Michael L. Younger

About Michael L. Younger

Michael L. Younger is an accomplished leader with 20+ years experience spanning public service, corporate strategy, and community engagement.For the past four years, Michael has served as Vice President of Workforce, Strategy, and Innovation at Calbright College, where he provides executive leadership over strategic partnerships, business engagement, and work-based learning models. He led a first-of-its-kind public-private initiative supported by the State of California to integrate employer-driven training with education—successfully placing 189 California Community College students into artificial intelligence (AI) marketing micro-internships with HubSpot. This effort provided hands-on experience, industry-relevant skills, and pathways to economic mobility for underserved learners.He has also built strategic alliances with organizations such as IBM, DocuSign, the City and County of San Francisco/TechSF, California Workforce Association, SEIU-UHW, NextGen Policy, Accenture, and the Bay Area Council. His leadership has been instrumental in Calbright’s recognition as one of America’s Top Online Colleges of 2025 (Newsweek).Earlier, Michael served as Assistant Division Chief of Enterprise Strategy at the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), a $500+ billion pension fund. He led strategic planning efforts across key operational areas including Benefits Administration, Investments, Health Policy, and Beneficiary Services.Michael’s commitment to public service has been a defining theme throughout his career. He was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom and unanimously confirmed by the California State Senate as the state’s first-ever Senate-confirmed Deputy Secretary. At the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA), he oversaw the state’s Workforce and Economic Development portfolio. He launched transformative programs such as the California Youth Leadership Corps (CYLC) and Pathways to State Service (PASS), expanding access to public sector careers statewide.In the private sector, Michael spent nearly a decade with AT & T Mobility & Entertainment, one of the largest telecommunications firms in the U.S. He led bi-coastal teams in operational strategy, enterprise planning, and customer experience. He managed a pricing and costing portfolio of ~$1.4 billion in annual revenue, supporting major clients such as Delta Air Lines and The Home Depot.

Experience

1. Vice President - Workforce, Strategy & Innovation

   Calbright College

   Dec 2021 — Present · Sacramento, CA, US

   Public Agency | Michael L. Younger serves as Vice President of Workforce, Strategy & Innovation at Calbright College—California’s first statewide, fully online community college built for working adults. He leads statewide strategy to design and scale AI-ready, tech-enabled career pathways, aligning industry needs with skills-based, digital-first education that accelerates entry into high-growth fields. In addition to addressing state policy issues critical to higher education with state lawmakers, state officials and local/county leaders, Michael also focuses on building employer-aligned programs, innovative delivery models, and partnerships that translate learning into real-world impact. He is driven by the responsible use of technology and data to expand economic opportunity, modernize talent pipelines, and help learners and employers adapt in an AI and data-driven economy.

Education

• Stevenson School

  Diploma, College Prepatory

• USC Sol Price School of Public Policy

  Bachelor of Science