Board of Directors

Kristie VanAuken is the Chief Executive Officer of KVA Consulting and brings more than two decades of leadership experience spanning the private and nonprofit sectors. Her career has focused on connecting organizations, communities, and education systems around shared goals. She previously served as Special Advisor for Workforce Engagement to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, where she led the North Carolina Portrait of a Graduate initiative and played a pivotal role in the passage of Senate Bill 193, which requires career development plans for every middle school student prior to entering high school.

Before joining the Department of Public Instruction, Kristie was Vice President of Stakeholder Engagement for Research Triangle Park (RTP), where she helped cultivate a collaborative RTP community, facilitated the first Owners and Tenants Association strategic plan, and attracted new resources to advance STEM education, diversity, communication, economic development, and environmental initiatives. Earlier in her career, she served as Vice President of Communications and Community Affairs at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

Kristie has served on numerous statewide advisory and leadership bodies, including the NCWorks Commission, the myFutureNC Strategy Working Group, and the North Carolina Education and Workforce Innovation Commission. She currently serves on the Carolinas General Contractors Association Foundation.