• Executive Director, Workforce

Amanda Winters is executive director of workforce at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, where she leads work connecting business, education, and government to build stronger talent pipelines.

Amanda brings more than two decades of experience in postsecondary and workforce policy. She joined the Foundation in 2026 from the National Governors Association, where she spent eight years leading a multi-million-dollar portfolio advancing state strategies in workforce development, community engagement, and economic opportunity. There she directed bipartisan national projects on skills-based hiring, sector partnerships, credential quality, apprenticeship, and wraparound supports, partnering with governors' offices, federal agencies, and foundations.

Earlier, Amanda served as assistant director of academic affairs at the Illinois Board of Higher Education, where she oversaw degree program authorization and institutional review, coordinated state planning under WIOA and ESSA, and sat on the Illinois Workforce Board. She began her career at the University of Illinois Springfield supporting students across academic and career pathways.

Amanda is a recognized expert on state postsecondary policy, quality assurance, credentials, data systems, and workforce planning. She holds a master's degree in history and a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from the University of Illinois Springfield, and a bachelor's degree in history from Missouri University of Science and Technology.