Nneka Jenkins Thompson was a senior manager in the Education Policy program at New America where she focused on a growing body of initiatives that reach across higher education, workforce development, and economic development for an integrated approach to policymaking.
She came to New America from Skills for America’s Future at the Aspen Institute where she published Recasting American Apprenticeship and worked to improve partnerships between employers and community colleges. Prior to joining the Aspen Institute, Nneka was a program manager at Commonwealth Corporation, where she specialized in the adoption of sector strategies as a tool for regional development. She also has experience designing and delivering youth and adult workforce development services, working at More than Words Bookstore in Waltham, MA and Dress for Success Boston. She started her professional career in the corporate sector, working her way up to a senior merchandise planning position for the international retailer, TJX Companies.
Nneka has an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a BS in marketing from the University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth where she graduated magna cum laude. She was also selected as one of three National Association of Charter School Authorizer Fellows upon graduation from the Kennedy School.