Welcoming Our New CEO: A Commitment to Learners and Collaboration

April 2, 2025

This week, The Attainment Network celebrates Rana Tarkenton as she steps into the role of Chief Executive Officer.  

 

After serving as our Chief Operating Officer for the last five years, Rana brings both continuity and a clear vision for strengthening partnerships and designing education-to-career systems that meet the needs of today’s workforce and increase opportunities for learners. 


"As I step into the role of CEO at The Attainment Network, I feel honored and deeply grateful for the privilege of serving this team, our partners, and our communities," said Tarkenton. "These are challenging times for many in education and workforce development. Economic shifts, policy changes, and evolving career pathways require us to double down on collaboration and think creatively about how to support learners and earners while meeting the needs of employers. Even in uncertainty, one thing remains clear: partnership and intentional collaboration are required to create lasting opportunities." 


Under Rana’s leadership, The Attainment Network will continue working alongside partners to: 
✅ 
Amplify learner and earner voices through meaningful engagement 
✅ 
Foster meaningful collaboration among education, workforce, community leaders, and state-level policymakers 
✅ 
Advance best practices and policies that break down barriers and expand access to meaningful careers 

“By working together, we are driving lasting change that ensures every learner—regardless of background—can step confidently into a high-value career,” Tarkenton emphasized. 


Later this month, we will celebrate the incredible impact our departing CEO has had on this organization. Today, we celebrate Rana, and we invite our partners and community members to connect with Rana and join us in this important work. If you'd like to collaborate or share insights, reach out to us at admin@attainmentnetwork.org 


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We’ve hit the ground running in this new year, and we are so excited about the work ahead with our partners across the state. From financial literacy fairs to rural workforce strategy sessions to celebrating our shared successes, The Attainment Network team is diving into 2026 with purpose and partnership. Here’s where you can find us this January: 🗓️ January 20 🔹Jeffco Public Schools State of the District — Lakewood Rana will join Jeffco Public Schools to celebrate recent achievements and to hear an update from Superintendent Tracy Dorland on the district’s progress, priorities and vision for the future. 🔹 Opportunity Now Celebration — Governor’s Residence, Denver Rana and Stefan will attend this special event hosted by OEDIT to celebrate the continued success of the Opportunity Now Colorado grant program. Recipients will be announced of new performance-based grants to strengthen Colorado’s education-to-employment ecosystem. 🗓️ January 23 🔹 Northfield FAB Life (Financial Literacy) Fair — Denver Michelle will support ECMC’s FAB Life event at Northfield High School, where students will take part in an interactive simulation to build real-world financial literacy skills. 🗓️ January 27 🔹 Alamosa Economic Development Meeting — Alamosa Ashley will join regional leaders in the San Luis Valley for this recurring convening to align on economic development priorities and explore workforce collaboration opportunities. 🗓️ January 28 🔹 COBRT State of the State with Governor Polis — Denver Rana will attend the Colorado Business Roundtable’s State of the State gathering, featuring Governor Jared Polis and business, education, and civic leaders discussing Colorado’s economic and policy outlook.  We’re excited to be back in action after a restful holiday break. If you’ll be at any of these events we’d love to connect!