Research Report

Research Report: National Workforce Development

Next Steps

A strong economy begins with a strong, well-educated workforce. -Bill Owens

Report Stats:

121 National Workforce Development experts
16.89 average years of experience

National workforce development experts were asked to recommend nonprofits focused on employment services like job retention/stability, advancement to better jobs, technical training, helping the formerly homeless, imprisoned, and hospitalized to move to work, helping employers to invest in their own workforce, and more. These nonprofits could work with various populations: adults with low literacy skills, adults or youth with disabilities, immigrants, refugees, youth, welfare recipients, businesses, or the community at large. And these nonprofits could focus on different kinds of activities: policy, research, advocacy, direct services, education, technical assistance, etc. Specifically excluded from consideration were for-profit organizations such as head hunting and for-profit staffing agencies.

Who we invited		Who participated
	16.13% of experts responded > > >
Foundation Professionals Researchers and Faculty Nonprofit Senior Staff Other

National Workforce Development Experts

Select the boxes to display the results according to expert type.

Show:

Foundation Professionals (F)

Researchers and Faculty (R)

Nonprofit Senior Staff (N)

Other (consultants, journalists, policy makers) (O)

N	Aaron Shiffman Executive Director Brooklyn Workforce Innovations See Bio Aaron Shiffman is the Executive Director for Brooklyn Workforce Innovations, a nonprofit organization that helps jobless and working poor New Yorkers establish careers in sectors that offer good wages and opportunities for advancement.

N	Amanda Bergson-Shilcock Director of Outreach and Program Evaluation Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians See Bio Amanda Bergson-Shilcock is the director of outreach and program evaluation at the Welcoming Center. The Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians connects newly arrived individuals from around the world with the economic opportunities that they need to succeed in Pennsylvania. Since opening their doors in 2003, they have assisted more than 6,000 clients from over 86 countries. Amanda coordinates data collection and analysis, enabling the Welcoming Center to use hard evidence to support its decision making. She also handles inquiries from members of the media, researchers, community partners, and others who need clear, factual information about immigration in our region and the Welcoming Center's work. Ms. Bergson-Shilcock previously worked at the OMG Center for Collaborative Learning, where her duties included grants management for the Pew Fund for Health and Human Services in Philadelphia. She was educated at the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied American Civilization with an emphasis on minority populations. She is a native Pennsylvanian whose roots go back to Wales, Germany, Lithuania, England, and France, among other countries.

N	Amy Rynell Director Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights See Bio Amy is Director of the Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights, which is a full-service research and evaluation resource on poverty, homelessness and affordable housing, health care, human rights, and employment, income supports, and asset development. Amy is a facilitation expert, specializing in the fields of strategic planning and long-term systemic change. She has over 15 years of experience running meetings, directing coalitions, leading planning processes, and leading focus groups. In addition, Amy has in-depth knowledge of poverty and homelessness through providing direct services within a homeless system for 5 years, through being involved with homeless system planning through leadership positions within the Chicago Continuum of Care and coordinating the Regional Roundtable on Homelessness, and through documenting and evaluating best practices in addressing homelessness. She is a frequent presenter at National Alliance to End Homelessness conferences and others. Amy is particularly sensitive to the diversity of people experiencing homelessness, those with disabilities, and people experiencing poverty and the stereotypes regarding them. In light of this, she tailors her presentation style and content to meet her audiences ‘where they are at’. Amy has worked for Heartland Alliance since 1997 and oversees the Social IMPACT Research Center's consulting and research activities. She serves as a spokesperson on poverty issues, coordinates the Regional Roundtable on Homelessness of Northeastern Illinois, and directs the National Transitional Jobs Network. In addition, Amy has served as co-chair of the Chicago Continuum’s Evaluation Committee and worked to document progress on Chicago’s Ten-Year Plan. Amy has worked on a variety of projects, including an evaluation of permanent supportive housing in the state of Illinois; an evaluation of DuPage County’s Plan to End Homelessness; and an inventory of public housing and housing choice vouchers capacity and waiting lists. She also oversaw the most comprehensive study of homelessness in northeastern Illinois and has been involved in studies of unemployed adults with multiple employment barriers. Amy’s exceptional communication skills have resulted in countless stories on economic security issues run in media outlets and invitations to present at hundreds of events throughout the nation on issues impacting vulnerable populations. Amy has a MA from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration.

