Center for Occupational Research and Development

What We Do

At CORD, we support educators, students, and communities in navigating the rapidly changing world of work.

We understand the challenges posed by disconnected education and workforce systems, and we offer a proven framework for fostering coordinated ecosystems that place learners’ evolving skills and personal support needs front and center.

Trusted Expertise

A national nonprofit organization, the Center for Occupational Research and Development (CORD) has served school districts, community colleges, workforce development organizations, and state and federal agencies for almost five decades. Our expertise in career pathway design and workforce development for STEM and technical fields has been built on three core tenets:

Contextualized Instruction

Connecting the classroom to the workplace through contextual and cross-disciplinary instruction

Career Pathways

Designing seamless pathways from secondary to postsecondary to careers

Industry-Education Collaboration

Facilitating industry-education collaboration to ensure a globally competitive workforce

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Our Approach

CORD’s National Career Pathways Network (NCPN) supports career pathways practitioners from all sectors and champions strategic employer-educator partnerships. CORD’s visionary leadership of national technical assistance initiatives provides valued guidance and tools for community-level collaboration. CORD’s Framework for Career Pathways Alignment offers a roadmap for educators, employers, and community organizations to build seamless pathways with industry-informed stackable credentials.

Framework Details

Our Commitment

We’re committed to meeting you where you are and helping you move the needle on your most challenging issues. Our dedicated partnership means…

Feedback and Coaching

We provide feedback and coaching that is honest, constructive, and research based.

Pathways Design

We help you design pathways to economic mobility for learners across your community.

Solutions and Tools

We offer solutions and tools that are practical, effective, and sustainable.

Leadership Team

Hope Cotner

President & CEO

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Ron Schwartinsky, CPA

Vice President

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Ann-Claire Anderson

Senior Vice President

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Agustin Navarra, PhD

Vice President, International

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Jennifer Jirous-Rapp, PhD

Vice President, Pathways & Partnerships

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Ann Beheler, PhD

Director of Innovation

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Liz Ahlers

Director of Outreach and Communications

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Maria Coons
Maria Coons, EdD

Senior Consultant

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Sheila Wilson

Conference Manager

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Richard Hinckley, PhD

Senior Consultant

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Board of Directors

Dr. Annette Parker, Chair
President (Retired),
South Central College

Roger Tadajewski
Executive Director,
National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3)

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Chris Sadler
President and CEO,
Logic Matters 

Robin Halliday
CEO (Retired),
DIS Corporation/Rivetek

Donald McCoy
IBM Corporation
(Retired)

CORD

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Support Completion

Help learners persist and finish credentials.

Design Career Pathways

Create stackable pathways to advancement.

Engage Employers

Align programs with real workforce demand.

Foster Ecosystem

Coordinate education and workforce partners.