Kris Palmer

Kris Palmer is a Senior Associate in the Workforce and Human Services Division at SPR, providing technical assistance (TA), qualitative research, and evaluation services for a variety of workforce development and post-secondary education projects. She is skilled in designing and facilitating learning and systems change processes dedicated to closing equity gaps. At SPR she leads evaluations and/or technical assistance efforts with clients such as California State University East Bay, Chabot-Las Positas Community College district, YouthBuild USA, and others.  Prior to joining SPR, Kris led TA efforts for California Community Colleges (CCC) systemic reform initiatives that furthered equity, inclusion, and completion. With 116 colleges and their workforce, K-16, employer, and community partners, the work strengthened career pathways, student services, transitions from high school to college, and institutional change processes. Kris formerly was a grant maker with the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation where she co-founded the Bay Area Workforce Funding Collaborative (now ReWork the Bay), a foundation collective investing in economic mobility. In her free time, Kris enjoys teaching political science at Chabot College, hiking, music, and experimenting in her kitchen and garden. She earned her BA from Indiana University and an MPA from Princeton University.