O	Angie Kamath Deputy Commissioner of Workforce Development City of New York See Bio Angie Kamath is Deputy Commissioner of Workforce Development, where she leads New York City's workforce development programs. She is responsible for developing and implementing strategies to create a business-driven workforce development system that meets the hiring and training needs of businesses, while providing jobseekers with employment opportunities in the City's fastest growing economic sectors. Prior to this position, Angie was the Assistant Commissioner of Program Design and Development within SBS. Before joining SBS, Angie was the Executive Director of StreetWise Partners, a community organization focused on training and job placement to help low income individuals succeed in the workplace. Angie holds a BS in Business Management from Cornell University and a Master's in Public Policy from Harvard University.

N	Anne Wright Director, Affiliated Network Youthbuild USA, Inc. See Bio Anne Wright is the Director of Affiliated Network for Youthbuild USA. In YouthBuild programs, low-income young people ages 16–24 work toward their GED or high school diploma while learning job skills by building affordable housing for homeless and low-income people. Strong emphasis is placed on leadership development and community service. There are now 273 YouthBuild programs in 45 states, Washington, DC, and the Virgin Islands. 92,000 YouthBuild students have built 19,000 units of affordable, increasingly green, housing since 1994.

F	Anne Bacon Senior Director, Workforce Development Rural Economic Development Center, Inc. See Bio Anne Bacon is the Senior Director of the Workforce Development at N.C. Rural Economic Development Center, which has awarded 20 grants totaling $4.3 million to create jobs and address clean water needs throughout North Carolina. Anne oversees the Rural Community Mobilization Project to help the jobless get training and jobs through collaborative, locally-driven projects. She oversees research on demand-driven workforce development, explores new connections between job creation and training, and advocates at the federal level for better support of training and career services. Previously she was the Special Projects Supervisor, Policy Consultant for the N.C. Division of Child Development. She was also Staff Director, N.C. Economic Development Board of the N.C. Department of Commerce, and was the Assistant Director, Economic Policy Office for Office of the Governor (N.C.). She received her Masters in Public Policy from Duke University.

N	Barbara Kessler Director, Career and Professional Development Programs University of Virginia See Bio Barbara's commitment to voluntarism and workforce development spans the past 17 years. Barbara is Director of Career and Professional Development Programs with the University of Virginia's School of Continuing and Professional Studies. She currently serves as Chair of the local SHRM chapter, as a director of the Senior Center, Inc. Board and on the advisory committees for the Center for Nonprofit Excellence and Friends of the Blue Ridge House. She is also a member of the Junior League of Charlottesville (JLC).

N	Ben Mangan President & CEO EARN See Bio Ben has more than 15 years of experience in public policy leadership and strategic management. Ben was the Midwest Practice Leader for Ernst & Young's Public Private Development Group in Chicago. Immediately prior to joining EARN, Ben served as the Director of Organizational Strategy for the web-based international micro-payments company, beenz.com. Ben and EARN have been featured in major media such as the New York Times, BusinessWeek, MarketWatch, NPR's Morning Edition, Fast Company, CNNMoney, the San Francisco Chronicle and others. He is a regular blogger for the Huffington Post, as well as the San Francisco Chronicle's online edition, SFGate. Ben is a sought-after speaker on creating prosperity for low income people and social sector excellence, guest-lecturing at Harvard Business School, MIT, Stanford and UC Berkeley, among others. He has won numerous awards, including the Fast Company Magazine Social Capitalist of the Year Award, and the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award. Ben is also a dedicated community leader who was appointed by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom to the Private Industry Council, and served on the board of Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco. He currently serves on the board of directors of MEDA and SaveTogether.org. He is originally from Brooklyn, NY, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Vassar College as well as a Master of Public Policy from Harvard University's Kennedy School.

