About the Author

Van Ton-Quinlivan is a nationally recognized thought leader in workforce development and a catalyst for creating inclusive social and economic mobility for students through higher education. Her distinguished career spans the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

Ton-Quinlivan served as executive vice chancellor of workforce and digital futures of the California Community Colleges and brought about significant public investment growth in career education. She has been quoted as an expert on higher education in the "New York Times", "Chronicle of Higher Education", "Insider Higher Education", "Stanford Social Innovation Review", "U.S. News & World Report", and other publications. She is a frequent speaker at events hosted by the National Governors Association, Brookings Institute, Aspen Institute, Stanford's Hoover Institution, RAND Corporation, and numerous other forums.

Currently, Ton-Quinlivan is the CEO of Futuro Health, whose nonprofit mission is to improve the health and wealth of communities by growing the largest network of credentialed allied healthcare workers in the nation.

In 2013, Ton-Quinlivan was named a White House Champion of Change under the Obama administration in recognition of her notable career in industry, education, and service as a community leader. She received the California Steward Leader Award in 2017 for her dedication to collaboration and work with public, private, and civic leaders to support economic and social mobility for state residents. Ton-Quinlivan was included in Sacramento magazine's 2018 "Powered by Women" list of leaders inspiring positive change. In 2019, she was named a mediaX distinguished visiting scholar by Stanford University.

Ton-Quinlivan earned her master's degrees from the Stanford Graduate School of Education and the Stanford Graduate School of Business and has an honorary doctorate from Golden Gate University. She serves on the boards of the National Skills Coalition, National Student Clearinghouse, and California Forward and advises the Putting America Back to Work venture fund.

Ton-Quinlivan resides in Northern California with her husband and two sons.

Reviews

"Van Ton-Quinlivan has mastered workforce development from more perspectives than anyone in the field. She knows the differing interests of private industry, the public sector, higher education and the union movement, and has offered up ways to bridge those worlds to collectively bring a diversity of working people into good jobs." -Andy Van Kleunen, CEO, National Skills Coalition"This book is great storytelling and a master class in big design thinking. Well worth reading." -Tammy Johns, CEO of Strategy & Talent, former SVP Innovation and Workforce Solutions of ManpowerGroup"Creating an inclusive economy takes intentionality. This book outlines the levers every state and region have at their disposal to create economic opportunity and equitable recovery." -Stuart Andreason, Assistant Vice President and Director of the Center for Workforce and Economic Opportunity, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta"Van has rewritten the human capital theory and practice. The book offers a critical analysis and thoughtful proposition of the skills ecosystem that the new economy needs. Van calls for all stakeholders to develop a sustainable and inclusive skills ecosystem." -Dr. Soon Joo Gog, Chief Skills Officer, SkillsFuture Singapore"A revolutionary set of public-private partnership prescriptions for how to reignite the American Dream from a unique leader who has been on both sides of the education / employment divide. WorkforceRx should be compulsory reading for every elected official, college president, and CEO." -Ryan Craig, Managing Director of Achieve Partners and author of A New U: Faster + Cheaper Alternatives to College and College Disrupted: The Great Unbundling of Higher Education"Chock full of practical advice for business people who need to find and grow talent. The book pays keen attention to diversity, equity and inclusion and how companies don't need to go at it alone." -Helen Rule, Board President of the International Women's Forum, Chairman of Imatech Group of Companies, Australia"Van Ton-Quinlivan is a leader, a storyteller, and a problem solver, all key to helping cure the ills of our outdated and outmoded workforce development systems. WorkforceRx offers a prescription for navigating the new world of work, where postsecondary credentials are a critical part of the treatment and where business leaders, educators, policymakers and the workers themselves must work together to build a healthier new ecosystem. -Jamie Merisotis, President & CEO, Lumina Foundation"Van Ton-Quinlivan has pioneered the path--and has now provided a guidebook--for bringing employers and educators together to develop the skilled and adaptable workforce that is required to close the income gap and enable resilient regional economies. These cross-sector partnerships--focused on improving outcomes and reducing disparities--should be a priority strategy for civic leaders committed to more inclusive prosperity." -James Mayer, National Public Service Award recipient, former CEO of California Forward and Executive Director of the Little Hoover Commission"Van Ton-Quinlivan very effectively reframed how community colleges in California delivered on workforce programs while executive vice chancellor of the state system, reshaping not only how those institutions operated but also influencing K-12, workforce, economic development and other public agencies. She describes the behind-the-scenes work to materialize policy ideas into implementation--which is where many can fall short." -Mike Kirst, Professor Emeritus of Education at Stanford University and the longest serving President of California's (K-12) State Board of Education