NCATC35

After a decade with General Motors in Michigan, Dr. Annette Parker enrolled in the two-year drafting program at Lansing Community College. While at LCC, she became a lab assistant, completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Ferris State University, and became a full-time instructor and administrator. After 17 years at LCC, she accepted a leadership position with the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) where she served for six years and completed her doctoral degree at Western Kentucky University. 

In 2013, she became the first woman and the first person of color to serve as President of South Central College, where her industry knowledge and broad higher education experience have helped build capacity to serve the college’s students and the community. Part of the Minnesota State system, South Central College (SCC) is a comprehensive community and technical college with campuses in Faribault and North Mankato, Minnesota. The college has a history of innovative industry partnerships and under Dr. Parker’s leadership has expanded its workforce development activities. 

Throughout her career, Dr. Parker has served as a civic-minded inspiration, particularly for minority and non-traditional students, demonstrating in her words and actions that education, combined with resiliency, can have a positive impact on the community as a whole. 

Jeannine Kunz is the Chief Workforce Development Officer at SME, including the leadership responsibility for Tooling U-SME, the learning and development arm of SME, a non-profit dedicated to strengthening the manufacturing industry. There, she leads a team dedicated to the ongoing education and training of the workforce. 

A recognized expert in the field of learning and development, Kunz is at the forefront of workforce management issues, providing forward-thinking learning and development solutions for companies, academia, and individuals. She is deeply knowledgeable about the challenges facing the manufacturing workforce, and provides guidance on best practices for designing, developing, and implementing performance-based development strategies in today's advanced manufacturing environments.

Her work directly addresses industry dynamics related to people's knowledge and skills in manufacturing. Under Kunz's direction, Tooling U-SME is an innovative pioneer in 21st-century learning, from online classes and virtual reality labs to traditional instructor-led training. 

Based on her expertise in workforce development, Kunz was recently appointed to a National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine committee responsible for developing a study on Options for a National Plan for Smart Manufacturing Technology and Deployment in the United States to ensure U.S. competitiveness.  She also co-chairs the national Smart Manufacturing Executive Council with CESMII.

Kunz served on the executive committee of America Makes and is a board member for the National Coalition of Career Development, Chair for National Defense Industrial Association’s Manufacturing Workforce Committee, and sits on the Manufacturing USA’s Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing’s Education & Workforce Advisory Committee. In 2020, she joined the industry advisory committee for Clemson University’s THINKER graduate program funded by the National Science Foundation, and in 2022, she was appointed as Board of Director for the Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group. “Crain's Detroit Business” recognized Kunz’s work when the publication selected her as one of its 2018 Notable Women in Manufacturing – in Michigan, as well as one of its 2019 Notable Women in Education.  

A keen industry observer and insider, she is frequently asked to provide insights and perspectives on manufacturing and learning and development at conferences, events, and caucuses across the country. 

Kunz earned a bachelor’s degree in business and marketing with a concentration in economics from Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan. She has served on EMU's Alumni Board and the Pittsburgh State University College of Technology Board of Directors.