Abby Wood is a senior program manager at Shift Work Forward, where she leads the execution of systems change initiatives and supports programmatic efforts that strengthen regional workforce ecosystems. She brings more than a decade of experience helping mission-driven organizations build capacity and drive impact across the nonprofit and social sector.

In her current role, Abby leads program design and implementation efforts that support local workforce communities, facilitates stakeholder engagement, and advances systems-level collaboration. Her work helps translate strategy into action by supporting partners to align practice, policy, and investments around worker-centered outcomes.

Before joining the National Fund, Abby was a research manager at McKinley Advisors, an award-winning association consulting firm. There, she designed and led customized market research initiatives—including surveys, interviews, and focus groups—delivering strategic actionable insights for mission-driven organizations. Earlier in her career, she worked at Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO), supporting philanthropic learning and member engagement initiatives.

Education

• Master’s of Public Affairs, Nonprofit Management – American University
• Bachelor of Arts, Political Science – Truman State University