Kimberly Way

In her role as Chief Experience Officer (CXO), Kim leads the organization’s customer-focused initiatives and ensures the voice of the member and customer is represented within the Association. She strives to create a persistent focus on the customer in the strategy and actions of the Association. Member representation is the most important aspect of her role and she continuously strives to be an advocate for the system. She also conducts research on best practices, develops educational resources, provides technical assistance to members, State partners and key stakeholders, and acts as a clearinghouse of information to create a quality user experience. She is heavily involved in planning the Annual Conference and the Impact Awards as well as managing the strategic training calendar for the Association.

Prior to joining the Association, Kim worked for six years at the Gerald R. Ford Job Corps Center in Grand Rapids, MI. She served as a career transition readiness instructor, a career development specialist and an admissions counselor before joining the Association.

She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Grand Valley State University.

Kimberly says that she always tries to lead with kindness, and she believes laughter can heal the soul, so she tries to laugh loudly and often. She enjoys working for the Association because she likes meeting and learning from the other members of the workforce development system.

“I feel honored to be part of the mission in supporting Michigan’s workforce staff to guide our communities into sustainable and stable employment.”

In her free time, Kim enjoys spending time with her two children as well as reading, swimming, snacking, hanging out with her backyard chickens and her tortoise named Stephen, and being an elder millennial on Tik Tok.