Katherine Ash is a policy advisor and systems designer specializing in workforce development, rural economic mobility, and cross-sector partnerships. With 15 years of experience across federal policy, state systems, philanthropy, and international development, she helps leaders turn ambitious policy ideas into practical, scalable solutions that work on the ground.

Kate has designed and led major workforce innovation initiatives, including SkillsFWD, the nation’s first funder collaborative advancing skills-based hiring, the National Governors Association’s Workforce Innovation Network; and advising on Opportunity Now, Colorado’s nationally-recognized workforce innovation fund. She has supported more than 15 states in modernizing workforce systems, expanding digital skills, and translating policy into practice through cross-sector strategy.

She has published national thought leadership on rural workforce readiness, economic mobility, and statewide systems change, and has served as lead author of multiple state playbooks and policy roadmaps, including Reimagining Workforce Policy in the Age of Disruption", "A State Roadmap for Workforce Recovery", and "Using Data to Advance Digital Skills: A State Playbook".

Earlier in her career, Kate served as an advisor to the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and led statewide recovery and capacity-building efforts as Deputy Disaster Recovery Officer in her home state of Vermont following Tropical Storm Irene, where she continues to advise on strategic planning, communications, and economic development.

Kate’s work on public-sector innovation has been featured in Forbes, The Hill, U.S. News & World Report, the National Science Foundation, Inside Higher Ed, WorkingNation, Work Shift, Labor Market Insider, and more. She was awarded the John L. Weinberg Fellowship to pursue a Master’s degree in Domestic Policy at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs and holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Vermont, where she serves on the President's Engagement Advisory Board. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her family, and returns home to Vermont whenever she gets the chance.