Panelist Bios

Zuzana Steen is Director of Academic and Community Relations at Micron Technology in Virginia, where she leads partnerships across education, industry, and nonprofit sectors to strengthen workforce pipelines and community engagement. She also oversees Micron’s volunteer initiatives throughout the Commonwealth.

A recognized leader in workforce and education, Zuzana serves in numerous regional and statewide roles, including the Virginia Board for Workforce Development, GO Virginia Region 7, and the NOVA Foundation Board, and is President of the Virginia Microelectronics Consortium (VMEC). She has also chaired several education and community boards, including those supporting George Mason University’s SciTech Campus and local school systems.

Zuzana has received multiple honors for her leadership, including the Leadership Prince William Community Leadership Award. She lives in Manassas with her family and remains deeply engaged in the region she serves.

Dr. Molly Lynch serves as Provost of the Manassas Campus of Northern Virginia Community College, where she also teaches Principles of Psychology. Since joining NOVA in 2003 as a psychology and statistics faculty member, she has been actively engaged in campus, college, and statewide initiatives focused on student success. She was named Dean of the Communications Technologies and Social Sciences Division in 2014 and became Provost in 2016.

Prior to NOVA, Dr. Lynch taught at the University of Texas at San Antonio and worked as a research associate at the Vanderbilt Institute of Public Policy Studies in Washington, D.C. She is a graduate of Leadership Prince William and serves on several regional boards, including Foundation First, ACTS, and the George Mason SciTech Campus Advisory Board.

Dr. Lynch holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Social Psychology from The Ohio State University and a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame.

Amy Adams is Executive Director of Northern Virginia’s first Innovation District, Nexus234. Anchored by George Mason University’s SciTech Campus in partnership with Prince William County and the City of Manassas, she co‑led the district from ideation through implementation to advance research‑based economic development in sectors including life sciences, aerospace, defense, semiconductors, and AI‑powered data centers.

She also serves as Executive Director of George Mason University’s Institute for Biohealth Innovation and brings 24 years of experience in higher education leading research, innovation, and workforce development initiatives. Ms. Adams holds a Master of Science in Chemistry and a Bachelor of Science in Biology, is an author on one patent and fifteen peer‑reviewed publications, and serves on the boards of BioHealth Innovation, Inc. and the Association of University Research Parks.

Mrs. Chris Taylor serves as the Director of Career and Technical Education for Manassas City Public Schools, bringing more than 30 years of experience in education, workforce preparation, and community partnership development. In her role, she leads the division’s K–12 CTE programs, expanding industry-aligned pathways, increasing dual enrollment and credentialing opportunities, and strengthening work-based learning experiences that connect students directly to Northern Virginia’s evolving workforce needs.

Under her leadership, Manassas City Public Schools has launched a comprehensive Health and Medical Sciences pathway, streamlined CTE course offerings using data-driven insights, and deepened collaboration with local businesses and regional partners.

She currently serves on the Manassas Business Council Committee and has presented at the U.S. Department of Education on innovative CTE practices in Manassas City.

City Workforce Programs

The Graduate! Program

Manassas is committed to ensuring every resident has a pathway to success. To expand economic opportunity and upward mobility, the Department launched the GRADUATE! program in 2021 in both English and Spanish, providing residents with the chance to earn their GED and advance their careers.

The City’s GRADUATE! program covers the full cost of materials, instruction, and testing for participating residents, with self-paced options that allow individuals to begin on their own timeline. Participants who successfully complete the program and earn their GED also receive a $250 Heart Beat gift card to use at Manassas retailers of their choice.

Grow Manassas

In 2023, the City of Manassas and Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) launched Grow Manassas to strengthen career readiness and workforce development for residents. The program provides free technical training, industry certifications, and college coursework through NOVA’s Workforce, FastForward, and Applied Technology programs, removing cost as a barrier while connecting residents to high-demand regional careers. Since its launch, the Tuition Assistance Fund has supported 189 residents with more than $253,665 in applied funding, enabling participants to earn credentials aligned with Northern Virginia’s fastest-growing industries.

Grow Manassas continues to deliver measurable results for residents and employers alike. In Fiscal Year 2024–25, the program supported 68 students with $106,172 in tuition assistance across workforce and academic pathways, while generating more than 337 applications and inquiries—bringing total interest since inception to over 1,170. Participants completed 154 workforce enrollments with an 81% course completion rate, earning credentials in IT, healthcare, skilled trades, and business fields. As communities nationwide seek solutions to workforce shortages and rising education costs, Grow Manassas stands out as a scalable, results-driven model that expands opportunity and supports the City’s high-wage job base.