Board of Directors

Melissa C. Potter,
Board Chair

Melissa C. Potter currently serves as the Vice President of Strategy and Impact at Paramount formerly, ViacomCBS/MTVEntertainment Group (MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, CMT, Logo, SmithsonianChannel, Paramount, POP Tv, and TV Land). The role enables her to supervise each network’s commitment to the long-term social impact of cultural shifts in society.

Prior to her position at Paramount, Potter served as the Head of Social Impact and Communications for Odyssey Impact and Transform Films, she used film, technology, and new media as a catalyst for social change. For the film “The Rape of Recy Taylor” which won the prize for Human Rights at the Venice Film Festival, she received the 2018 NAACP Image Award nomination as Impact Producer for the film. By building awareness and changing attitudes towards issues of social justice such as women’s rights, genderbased violence, criminal and gun law reform, and religious freedom, she led conversations around subjects concerning our nation’s diverse and often underrepresented populations.

As the Head of Social Responsibility and Partnerships at The National Family Engagement Alliance, Potter identified and measured solution-oriented practices for public and private partnerships such as the Scholastic Corporation. She launched the national Read2BGreat campaign with an emphasis on community engagement utilizing social influencers, garnering sponsorships, and fostering a culture of charitable giving.

Potter was at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund where she served as the organization’s primary media contact and spokesperson to develop communications strategies for federal, state and Supreme Court initiatives. She went on to work at the American Civil Liberties Union, where she led strategies on voting rights, criminal justice, disability rights, juvenile justice, and racial justice at the non-profit advocacy organization. While at the ACLU, as a team leader, she created and managed several multi-tiered advertising and marketing campaigns and was the direct liaison to celebrity spokespersons.

Fully committed to working with mission-driven organizations, Potter brings her talent, drive, extensive skills, and analytical focus to any organization. She has been featured and quoted in The New York Times, New York Daily News, The Washington Post and Essence Magazine, as well as others, and has been a speaker at SXSW, ImpactROI and Classy.org amongst many more.

A native of New York, Potter received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Northeastern University and Masters in Corporation Communication and Public Relations from New York University. Potter joined the NJCA Board of Directors in 2020. She also serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors of Fostering Change for Children. She was awarded “Change Agent of the Year” in 2018 from the Digital Diversity Network, is a Webby Anthem Awards juror and a Diversity Committee Member for Transform Films. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Potter currently resides in Mt. Vernon, New York with her husband and daughter.
She can be found on Instagram @melissacpotter and Twitter @melissapotterpr

TERM: 2020 – Present

Rhianna Johnson, External Board Member

Rhianna Johnson graduated from PIVOT Job Corps Center, a non-residential satellite site of Springdale Job Corps Center, that targeted teen moms in Portland, Oregon. She obtained her GED and relevant workplace skills related to office administration. Due to the encouragement and advisement of staff at PIVOT she went on to community college to complete an associate’s degree and later a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Affairs at Washington State University and a Master’s Degree in Sociology at Portland State University.

Rhianna has worked in education and workforce development for over 15 years in a variety of roles, including Deputy Center Director at Sacramento Job Corps Center. Currently, she is the Guided Pathways Program Director at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington, overseeing programs and projects geared toward student success in the community college setting. Having had such a positive experience with mentors in Job Corps and in the community college setting, she believes in “paying it forward” and has dedicated her career to efforts geared toward helping marginalized populations seek economic mobility. She enjoys the many outdoor activities that are prevalent in the Pacific Northwest, including hiking, biking, and forest exploration.

Grace Kilbane, External Board Member

Grace A. Kilbane retired from her position as the Executive Director of the Cleveland/Cuyahoga County Workforce Development Board and of OhioMeansJobs|Cleveland-Cuyahoga County in September, 2019. Grace returned to her home town of Cleveland after being gone for 30 years while leading workforce development programs at the federal and state levels. Grace served at the local level for the past five years, and led the implementation of the new federal law, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) as well as other new programs and innovations locally.

