ATLANTA –– Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Invest Atlanta today announced the appointment of Amy Lancaster-King as executive director of WorkSource Atlanta, the City of Atlanta’s workforce development agency. The hiring of Amy Lancaster-King coincides with the expected completion of WorkSource Atlanta’s integration into Invest Atlanta in July 2021.
With six years of workforce development experience, Lancaster-King will focus on improving the delivery of workforce development services in the city and expanding WorkSource Atlanta’s capabilities under the direction of Invest Atlanta. She currently serves as the senior director of workforce development for the Metro Atlanta Chamber where she leads all workforce efforts for the Chamber, including authoring, mediating, and lobbying to advance thoughtful and fair workforce policies at the state Capitol, directing and evangelizing key research on the supply and demand of talent, and building community partnerships to increase student, jobseeker, and employer outcomes.
“Merging WorkSource Atlanta with Invest Atlanta will create economic mobility and provide opportunities for all Atlantans to succeed in today’s economy,” said Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. “Amy Lancaster-King’s workforce development expertise will help to accomplish this important goal and ensure that Atlanta continues to offer a skilled workforce to the business community.”
WorkSource Atlanta partners with federal, state, and local governments, colleges, schools, and community and faith-based organizations to deliver comprehensive workforce development services to job seekers and employers seeking skilled talent. The strategy to integrate WorkSource Atlanta into Invest Atlanta is a cornerstone of Mayor Bottoms’ One Atlanta: Economic Mobility, Recovery and Resiliency Plan designed to help more Atlantans build wealth through good, middle-income jobs and better serve the hiring needs to Atlanta’s employers.
“I am very pleased to welcome an experienced workforce development leader in Amy Lancaster-King to WorkSource Atlanta,” said Dr. Eloisa Klementich, president, and CEO of Invest Atlanta. “Job seekers in Atlanta, especially those from underserved communities, deserve access to skill-building resources that lead to good job opportunities in sustainable career fields. Combining WorkSource Atlanta with Invest Atlanta furthers this goal by leveraging the strengths of both organizations to create a unified workforce development strategy for the city.”
Before leading MAC’s workforce development efforts, Lancaster-King led MAC’s internship initiative and launched InternNavigator.com. She has worked with universities and regional partners to increase internship and co-op opportunities by connecting area colleges and universities with businesses. She serves on the boards of WorkSource Atlanta, Atlanta CareerRise, and Atlanta College & Career Academy; and is Chair of the Metro Atlanta Exchange for Workforce Solutions and past president of the Georgia Association of Colleges and Employers.
“As a workforce development expert in Atlanta, I have a deep understanding of the importance of WorkSource Atlanta to the city and the value the agency can deliver to job seekers and businesses,” said Amy Lancaster-King. “Greater access to training and sustainable employment is vital for an equitable future, and I am honored to have the opportunity to lead WorkSource forward at this important time as Atlanta continues to address economic mobility challenges.”
Lancaster-King will assume the position on July 12 and report to Invest Atlanta President and CEO Dr. Eloisa Klementich.