Janet Bray - NAWB

Janet Bray

Senior Advisor


Ron Painter NAWB

Senior Advisor, Janet Bray


Janet Bray is the Chief Strategist and founder of Bray Strategies and brings a unique perspective and vision to best practices for connecting education and industry for a relevant, skilled workforce. For more than eleven years, Janet served as the Executive Director of the Association for Career and Technical Education, a not-for-profit association representing over 30,000 professionals across the United States. As Executive Director, Janet managed the staff and oversaw the development of program services for the members of the association and the CTE profession. She provided leadership on a broad spectrum of education and workforce issues and directed the strategic public policy and public awareness efforts of the association. She was instrumental in the development of a Youth Apprenticeship Program for the graphic arts industry in the State of Wisconsin and initiated the industry’s effort to develop national skill standards.


Janet currently provides her expertise and knowledge with the National Association of Workforce Board, the National Coalition of Certification Centers, Manufacturing Skills Standards Institute, The Society of Manufacturing Engineers, Coalition on Career Development, Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors of North America, National Association of Landscape Professionals, National Propane Gas Association, Home Builders Institute and Opportunity America. In addition, she has worked with the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation, National Retail Federation Foundation, Career Readiness Institute, Pathways to Prosperity project, The Hope Street Group, ed2go.Cengage Ideagen and Innovate-Educate.


Working with the National Association of Workforce Boards, Janet has served as a coach and subject matter expert on several DOL grants related to apprenticeships, opportunity youth and upskilling initiatives. Janet serves as the Program Coordinator for the annual Forum presented by NAWB. Janet has provided expertise to the U.S. Department of Labor and has worked on career pathways, scaling apprenticeships, opportunity youth and the America’s Promise project. She was a member of the DOL Apprenticeship Advisory Committee. She has also provided expertise on two projects related to industry-related credentials funded by the Lumina Foundation.


Janet represents the career and technical education and workforce profession on a number of Boards and advisory groups including the Home Builders Institute Board of Trustees, Manufacturing Skills Standards Council, National Coalition of Certification Centers, Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors Foundation, Physicians Assistants Foundation, HVACR Education Foundation, ANSI Certificate Program Accreditation Committee, Workforce Solutions Group and the Board of the U.S. Partnership for Education for Environmental Sustainability. She previously served on the Boards of the Friends of the National High School Center, Principles for Learning Coalition and

America’s Promise Alliance Board of Trustees. Janet has authored or co-authored several articles including “Developing Human Capital: Meeting the Growing Global Need for a Skilled and Educated Workforce,” 2012, McGraw Hill Foundation and the “Trends in National Policy,” chapter in Career Pathways, Education with a Purpose, 2012. She is also a co-author on the 2015 white paper, Transforming Career Counseling: Bridging School to Career in the Workforce of the Future.”


Janet has been an active participant in the association community serving on the American Society of Association Executives Education Foundation Board of Directors, Greater Washington Society of Association Executives Board of Directors, and numerous association-related committees and councils. Janet holds a Bachelors Degree in History and Government from the University of Maryland and a Masters Degree in Adult Education from the George Washington University. Janet earned her Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential in 1991 and is a member of the distinguished ASAE Fellows Group.


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