ELIZABETH BERNHARD
Executive Director
Elizabeth Bernhard is the Executive Director of the Manufacturing Growth Alliance. With a life-long passion for partnership engagement and service to others, Elizabeth has a wealth of experience in the non-profit and for-profit sectors ranging from higher education to business development and executive coaching. She has a Master of Arts in Communication from Western Michigan University and was honored as an “All-University Scholar” in 2009. Elizabeth has demonstrated expertise in creating partnerships with business and industry and in fostering community collaborations with diverse stakeholders.
Elizabeth is a strategic and visionary leader with extensive experience supporting the workforce needs of Michigan’s most in-demand industries, including manufacturing, energy, healthcare, and construction. In a prior role at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Elizabeth worked with the Advanced Manufacturing Career Consortium to create career academies in service of their entry-level talent needs; programs ranged from Computer Numerical Control, to Production Technician, and Warehouse Management and Inventory Control. She has successfully integrated her passions into her career, working with youth, veterans and justice-involved individuals from around the state to establish a pathway for their career success. Elizabeth is coming to MGA from Youth Solutions, a subsidiary of Kinexus Group.