Danielle Waddell is a Senior Policy Associate with the Federal, State, & Local Systems Change team. In this role, she supports the development of workforce solutions focused on equitable federal, state and local systems to increase economic mobility through transformative and evidence-based workforce and education models for historically marginalized populations and low-wage workers.
With over 25+ years in federal program management, Danielle served as a workforce policy expert at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) focused on workforce systems change, federal grantmaking and intergovernmental collaboration. Her leadership helped bring DOL grant funding to Detroit in support of the Mayor’s Grow Detroit’s Young Talent initiative and reentry programming for returning citizens while serving as the Deputy Director for the White House Detroit Federal Working Group. She also played a central role in securing and managing a $15 million investment to support 400 temporary water reclamation jobs in Flint, Michigan. Danielle has worked in close partnership with local nonprofits, Detroit Public Schools, and the City of Detroit to support the launch of the city’s Workforce Development Board, a new WIOA integration model in American Job Centers, and a comprehensive youth services approach.
Danielle also served as the workforce development lead for the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) initiative in Gary, IN and Rockford, IL where she supported locally driven solutions to long-term unemployment, youth recidivism, and career education disparities. She managed grant programs for the States of Kansas and Nebraska and most recently the State of Michigan and Minnesota, coordinated technical assistance and training in Region 5’s ten states and served as the State Plan Lead. Earlier in her career, she led Career Pathways and Sector Strategies policy and program development as well as served as the ARRA Green Job expert in Region 5.
Danielle earned her Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business and Economics from Virginia State University and Master of Science in Public Policy from DePaul University. While at DePaul, she interned with the University’s Government Assistance Program where she supported grant writing workshops and technical assistance to Illinois agencies, contributing to the development of the state’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
Danielle is a creative strategist, equity-centered leader, and systems thinker in workforce and economic development. Her work is rooted in the belief that inclusivity must be driven by community voice, collaborative infrastructure, and sustainable investment in people and places.
Publication:
Building and Restoring Civic Capacity: The Obama Administration’s Federal-Local Partnership with Detroit (2011-2016)