N	Bill Rayl Senior Vice President & Chief Investment Officer The Enterprise Group of Jackson See Bio Bill Rayl is the Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer for The Enterprise Group of Jackson, a non-profit economic development organization formed by a private/public partnership to promote and coordinate business attraction and retention activities for Jackson County, Michigan. He was previously the executive director of Jackson Area Manufacturers Association. He majored in English language and literature at Eastern Michigan University. He was involved in the startup of the Academy for Manufacturing Careers and still work with their staff. He participates in the Partnership for Regional Solutions Center, and is a supporting member of the National Skills Coalition.

N	Bonita Steele Director, Grants and Resource Development Kern Community College District See Bio Bonita Steele is the Director of Grants and Resource Development for Kern Community College District. Kern Community College District is one of the largest community college districts in the United States, serving 26,000 students.

F	Brian Paulson Community Impact Manager United Way See Bio Brian Paulson is the Community Impact Manager for United Way Twin Cities. They support job training programs that build lives and the community. They work to ensure working families receive the tax credits they have earned through Claim It! A Community-wide Partnership.

O	Bruce Herman Deputy Commissioner for Workforce Development New York State Department of Labor See Bio Bruce G. Herman joined the Department of Labor as Deputy Commissioner for Workforce Development in September 2007. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the agency’s Division of Employment and Workforce Solutions. Prior to joining the department, he served as Executive Director of the National Employment Law Project, a NYC-based advocacy group. There, he worked extensively on reforms of the unemployment insurance systems, initiated an effort focused on displaced workers, worked extensively on reforms concerning immigrant workers and launched a national program to develop policies to secure economic opportunities for all workers. Before that, Mr. Herman was Senior Director for the Center for Workforce and Economic Development (CWED), a collaborative initiative of the Consortium for Worker Education, the NYC Central Labor Council and a coalition of employers. The CWED assisted in emergency efforts to find sustainable employment for thousands of New Yorkers dislocated as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Mr. Herman has also served as Program Director and Executive Director of the AFL-CIO’s Working for America Institute in Washington, DC. He was also President of the Garment Industry Development Corporation in NYC, where he helped to augment services to address the needs of new immigrant workers. The Corporation received the Governor’s Award of Achievement in Export for creating a successful Fashion/Exports New York program. His extensive experience also includes consulting on workforce development and labor relations on local, national and international levels. Mr. Herman holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Dickinson College and a master’s degree in political science from Columbia University.

R	Carl Van Horn Professor of Public Policy and Director, John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development Rutgers University See Bio Carl Van Horn is a widely recognized expert on workforce, human resources, and employment policy issues with extensive experience in public and private sector policymaking. Van Horn is the founding director of the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development—one of the nation’s leading academic centers on workforce policy and practice. Van Horn is a Professor of Public Policy at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. He is the elected Chair of the Bloustein School Faculty Council. On the Rutgers faculty since 1978, he is a member of the University’s graduate faculties of planning and public policy, management and labor relations, education, and political science. He has written more than 90 articles and 14 books including No One Left Behind: Economic Change and the American Worker and A Nation at Work: The Heldrich Guide to the American Workforce. Furthermore, he is frequently sought by national media for his views on labor, workforce, and economic issues. Van Horn has also held several senior level policymaking positions in government and universities. He has been Director of Policy for the State of New Jersey, Senior Economist at the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress, Chair of the Public Policy Department at Rutgers, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Business-Higher Education Forum of New Jersey. Past Board memberships include the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology, New Jersey Transit, the Amtrak Reform Commission of the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Special Arbitration Committee on Labor Protection for Amtrak Employees. He was appointed by President Clinton to a Presidential Emergency Board to mediate a new contract between labor and management in the railroad industry. He has served as Neutral Trustee for the United Mine Workers combined health funds since 1998. Van Horn has been a member of the New Brunswick Cultural Center Board of Directors since 2002. In 2004, he was appointed Chair of the New Jersey Property Tax Convention Task Force. He was the Vice-Chair of New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corrine’s Transition in 2005. In 2006, he was appointed by Governor Corzine to Chair the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. He has advised and consulted with a myriad of public and private organizations on human resource, training, education, and management issues including the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education, the National Commission for Employment, and the National Science Foundation. In 2005 he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Public Service by Muskingum College. In 2008, he was appointed as a Research Fellow at the Sloan Center on Aging and Work at Boston College.

