Natalie Brown has been working in higher education for over 20 years. She currently serves as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Workforce Development and Community Colleges with the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). She is passionate about creating sustainable workforce pipelines through education and widening access for historically underserved populations. She obtained her undergraduate and master’s degree in Spanish from the University of Nevada, Reno and her PhD in educational leadership and policy from the University of Utah.

What do you hope to learn from the CCGE Fellows program?

I am excited to collaborate with a dynamic group of professionals to advance systemwide alignment and strengthen connections between Nevada’s community colleges, workforce development initiatives, and business partners. My goal is to leverage state-specific data to identify emerging workforce needs and opportunities within the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) community colleges.

Specifically, I aim to work alongside our community colleges to identify one or two existing pathways for short-term training that incorporate stackable credentials—either non-credit to credit or non-credit + non-credit = credit for prior learning—leading to employment at or above the local median wage while providing a pathway to an associate degree.

Additionally, I hope to expand industry collaboration and employer partnerships to enhance awareness and adoption of micropathways, showcasing innovative opportunities within our community colleges to meet evolving workforce demands.