KANSAS CITY, MO. (April 28, 2013 ) KC Scholars is pleased to announce it was recognized as a Champion of Diversity by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.
The award was given at the Chamber’s POWER of Diversity Breakfast on Wednesday, July 26, 2023.
The award is given to a business or nonprofit organization that epitomizes diversity, equity, and inclusion in their workforce, internal best practices, and community engagement.
“I am very proud of the incredibly talented and diverse team that I am blessed to lead here at Scholars,” said Earl Martin Phalen, KC Scholars president and chief executive officer. “Like all, we continue to have room for growth, but this award just reinforces that what we are doing is the right thing to do as we grow our organization.”
Receiving this award is just the beginning for KC Scholars when it comes to its internal efforts, Phalen emphasized. Resting on its laurels isn’t something he or his team is interested in doing when it comes to making sure that everyone at KC Scholars feels appreciated and seen for who they are – in and out of the office setting.
KC Scholars works with its employees to ensure that the mission, core values, strategic plan, and behavioral competencies are all reviewed during each monthly staff meeting and remain at the forefront of each department’s goals.
Additionally, team members are encouraged to share diversity messages with each other, to suggest best practices and to participate in community events that promote DE&I initiatives.
“We are a fast-growing organization,” Phalen said. “In just a little more than a year, we have added a human resources department, more than tripled the number of team members we have, and launched a new program in Great Jobs KC, which is helping thousands of diverse members of our community secure jobs that pay family sustaining wages.
“Having the Chamber recognize what we’ve already done will just make us want to work harder to sustain and do more moving forward.”
Great Jobs KC is a Kansas City-based nonprofit that provides access to college scholarships and tuition-free job training, along with job placement assistance for young people from low- and modest-income families in the metropolitan area, providing a pipeline of talent for a strong regional workforce. Please join us on our mission for economic independence for all. For more information, visit www.greatjobskc.org.
The Kauffman Foundation’s generous grant helps Great Jobs KC get closer to its $100M goal, supporting 50,000 Kansas City residents with job training and education.
Great Jobs KC 575 students will receive money to continue their education. KANSAS CITY, MO.
The Kauffman Foundation’s generous grant helps Great Jobs KC get closer to its $100M goal, supporting 50,000 Kansas City residents with job training and education.
Stephanie Underwood serves as Chief Financial Officer at Great Jobs KC, where she leads the organization’s financial strategy in support of its mission to create economic mobility through education and workforce opportunities. With more than 17 years of experience in nonprofit finance, Stephanie brings deep expertise in financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and compliance. She is passionate about using her career as a platform to serve and support mission-driven organizations, helping them maximize impact through strong financial stewardship.
Prior to joining Great Jobs KC, Stephanie served as Chief Financial Officer for Griffith Centers, a behavioral and mental health organization, where she oversaw financial operations for a multi-million-dollar organization spanning residential, educational, and community-based programs. She also spent nearly a decade as Vice President of Accounting Services at NFP Partners, providing CFO-level leadership to nonprofit organizations across the country, with a focus on strategic growth, audit readiness, and governance.
Outside of her professional role, Stephanie volunteers her time at her church and serves on the board of a local nonprofit. She is known for her collaborative leadership style and her commitment to aligning financial strategy with mission impact. She holds a Master of Science in Accounting and is proud to be a first-generation college graduate.
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As the Chief Operating Officer, Jimmy Swift is responsible for overseeing our core programs, our adult workforce development program, Great Jobs KC tuition-free job training, and our KC Scholars Scholarship Program, which includes 11th Grade Traditional Scholarships and Adult Learner Scholarships.
Jimmy has a career in education that spans more than 25 years and is built around supporting and improving the performance of career training programs and leading the operations of degree-granting institutions. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in management and has served as Campus President, Vice President of Career Services, and Executive Director of various career schools.
Most recently, Jimmy served as the Vice President of PLA University at Phalen Leadership Academies, bringing access to job skill training to the parents and families of the Scholars served by Phalen Leadership schools across the country. Beyond his higher education experience, Jimmy serves as the Executive Board Chairman for Project Safety Net NY, a nonprofit community-based agency delivering a broad range of health, education, and prevention services to the New York Community. As the Chief Operating Officer for Great Jobs KC, he and his team are poised to make a substantial impact on the economic stability and future of Kansas City.
