Dana Townsend has been the Associate Director of Partner Relations at Year Up DFW since 2017. Year Up is a national non-profit whose mission is to close the Opportunity Divide by ensuring young adults gain the skills, experiences, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through careers and higher education. Dana leads and manages the local relationships with Year Up’s largest enterprise partners Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase. Her role is to connect these organizations in need of mid-level and entry-level talent with high potential urban young adults. By partnering with corporate stakeholders to discuss workforce diversity, she works to continue to evolve mindsets regarding diverse talent. Prior to Year Up DFW, Dana had a successful career with Enterprise Holdings, Apollo Education Group, and Equifax Workforce Solutions cultivating powerful partnerships and developing mutual wins for companies and clients. She is currently a member of the 2019 Dallas Regional Chamber Lead YP Cohort and member of the National Black MBA Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Lincoln University and a Masters Degree from Webster University.
Dana Townsend is a member of the Dallas Economic Opportunity Leadership Academy, Class of 2019-2020, one of several Workforce Leadership Academies in localities across North America.
The Workforce Leadership Academies are part of the Economic Opportunity Fellows Network, a network of leadership and fellowship programs run by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program. Within this Network, EOP connects national and local leaders from across sectors — nonprofit, government, business, philanthropy, academia, and more — to advance policies and practices with the potential to help low- and moderate-income Americans thrive in today’s economy. Learn more at as.pn/eofn.
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