, and under Earl’s leadership it has grown into one of the most impactful workforce development organizations in the country. We are deeply grateful for Earl’s service, and we are confident that Aaron North is the right leader to carry Mr. Kauffman’s vision into its next chapter.”

Under Phalen’s leadership over the past four and a half years, Great Jobs KC has:

• Raised more than $125 million to fund scholarships and workforce training;
• Nearly doubled its scholarship program, from 525 scholarships awarded to 928 awarded last year, and helped secure more than 3,000 additional university-sponsored scholarships;
• Achieved a 72% college graduation rate among scholars, which is 24% higher than similar students;
• Launched the Great Jobs KC skills training program, a tuition-free pathway to high-demand careers that has helped more than 3,000 graduates secure better-paying jobs, with graduates seeing average annual wage increases of $29,000 with full benefits;
• Built a workforce ecosystem of more than 150 partner organizations, community colleges and employers across the Kansas City region; and
• Commissioned an independent evaluation whose research found that Great Jobs KC’s early results could place it “among the most impactful workforce training programs in the U.S.”

“Leading Great Jobs KC has been the privilege of my career,” said Phalen. “Ten years ago, this organization was built on Mr. Kauffman’s simple, powerful belief that opportunity should not be determined by a ZIP code. I’m proud of what our team has accomplished, and I’m leaving an organization that is stronger, more far-reaching and better positioned than ever to serve this region. Aaron shares that same belief in the power of education and opportunity, and I am excited for him to lead Great Jobs KC into its next decade.”