LEAD People: Yvonne Wright

Yvonne Wright serves as the Director of Workforce Engagement and Innovation for the Missouri Division of Workforce Development. In this position, she works with partners throughout the state to move beyond WIOA compliance toward true collaboration. Prior to accepting this position, Wright worked for 24 years at Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation where she oversaw the agency’s business outreach services, as well as served as the lead WIOA coordinator when the law took effect in 2014. This afforded her the opportunity to be involved in all aspects of WIOA implementation and grow critical partnerships. One of Wright’s proudest accomplishments was her collaboration with the Workforce System’s Equal Opportunity team to develop processes and policy around implementation of Section 188 of WIOA. Wright is a long-standing valued collaborator with the LEAD Center in its Equal Opportunity work in Missouri. She is the current President of the Missouri Association for Workforce Development and is the Chair of the state’s Governor’s Council on Disabilities.