Kristina Peters Named Director of Workforce Recovery and Reentry Initiatives

The First Tennessee Development District (FTDD) is expanding its workforce leadership structure to strengthen programs and partnerships that connect individuals with employers and create pathways to meaningful employment throughout Northeast Tennessee. As part of this expanded focus, Kristina Peters has been named Director of Workforce Recovery and Reentry Initiatives.

In her new role, Peters will lead FTDD’s workforce recovery and reentry efforts while continuing her work managing multiple state and federal grants and overseeing a team of six with the Caring Workplaces program.

One of Peters’ expanded responsibilities will be leading FTDD’s involvement with ACT Work Ready Communities, the workforce development arm of the national ACT organization. This work includes oversight of National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) testing provided to individuals within the recovery and reentry community across Northeast Tennessee. The NCRC helps individuals demonstrate foundational workplace skills and provides employers with additional information as they consider candidates for employment. Peters will also represent FTDD on the national ACT South Region Council and serve on the regional Work Ready Communities Committee through Northeast State Community College. These roles provide opportunities for FTDD to remain engaged in broader workforce conversations while bringing regional needs and perspectives to state and national workforce development efforts.

Peters’ work will also extend into regional education and business partnerships. She will participate in quarterly superintendent meetings and monthly Johnson City Chamber of Commerce Education and Workforce Council meetings, helping maintain and expand connections among FTDD, employers, educators, and other workforce partners.

The expanded responsibilities complement Peters’ existing work with FTDD’s workforce initiatives and grant programs.

Peters currently oversees four state and federal grants, including the Tennessee Opioid Abatement grant and its six community partners, the U.S. Department of Labor’s WORC grant and its two community partners, an Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) ARISE multi-state grant, and a Tennessee Governor’s Recovery Relief Fund (GRRF) grant.

Through these programs, Peters and her team work with community partners to create opportunities for individuals while addressing barriers that can make entering or returning to the workforce difficult, while also supporting employers as they work toward becoming recovering friendly workplaces.  The ultimate goal is connecting supported work-ready individuals deserving of a second chance with supported recovery friendly employers.

Workforce development takes many forms. It can mean supporting and training employers to become recovery-friendly. It can mean providing career-readiness testing and helping remove barriers to employment for individuals in recovery or those who are justice-involved. It can also mean creating opportunities for individuals to gain valuable job skills and industry-recognized certifications through local Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs). Each of these efforts addresses a different part of the workforce pipeline, but they share a common goal: creating meaningful connections between individuals and employers.

Through her expanded role, Peters will continue strengthening those workforce connections across Northeast Tennessee while helping FTDD develop partnerships and opportunities that support individuals, employers and communities throughout the region. As workforce needs continue to evolve, FTDD’s focus on recovery, reentry and career readiness and job training will remain an important part of building a stronger and more inclusive workforce for Northeast Tennessee.