Edward M. Powell of Dorchester is the new executive director of JRI’s STRIVE Boston program. He will also continue to serve as Vice President for Community Engagement for JRI, a nonprofit provider of trauma-informed care to children and families in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.

STRIVE Boston serves chronically unemployed adults of all ages who come from the most underserved communities to help them realize their potential to find and keep jobs that promise sustainable livelihoods and personal growth. It also operates a job-readiness program to recruit and enroll at-risk young adults, ages 16 to 24, providing them with workforce development training and an array of necessary services that they may not otherwise know about.

Powell, a resident of Dorchester, joined JRI in 2014, bringing over 20 years of experience in the private and nonprofit sectors in a career spent working to improve the lives of young people through, education, employment and violence prevention.

“Ed will bring passion, commitment, and an abundance of experience and personal relationships to his new role at STRIVE Boston,” said Andy Pond, president and CEO of JRI. “He is a believer in the abilities of the individuals served by STRIVE Boston and he seeks to nurture success through job training, education, or learning a trade.”

Powell holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Delaware State University and a master’s degree in public administration from the Sawyer Business School at Suffolk University. He is a 2007 alumnus of the Boston University’s Institute of Nonprofit Management and Leadership program and a 2013 alumnus of The Partnership Inc.’s Next Generation Executive program.