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In 2003, Grace Powers joined Operation ABLE as President & CEO. Ms. Powers led national rebranding efforts, renaming the agency National Able Network, Inc. Under Ms. Powers’ leadership, revenues grew from less than $5 million to nearly $30 million. The organization also broadened its programming to include additional national offices on the East Coast and Indiana, as well as specialized services for special populations, including veterans, single mothers, non-native English speakers, and public housing
residents.
In 2005, Ms. Powers established Able Career Institute, which is certified by the Illinois Board of Higher Education.
In 2009, National Able Network opened the Chicago Workforce Center in Pilsen. The 22,000 sq/ft, state-of-the-art facility is home to National Able Network and more than a dozen public and private partners. During his first visit to the Chicago Workforce Center, former Mayor Richard Daley said, “At a time when the national and local economies are undergoing a significant transformation, Chicago’s workforce training and development programs are more important than ever to the economic future of the city.” Alderman Daniel Solis called the Chicago Workforce Center “a beacon of light for job seekers and businesses in Chicago’s 25th Ward affected by the economic downturn.”