COLUMBUS, Ohio — Kristi Clouse will step down from her role as Senior Managing Director, Talent at JobsOhio, effective May 1, concluding a tenure defined by major investments in workforce development and talent innovation.
JobsOhio has activated its succession plan and will conduct a national search for its next talent leader. Molly Moses will serve as Interim Managing Director, Talent to ensure continuity across the organization’s talent initiatives.
As part of the start-up team, Kristi helped create JobsOhio – the most unique, private, and sustainably funded economic development corporation in the United States. Through her tenure, Kristi has been a part of nearly every function from sales, project management, program management (grants, loans, tax incentives and services), talent, site selection, research, compliance, operational processes, as well as creating and maintaining a statewide CRM/software platform and leading the IT team. If JobsOhio has been a 15-year experiment in what is possible with economic development, Kristi has been one of the lead researchers.
For the last 10 years, Clouse has led JobsOhio’s talent strategy and built a world-class team during a period of significant expansion, helping to position Ohio as a national leader in aligning workforce development with economic growth.
Kristi led the JobsOhio strategy to expand initiatives to attract, develop, and retain talent. These initiatives include a Talent Acquisition Services program that creates customized talent solutions for clients, a pandemic-era response program that connected workers with available jobs through skills training through Ohio to Work, and a new relocation incentive supporting companies across 50 Ohio counties so far.
Under Clouse’s leadership, JobsOhio’s talent portfolio delivered measurable statewide impact and introduced new statewide resources for underserved, underrepresented, rural and veteran talent populations.
“Kristi has worked throughout her career to open doors to opportunities for Ohioans and help employers find the talent they need to grow,” said Lt. Governor Jim Tressel. “Thank you, Kristi, for your leadership and commitment to the people of Ohio.”
By the end of 2026, JobsOhio will have launched nearly $400 million in talent and innovation programs over a twelve-month span, including the JobsOhio Relocation Incentive (JORI) and the Ohio Life Science Training Center. Kristi has been the driver behind a 5-year strategy development of an upcoming experiential learning initiative to build long-term talent pipelines for Ohio’s most in-demand jobs.
“Kristi has been instrumental in building a modern, scalable talent strategy that directly supports Ohio’s economic growth,” said JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef. “Her leadership helped build JobsOhio from the ground up, position Ohio at the forefront of workforce innovation, and her impact will continue to be felt across the state for years to come.”
Clouse’s work has been central to integrating talent strategy directly into Ohio’s largest economic development wins, ensuring workforce readiness remains a competitive advantage in site selection and business expansion decisions.
“The impact we’ve made is a reflection of an exceptional team and strong partnerships across the state,” said Kristi Clouse. “Together, we’ve built programs that are helping employers grow and creating new pathways for Ohioans to succeed.”
JobsOhio will continue advancing major priorities to attract, develop, and retain talent, with the long-term goal of making Ohio a top state nationally for workforce.