Kathy is the co-founder of Connections to Success (CtS), a Missouri based nonprofit empowering individuals transitioning from the life-scarring experiences of generational poverty, incarceration and domestic violence to economic stability. Her journey began in 1998 working with single moms moving into the workforce. In a short time, a holistic curriculum was developed focused on workforce readiness, soft skills development, education and employment skills training. Recognizing the needs of returning citizens in these critical services, CtS began working with both state and federal corrections officials to offer training to returning citizens. In 2002, Kathy became the first non-corrections official in Missouri to become a certified Offender Workforce Development Specialist (OWDS). This new program, created by the National Institute of Corrections, is now recognized nationally and has trained and certified thousands of individuals.
In 2003, through a unique partnership with U.S Probation – Eastern District of Missouri and the Bureau of Prisons, CtS took its mobile clothing unit to a federal corrections facility in Greenville, IL to suit 30 women with business-appropriate clothing as they prepared for release. Shortly after, CtS participated with corporate volunteers to offer mock-interviewing services with the women while in their business suits. This had not previously been done in a federal prison before. This success led to other training opportunities inside Leavenworth, KS and Terre Haute, IN along with numerous reentry centers.
In 2018, CtS launched an initiative with the Missouri Dept. of Corrections offering its evidence-based training curriculum inside multiple state correctional facilities. This project was unique in its depth of collaborations with multiple agencies including workforce development, child support, educational and training providers, and employers. This collaborative approach allowed participants to meet directly with representatives of child support, TANF, SNAP, and housing to set up services as quickly as possible and get a head start on a successful reentry process.
Kathy has provided passionate leadership and overseen CtS’s growth into a regional nonprofit with sites in Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas. Today CtS is nationally recognized as an evidence-based model for Economic Mobility, improving children’s futures by helping parents gain social capital and achieve economic independence.
Kathy’s work has been recognized locally and nationally. She received the 2020/21 Legacy Alumni Award from Focus St. Louis; 2019 Women of Influence Award by RISE Collaborative; 2017 St. Louis Women of Achievement Award for Social Enterprise; 2005 The Athena Leadership Award, in addition to awards from the State of Missouri and the U.S. Department of Labor. In 2013 Kathy received the Volunteer Service Award from President Obama and in 2014 she participated in an invitation-only White House Summit for Working Families. She is a graduate of the FOCUS St. Louis Leadership program, NSC’s Nonprofit Women’s Leadership Academy, the NIC Offender Workforce Development Specialist Train the Trainer and the National Practitioners Leadership Institute, where she served as a faculty member. Kathy served as the first Board President for Dress for Success Worldwide and served as a 2017-2018 Mentor for the DeVos Urban Leadership Program in St. Louis. In February 2018, Kathy was appointed to serve on the Missouri State Workforce Development Board and recently accomplished one of her goals on her bucket list – she is now a TEDX Speaker.
In January 2021, after 23 years at CtS, Brad and Kathy chose to step down as COO and CEO and begin a new adventure. KBL Impact Partners LLC was created to serve other nonprofits in developing strategic partnerships and collaborations necessary to grow, enhance organizational outcomes, and improve long-term sustainability.