Matt Hillen has been the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Policy at The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership (The Partnership) since 2017. Created in 2012, The Partnership is an umbrella organization operating the public workforce system in the City of Chicago and Cook County. The Partnership combines federal and philanthropic resources to broaden the reach and impact of workforce development services for both employers and job seekers. Hillen directs The Partnership’s investment in non-WIOA and blended funding initiatives, including large-scale youth programs and sector-based initiatives.
Previously, Matt managed statewide special population initiatives for the Office of Employment and Training in the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and has held various other positions in workforce development, special education, and mental health. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Matt Hillen is a member of the Chicagoland Workforce Leadership Academy, Class of 2019, 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.