Haden Springer

Haden Springer joined the Irvine Foundation as a Program Officer in August 2022. She brings more than 15 years of experience in strategic planning, program design and management, and capacity building within the fields of higher education, workforce and economic development. Haden supports the Better Careers initiative, which aims to increase low-wage workers’ economic and social mobility through equitable access to middle-skill jobs.

Prior to joining Irvine, Haden served as Director of Impact and Planning for Workforce Development at the Foundation for California Community Colleges with responsibility for facilitating strategic planning, performance monitoring, and directing various workforce development programs. Over her five-year tenure, she led a 32-college work-based learning pilot project and oversaw operations of the Foundation’s employer-of-record service used by more than 40 employers throughout California to provide paid work experience to over 2,500 learners annually.

Previously, Haden directed the joint training program of the Council for Community and Economic Research and the Labor Market Information Institute based in Washington, DC. Under her supervision, the program provided data analytics training for nearly 2,500 higher education, workforce, and economic development practitioners nationwide. She also provided research and technical assistance to several state and federal agencies. Earlier in her career, Haden supported various international workforce and economic growth projects as a member of RTI International’s International Development Group.

Haden earned her Master of Regional Planning degree from Cornell University and Bachelor of Arts degree in International and Global Studies from the University of the South.