Eurmon Hervey, Jr

C. Vannessa (Connie) Spinner Associate Dean for Workforce Development and Community Outreach Community College Initiative The University of the District of Columbia

Connie Spinner oversees workforce development programs and career and technical education for the University of the District of Columbia. These programs provide free job and professional training courses—designed to hone the job skills D.C. employers need today—at five locations throughout the District. Career education is a critical component of the Community College Initiative.

Ms. Spinner has over 30 years of experience in education and community development, working to improve the quality of life for citizens in the District of Columbia and for children in poor communities across the nation. For seven years, Ms. Spinner served as a senior staff member at a national nonprofit organization linking policy, practice, and strategic philanthropy to community-based public school reform. She has served as a consultant, trainer, and facilitator for a variety of local, national, and international organizations.

Ms. Spinner was the project manager for the Frederick Douglass Early Childhood Family Support Center, a multifaceted, community-based collaborative; a senior trainer for the National Association of Partners in Education; and the assistant director of adult and continuing education in the D.C. Public Schools. Her professional consultancies have included the American University, the Connecticut Power and Light Company, the University of Warwick (Warwick, England), and the Indiana State Commission on Higher Education. Ms. Spinner began her career as a teacher/ counselor at the Adult Education Demonstration Center, in Washington, DC.

Ms. Spinner holds a Masters of Arts in curriculum development in adult education and administration from the University of the District of Columbia, and a Bachelor of Science in speech and English from the District of Columbia Teachers College. She also holds graduate certification in organizational development.