Fresno Workforce Leadership Academy, Class of 2025
About the Academy
The Fresno Workforce Leadership Academy — launched in partnership by Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board and the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program — brings leaders from the Fresno workforce ecosystem together for a year-long series of retreats, workshops, and action learning projects.
The Academy provides a forum for local leaders to work collaboratively to identify local and regional systems-based challenges and create shared solutions for economic opportunity for all. Fellows work with leading practitioners throughout the country as they deepen networks; strengthen systems leadership skills; apply race, equity, and systems change frameworks to their work; and increase understanding of effective strategies and programs.
The Fresno Workforce Leadership Academy is one of three local academies launched in 2024. Alumni of the Academy become part of the Aspen Institute’s Economic Opportunity Fellows Network, joining more than 370 alumni from 22 previous Academies in 17 cities in the US and Canada.
About Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board
The mission of the Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board (FRWDB) is to equip individuals with the practical skills needed for today’s job market through hands-on training and job readiness strategies. The FRWDB is a Joint Powers Authority between the City of Fresno and the County of Fresno and is committed to advancing economic opportunities for unemployed and underemployed residents. Key initiatives include our Greater Sierra Forestry Corps (GSFC) program, established in 2019, and our ValleyBuild program, established over a decade ago, which prepares individuals for careers in construction through comprehensive training and support.
“On behalf of the Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board, we are honored to partner in the establishment of an Aspen Institute – Workforce Leadership Academy in Fresno. This WLA initiative marks a transformative step toward building a stronger, more equitable workforce ecosystem in our region. By bringing together local leaders and stakeholders across sectors, the Academy will foster collaboration, drive innovation, and address systemic challenges to create meaningful opportunities for Fresno’s residents and businesses. We look forward to the shared learning, insights, and solutions that will emerge from this partnership, empowering our community and advancing economic mobility throughout the Central Valley.” — Blake Konczal, Executive Director, Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board.
About the Workforce Leadership Academies
The Aspen Institute’s Workforce Leadership Academies, part of the Economic Opportunities Program, bring together leaders across the many siloed fields of practice, organization types, and government policies that make up the field. The Academies strengthen Fellows’ capacity to develop and sustain effective workforce strategies, collaborate more deeply with employers, and expand the number and quality of leaders who advance opportunities for low-wage workers and job seekers as they meet employers’ talent development needs.
About the Economic Opportunities Program
The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.
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