Year Up Dallas-Fort Worth (YUDFW) has announced in a press release that Kris Muñoz-Vetter will be the organization’s new Executive Director.
Prior to her role as Executive Director, Muñoz-Vetter served as YUDFW’s Senior Director of Philanthropy, where her strong community network and extensive experience managing teams in high growth, results-driven environments proved invaluable to scaling Year Up’s first site in Texas.
“I’ve had a chance to work very closely with Kris over the past two years and have continually been impressed with her professionalism, strategic approach and commitment to our mission,” said Gerald Chertavian, Founder and CEO of Year Up. “Kris has demonstrated the ability to motivate and lead a team of people toward common goals. She has built outstanding relationships across the D/FW community, and is deeply committed to growing Year Up’s presence in North Texas to reach more young adults in need of an opportunity.”
Since 2016, Muñoz-Vetter has led efforts to build awareness in the local community for Year Up’s program. She helped recruit a Local Advisory Board led by civic leader Melissa Fetter, and worked collaboratively with Year Up’s national team to successfully launch the YUDFW site. Prior to YUDFW, Muñoz-Vetter had a distinguished career in higher education working at the University of Texas at Austin, Southern Methodist University (SMU) and the University of Texas at Arlington where she served in several senior management roles.
The program is also celebrating the successful outcomes of its first graduating class, with 100 percent of YUDW graduates employed or enrolled in college full-time within four months of completing Year Up, with average starting salaries of $40,000/year.
Year Up Dallas/Fort Worth launched on the campus of El Centro College in Fall 2016 and has served more than 140 young adults to date, helping them achieve their professional and educational goals through hands-on technical and professional skills training, postsecondary education and internships with partners such as Bank of America, Liberty Mutual, JP Morgan Chase, AT&T and Goldman Sachs. In 2018, Year Up Dallas/Fort Worth will serve more than 120 young adults.
“As a lifelong Dallas/Fort Worth resident, I have had a front row seat to the growing economic divide in our city,” said Muñoz-Vetter. “The recently released Economic Opportunity Assessment makes clear that our economy cannot afford for young adults’ futures to be limited by their zip code. I am humbled to steward Year Up’s efforts to build a bridge of opportunity between the low-income talent we are privileged to serve and our region’s demand for middle-skilled talent. As the daughter of an immigrant and the first generation in my family to attend college, I know the value of persistence and hard work. I am proud to work for an organization that empowers talented young folks to bring that talent and commitment to our region’s workforce.”
*Photo via LinkedIn
ABOUT YEAR UP
Year Up is an award-winning, national 501(c)3 organization that provides talented and motivated young adults ages 18-24 with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education. Through a one-year, intensive training program, Year Up utilizes a high support, high expectations model that combines marketable job skills, stipends, coursework eligible for college credit, and corporate internships at more than 250 top companies. Its holistic approach focuses on students’ professional and personal development to enable young adults with a viable path to economic self-sufficiency and meaningful careers. Year Up has served more than 19,500 young adults since its founding in 2000. Year Up will serve more than 4,000 young adults in 2018 across 21 U.S. locations including Arizona, Baltimore, Bay Area, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Greater Atlanta, Greater Boston, Greater Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, National Capital Region, New York City, Providence, Puget Sound, South Florida and Wilmington. Year Up has been voted one of the “Best Non-Profits to Work For” by The NonProfit Times for eight consecutive years, and rated a 4-star charity by Charity Navigator for twelve consecutive years, placing them in the top 1% of tracked organizations. Find out more on the organization’s website.
