Keith Lawing is the President and Chief Executive Officer for the Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas Inc., a locally operated not-for-profit corporation specializing in convening partnerships and implementing strategies to grow the regional economy. The Workforce Alliance administers the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) in the Wichita metro area and manages a number of strategic employment and training initiatives.

In addition to directing the Workforce Alliance, Lawing serves as the Senior Administrator for the Regional Economic Area Partnership (REAP), a council of local governments in South Central Kansas that works to strengthen the economy through joint action of cities and counties. Governor Laura Kelly appointed Keith to the Governor’s Education Council and he chairs the Workforce Development Systems Subcommittee. He is a member of the Wichita Area Outlook Team, the Greater Wichita Partnership and the Wichita Area Metro Planning Organization Transportation Advisory Committee. He has served on the board of directors of the Midway Kansas Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Wichita Transit Advisory Board, the Hugo Wall School Advisory Board of Wichita State University and chaired the City of Wichita’s Historic Preservation Board.

Prior to his current position, Mr. Lawing was a Public Affairs Associate with the Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs at Wichita State University. From 1997 to 1999, he served as Assistant to the City Manager in Wichita, Kansas for special projects and citizen relations.

Lawing’s commitment to workforce and community development expands beyond regional boundaries. He was appointed by Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius to the Public Employee Relations Board in 2006. He leads the Kansas Association of Workforce Boards, is a member of the Midwest Urban Strategies consortium and is the convener of many multi-agency partnerships at both the state and local levels. He served on the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) Workforce Development Council (WDC) Board of Trustees from 2012 to 2018.

Lawing holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from the University of Kansas and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Wichita State University. In 2010, he received the Kansas Adult Education Association Distinguished Service Award and in 2014, he was the awarded the Hugo Wall School’s Distinguished Alumni Award.