Van Ton-Quinlivan is a nationally recognized thinker and do-er in workforce development and a catalyst for inclusive economic mobility through higher education. Her distinguished career spans the public, private and nonprofit sectors.

Formerly Executive Vice Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, Ton-Quinlivan has been quoted as an expert on higher education in the New York Times, Chronicle of Higher Education, Insider Higher Education, Stanford Social Innovation Review, U.S. News & World Report and other publications. She is a frequent speaker including events hosted by the National Governor’s Association, Brookings Institute, Aspen Institute, Stanford’s Hoover Institution, RAND Corporation, and numerous other forums.

Currently, Ton-Quinlivan is the CEO of Futuro Health, whose nonprofit mission is to improve the health and wealth of communities by growing the largest network of allied healthcare workers in the nation.  She is an appointee of Governor Newsom to the Health Workforce Education and Training Council responsible for coordinating California’s health workforce education and training to meet the state’s needs.

In 2013, Ton-Quinlivan was named a White House Champion of Change under the Obama administration in recognition of her notable career in industry, education, and service as a community leader. She received the California Steward Leader Award in 2017 for her dedication to collaboration and work with public, private, and civic leaders to support economic and social mobility for state residents. From 2019-2022, she served as a mediaX Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Stanford University. 

Ton-Quinlivan serves on the boards of the National Skills Coalition, National Student Clearinghouse, and Silicon Valley Community Foundation. In addition, she is an advisor to the Achieve Partners venture fund, Putting America Back to Work, and is a member of the Apprenticeships for America Advisory Council.  Ton-Quinlivan is a podcast host and author of best-seller book, WorkforceRx: Inclusive and Agile Strategies for Employers, Educators and Workers during unsettled Times.  She resides with her husband and two children in California.