Prior to her time as the local Executive Director, Grace served as a career executive with the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment & Training Administration (ETA) in many key roles for the agency. She was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 1995. Nationally, she led the creation and operation of the one-stop career center system; headed employment and training programs for youth and adults under the Workforce Investment Act as the Administrator of the Office of Workforce Investment (twice); directed the Unemployment Insurance system; served as National Director of Job Corps (twice); implemented foreign worker programs such as the H-1B Visa; and oversaw the implementation of the Recovery Act in 2009. She also served as Regional Administrator for the Boston region and the Kansas City region.

Prior to joining ETA, she served as Deputy Administrator and Acting Administrator of the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services for almost six years. Her Public Administration career spanned over 45 years, 36 of which were in the field of workforce development.

Grace possesses a Juris Doctor Degree and a Master of Science Degree in Urban Studies from Cleveland State University and a Bachelor of Art’s Degree from Kent State University. She is currently serving on the Board of the National Job Corps Association and on the Visiting Committee of CSU’s Levin College of Urban Affairs.

TERM: 2019 – 2022

Robert (“Bob”) C. MacKichan, Jr., Esq., External Board Member

Robert “Bob” C. MacKichan Jr. is a partner in Holland & Knight’s Washington, D.C., office and is the leader of the firm’s GSA Leasing and Federal Real Estate Team within the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice. His multifaceted practice involves decades of experience in litigation, government contracts, real estate and public policy issues associated with federal government real estate. Clients call on him for his substantive knowledge and extensive relationships in D.C. to handle government real estate disputes, government contract concerns, government lease procurement and administration, real estate acquisition and disposition, and government construction and administration. In addition, he advises clients on holdovers and condemnations, the competitive procurement process and disputes under the Contract Disputes Act.

Mr. MacKichan primarily represents building owners, real estate developers, REITs and asset managers nationwide in matters relating to federal real estate disputes. He previously served as general counsel of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), where his work included the authorization for the construction of the International Cultural and Trade Center Building (now named the Ronald Reagan Federal Building) in Washington, D.C., as well as the utilization of public bond financing for several GSA projects.

TERM: 2020 – 2023

Don Marshall, External Board Member

Don Marshall is a communications strategist who combines deep political experience with an expertise in business and new media communications.

Don has spent 20 years working as a communications professional, handling public relations and new media strategy for political leaders, companies, non-profits and public policy organizations. Don served as a member of the senior management team for The Washington Post Company’s online subsidiary, Washingtonpost. Newsweek Interactive (WPNI). He led the company’s corporate communications and business marketing departments, and developed and executed public outreach strategies for washingtonpost.com and Newsweek.com. He has directed communications for numerous companies and organizations on the leading edge of technology and innovation, including the Information Technology Industry Council, Telecommunications Industry Association, Bright Automotive, the Online Publishers Association and the Software & Information Industry Association, and has built and implemented new media communications strategies for organizations of all sizes.

Don’s corporate experience includes taking a lead role in planning and executing Coca-Cola’s national communications strategy for the Olympic Torch Relay and serving as a top spokesperson for the company. An experienced political and public affairs communicator, Don has worked for numerous candidates and elected officials. He has held senior positions with three members of the U.S. Congress, including running the communications office and serving as lead spokesperson for Senator John D. Rockefeller IV. Don directed communications for political campaigns across the country, including in Ohio, Louisiana and Massachusetts. His public affairs work extends beyond government and campaigns to include policy organizations and international affairs. He has provided communications counsel to the nation’s largest anti-tobacco advocacy group and worked with the second democratically elected president of Nicaragua to improve his government’s national outreach.

TERM: 2020 – 2023

Brian Fox, Operator Board Member

A career of over twenty years with a unique combination of skills including a solid understanding of business processes, how those processes create financial results, and the people aspects to consider during organization change. Eleven years of experience delivering enterprise-wide change on large-scale Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP/SAP) projects caps previous work as an internal financial analyst and cost accountant. Expertise includes: delivering against profit/loss responsibilities, client relationship management, program/project planning and management, account management, sponsorship engagement, executive alignment, training design and development, communication strategy and management, supervision and coaching.

