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Get to Know Dr. Danielle Harrison

Employee Recognition, Information, News, Update

Dr. Danielle Harrison was named GuilfordWorks (Guilford County’s Workforce Development Board) Executive Director on February 22, 2023. She has served as Interim Executive Director, since October 2022, following her role as Deputy Director, which she started in October 2020.

Dr. Harrison has been in workforce development for the past 15 years. She began her career with the NC Department of Public Safety (DPS) as an officer, case manager, analyst, and manager who helped inmates develop life, educational, and career plans. Later, she transitioned to a Praxis Facilitator and Coordinator of Field and Clinical Work Experiences at NC A&T State University. Throughout her professional journey, she taught and trained hundreds of staff career-oriented curricula at Davidson-Davie Community College, Virginia College, and Guilford Technical College.

Having worked in various personal, operational, and workforce development roles with several community partners—Dr. Harrison was attracted to working in workforce development because she knows how to bridge gaps and leverage resources in systems where people face the most significant barriers.

Throughout her career, Dr. Harrison has focused on systemic barriers experienced by minority high school students. She believes community-based organizations, like GuilfordWorks, can help them overcome these challenges; this is why the systemic barriers task force is so important to her. Additionally, Dr. Harrison desires to create programming for second-chance populations and professionals looking to transition.

Formative Experience

Dr. Harrison is a Guilford County native who’s demonstrated dogged tenacity throughout her life. At 16, Danielle left traditional high school and earned a GED from Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC). Immediately after, she began her collegiate experience with GTCC, which started her journey to completing her doctoral degree by age 33.

As a young single parent, Dr. Harrison sought outside support to reach her goals. She received food and daycare assistance from the Department of Social Services (DSS) to support her family. Years later, she became a Training and Quality Manager with the same organization. There, she created a robust staff development and quality assurance program.

Danielle also lived in public housing, where she interacted daily with individuals who had no life plan but desired a better means of living. These experiences have helped shape her perspective.

Because of my journey and being someone who has utilized public supports earlier in life, I understand the challenges that individuals experience and can create opportunities that meet the community’s needs.

Viewpoint

Dr. Harrison brings many strengths and talents to her new role. Her personal journey enables her to understand the challenges individuals face; she desires to eliminate barriers to employment. She empathizes with job seekers who want to reach their own victory. Meanwhile, she understands what employers need to train and develop a skilled workforce.

My life experiences have resulted in me doing meaningful work that I love, and now I can continue to do so with a leadership team and support network that I admire.

Although she’s not the first female to have held the role of Executive Director at GuilfordWorks, Dr. Harrison values her unique perspective and the opportunity it provides.

Being a woman leader who understands the vernacular of businesses and the dialect of the community is an amazing feeling.

And while she appreciates being a woman under 40 in her role, Dr. Harrison feels it’s more important for people to focus on the effectiveness of her mind, character, and experiences.

I am not a salesperson nor a politician. I’m an educator by trade and a public servant at heart. I am a people, community, and organizational developer. If it doesn’t benefit the community, I will not make promises I cannot keep; that is the bottom line.

Mission, Vision and Purpose

Transitioning into her new role, Dr. Harrison continues to build deeper relationships with board staff while analyzing current workforce initiatives and developing new ones. She works closely with GuilfordWorks’ Business Engagement Team, local Chambers of Commerce, elected officials, and community partners to stay abreast of new developments and cultivate specialized support for our existing employer partners.

Several years ago, I walked into NCWorks as an unemployed individual; now, I walk in and out daily as the local workforce system leader. I want us to help others step into their own success.

Dr. Harrison looks forward to assisting the Board of Directors with strategic planning, providing staff with the vision and support to execute the board’s goals, and providing the necessary tools and resources to operate in the spirit of excellence.

Community, job seekers and employers are why our public workforce system exists. We must remember our purpose so that our passion aligns with that.

During her time as Interim Executive Director, some changes have already happened, most notably increasing GuilfordWorks’ visibility in the community and ensuring the organization provides services for all of Guilford County. Similarly, she seeks to improve the organizational narrative by positioning GuilfordWorks as the leading convener of workforce topics and conversations.

As the workforce landscape progresses, Dr. Harrison is confident GuilfordWorks will encourage people to rejoin the workforce. One of the ways she hopes to make that happen is to implement the expansion of community hubs by reimagining integrated service delivery (ISD).

One measure of success is our system reimagining integrated service delivery. Our two comprehensive brick and mortars will not be the main means of providing services or engaging with clients a year from now. We need to be positioned in the community as bringing our services to our partnering organizations, and we need to redefine partnership and make it reciprocal. We can increase our success, presence, and performance if we place ourselves in several locations/hubs across the County.

In her role as GuilfordWorks’ Executive Director, Dr. Harrison intends to create opportunities that meet the needs of our entire community.

I am excited about the work ahead and the positive impact it will have on individuals, families, and our community.

– Dr. Danielle Harrison

 

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