Nithya Govindasamy is the senior director of policy at Advance CTE, where she leads high-profile initiatives aimed at expanding and promoting high-quality Career Technical Education (CTE) for all learners. She oversees efforts to design and implement career pathways that align with industry demands and workforce needs. Additionally, she provides policy guidance, technical assistance, and coaching to national, state, and local education leaders, including state CTE leadership.

Before joining Advance CTE, Nithya served as the Director of Workplace Learning for P-TECH and Early College Programs at Dallas Independent School District. In this role, she led the districtwide strategy and implementation of workplace learning programs to prepare students for the future workforce. Prior to that, she was the Dean of the Work Program at Paul Quinn College, where she spearheaded the Urban Work College model. This program provided first-generation college students with paid internships and professional skill development through partnerships with local corporations and nonprofits.

Earlier in her career, Nithya was the Assistant Deputy Chancellor of Higher Education and Workforce Initiatives at the Ohio Department of Higher Education. She was part of the Governor’s Workforce Transformation team, helping design and implement workforce education programs to address critical skill gaps in collaboration with the University System of Ohio. She also has corporate communications experience, having worked at Nationwide Insurance to support key talent acquisition strategies and enterprise initiatives. Additionally, she has managed U.S. Department of Labor workforce development programs at both state and local levels, serving adults, displaced workers, and youth.

Nithya grew up in Ohio and now lives in Dallas, Texas. She holds a B.A. in Political Science (Pre-law) from Capital University and an M.S. in Marketing and Communications from Franklin University.