Kristen Bennett

Kristen Bennett is Chief Strategy Officer at Service Year Alliance. She is responsible for the development and implementation of the Exchange, which includes leading certification and both customer support and engagement. This is an evolution of Kristen’s previous role as Service Year Director with NCoC

Kristen served as an AmeriCorps Program Officer with California Volunteers, the state service commission. In this capacity, she evaluated AmeriCorps grant applications, contributed to the development of Governor’s Initiative AmeriCorps programs, and trained, assessed, and monitored an $8.5 million portfolio of programs. During this time, she guided, coached, and advised well over thirty programs across California to maximize their community impact while maintaining compliance.

Kristen is also a proud AmeriCorps VISTA alum. As a VISTA, Kristen served on California First Lady Maria Shriver’s WE Connect campaign, connecting low-income families with valuable programs and resources to become more financially secure. While serving, Kristen built crucial community partnerships, trained and managed volunteers, and planned and implemented large-scale community events during tax season.

Kristen earned a Bachelor of Science in Planning, Public Policy, and Management from the University of Oregon and a Master of Public Policy and Administration from California State University, Sacramento.