Scott Marquardt, Operator Board Member

Mr. Marquardt became president of Management and Training Corporation in 1991. Since that time, MTC has had a 344% increase in sales. Mr. Marquardt’s focus is on integrity, performance, leadership and innovation in delivering services to government customers. He is a leader in numerous job training, education, industry, and civic organizations.

Richard Schubert, Board Member Emeriti

Mr. Schubert has served as the Chairman of the Drucker Foundation, the President and CEO of The Points of Light Foundation and the American Red Cross, and the Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Labor. Mr. Schubert has also served on the Committee on Vocational Education and Economic Development in Depressed Areas, as Chairman of the International Youth Foundation, and on the board of the National Alliance of Business.

LaVera L. Leonard, Board Member Emeriti

Dr. Leonard has over 20 years of experience with Job Corps and is best known for leading the work of the National Job Corps Association and for serving as a Job Corps policy advisor to Congress and the Administration. She has had extensive personal interaction with leaders of all segments of the Job Corps community and the workforce development system. Dr. Leonard received her Doctor of Education from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Vocational-Technical Education and Political Science.

Jim Sourwine, Board Member Emeriti

Jim Sourwine is a consultant for Foley Maldonado & O’Toole. For more than 30 years, he was a professional staff member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, assigned to the Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee. Previously, he was a budget officer at the Department of Labor and a vocational counselor for the Washington State Employment Service. He has a B.A. in economics and masters degrees in counseling and public administration. In recognition of his decades of unwavering support for Job Corps and its mission, during its Leadership Summit on March 23rd, 2007, the NJCA honored Mr. Sourwine with its Sargent Shriver Award, the highest award bestowed by the NJCA.

Tracey K. Cooley, PhD Operator Board Member

Tracey K. Cooley, PhD, is Vice President, Operations, Career Systems Development Corporation and has over 25 years of experience working with at-risk youth in various leadership, management, and operational capacities. She has served as Academic Manager, Director of Education & Training, and Center Director at the Penobscot Job Corps Center in Bangor, Maine. Tracey worked with the National Office of Job Corps on a subcontract for assessing and deploying education technology throughout the Job Corps system. Tracey currently serves on the NJCA Operators Advisory Board, Maine’s State Workforce Development Board, and Maine’s Apprenticeship Council. In her current role, she provides leadership development and oversight for CSD-operated Job Corps Centers located in the eastern part of the US. She holds a PhD in Education Technology, an MS in Business Administration, and a BS in Business Education. Tracey resides in Maine with her husband, Kevin, and her two children, Alex & Grace.

Susan Larson, Operator Board Member

Susan Larson is the President of Adams and Associates, Inc. She has devoted 30 years of her career to youth management at all levels within the Job Corps program. Ms. Larson started her career as a Recreation Supervisor, where she oversaw recreation activities at the Grafton Job Corps Center. She has been Center Director at 5 Job Corps Centers. Ms. Larson also served as the Regional Director of Job Corps’ Boston Region, where she had government oversight over Job Corps Centers in New England.

Within Adams and Associates, Inc, Ms. Larson has held top corporate leadership positions over the last 16 years. As President, she manages company operations for a staff of more than 2,200 employees across the country. She conducts monthly performance calls and meets quarterly with Center Directors to develop improvement plans that address the Centers’ challenges and opportunities. Ms. Larson serves as the primary liaison between the company and our government partners to ensure Adams and Associates, Inc. remains continuously responsive to the evolving needs of our youth population and government partners.

Nicole C. Davis, Esq., External Board Member

TERM: 2022 – 2025

Rich Semancik, Operator Board Member

TERM: 2022 – 2025

Ramon Serrato, Operator Board Member

TERM: 2022 – 2025