Phil Marr

About Phil Marr

For more than a decade, I have designed and scaled cross-sector partnership ecosystems that connect education, industry, and community organizations to expand opportunity and drive measurable outcomes. My work sits at the intersection of education, workforce development, and strategic partnerships—building the collaborations and infrastructure that help people move from learning to meaningful careers.I focus on aligning education systems, employers, and community partners to create career-connected learning experiences and strengthen regional talent pipelines. Throughout my career, I’ve led initiatives spanning K–12 education, higher education, nonprofit organizations, labor and industry partners, and public agencies to design programs that translate partnership strategy into real opportunities for students and emerging professionals.Currently, I serve as Senior Director of Career Pathways at Degrees of Change, where I lead programs supporting college access, internships, engineering fellowships, and educator workforce pipelines. Through partnerships with universities, employers, and public-sector leaders, I help design programs that prepare students for careers while strengthening workforce pathways for the communities we serve.Previously, I led workforce development and education partnership initiatives at McKinstry, where I expanded career exploration opportunities in engineering, construction, and the skilled trades through hands-on learning, mentorship, and industry engagement. This work connected thousands of students with professionals across the built environment and helped strengthen regional workforce pipelines.In addition to my program leadership work, I founded PSM Evaluation & Consulting LLC, where I advise nonprofit organizations and education leaders on program evaluation, federal grant compliance, and continuous improvement across initiatives supporting youth development and workforce pathways.Across every role, my work is grounded in a simple belief: strong partnerships between education, industry, and communities create more equitable pathways to opportunity.Focus Areas:Strategic Partnerships & Ecosystem DevelopmentWorkforce Development StrategyIndustry–Education PartnershipsCareer Pathway Program DesignCross-Sector CollaborationProgram Evaluation & Data-Driven StrategyFederal Grant Compliance & Performance MeasurementK–16 Partnership Development

Experience

1. Senior Director of Career Pathways

   Degrees Of Change

   Jan 2026 — Present · Tacoma, WA, US

   Lead the design and implementation of career-connected learning programs that prepare college students for careers in engineering, infrastructure, and public sector leadership. Oversee strategic partnerships with universities, public agencies, and industry partners to expand equitable access to high-impact internships, mentorship, and workforce development opportunities.Key Responsibilities and ImpactDirect the Strickland Fellowship, a leadership and internship program connecting engineering students from University of Washington - Tacoma, School of Engineering Technology with internship opportunities at the City of Tacoma and Tacoma Public Utilities.Design and facilitate cohort-based professional development programming focused on leadership development, professional identity, engineering ethics, and career readiness.Coordinate cross-sector partnerships between higher education institutions, municipal agencies, and employers to strengthen regional engineering and infrastructure workforce pipelines.Lead recruitment, selection, and internship placement processes for fellowship participants in collaboration with university faculty and public sector partners.Organize industry site visits and experiential learning opportunities that connect students with real-world infrastructure, engineering, and sustainability projects.Guide fellows through structured reflection and capstone presentations that connect technical engineering work with community impact and civic leadership.

Education

• Renton Technical College

  Leadership in the Trades Certificate

  2016 — 2018

• Linfield University

  Bachelor’s Degree, Education

  1997 — 2002

• University of Washington Tacoma

  Master’s Degree, Social and Emotional Learning

  2016 — 2018