R	Cheryl King President Kentucky Wesleyan College See Bio Cheryl King is the President of Kentucky Wesleyan College. King earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Kentucky Wesleyan in 1970. She has been involved in education at all levels her entire professional career, including preschool, middle school and postsecondary and adult education. King was appointed Commissioner of Kentucky Adult Education in 1996 and then served as Deputy Secretary for the Kentucky Cabinet for Workforce Development. She helped write the adult education legislation, The Adult Education Act of 2000. This legislation placed Kentucky Adult Education within the Council on Postsecondary Education, and resulted in more than doubling enrollment in adult education across the state and a significant increase in the state appropriation. It is now considered the nation’s model for helping adults prepare for postsecondary education and occupational training. She presently serves as Study Director for the National Commission on Adult Literacy, an independent, blue ribbon board comprised of national leaders and experts representing business, education and government in conjunction with the Council on Advancement of Adult Literacy based in New York City. Dr. King serves on the RiverPark Center Board, the Owensboro-Daviess County Community Foundation and the Sister Cities Board. She served on the Owensboro-Daviess County Chamber and was the first woman and educator to be named chair. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Education and Psychology from Western Kentucky University and a Doctorate in Education in Organizational Leadership from George Peabody College for Teachers at Vanderbilt University. King and her husband, Fred, also a graduate of Kentucky Wesleyan College, reside in Owensboro and have four grown children.

N	Christine Galvez Director of Employment & Training Rochester Olmsted Community Housing Partnership, Inc. See Bio Christine has been working in the non-profit sector since 1985 and joined Community Housing Partnership in 2005. She specializes in managing and developing employment programs for formerly homeless adults with multiple barriers. Prior to coming to CHP, Christine worked with children, youth and families through popular education programs in San Francisco, East Palo Alto and the East Bay, including over 10 years as a Charter School Administrator for a high school serving at-risk youth. Christine holds a degree in Spanish from San Francisco State University as well as the Adult Basic Education teaching credential.

N	Cindy Fiorella Vice-President of Workforce Development & Economic Development Owensboro Community & Technical College See Bio Cindy Fiorella is the Vice-President of Workforce & Economic Development at Owensboro Community & Technical College where she oversees outreach activities including career pathways initiatives and services for at risk populations. Her division was named an Annie E. Casey Demonstration Site in 2004 to suppor tcareer pathways activities in manufacturing. In 2005 it was awarded one of seven Breaking Through Leadership Grants from the Charles Mott Foundation to support efforts in transitioning low skill adults to high skill high wage jobs in manufacturing, healthcare, and business. In 2006, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation named it one of nine national Jobs to Careers grantees to develop an accelerated RN option for incumbent workers. An '07 Civic Ventures Encore Grant assisted its efforts to "re-career" 50 year + nurses as clinical educators. Most recently, the team received a DOL-CBJT grant to develop accelerated manufacturing pathways for under-skilled workers.

N	Clifford Johnson Executive Director, Institute for Youth, Education, and Families National League of Cities See Bio Clifford M. Johnson is the executive director of the Institute for Youth, Education, and Families at the National League of Cities (NLC) in Washington, DC. In this role, Johnson leads NLC’s efforts to strengthen the capacity of municipal leaders to meet the needs of children, youth, and families in their communities. Prior to his appointment as executive director of the institute in 2000, Johnson spent three years as a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities working on the development of innovative approaches to job creation and welfare to work strategies. From the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, he served in senior staff positions at the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF), including three years as director of CDF’s programs and policy division. At CDF, Johnson led CDF’s work on issues related to youth employment and family economic security, and he played a major role in organizational initiatives focused on adolescent pregnancy prevention.

N	Connie Nelson Director MA Worker Education Roundtable See Bio Connie has twenty-five years of experience in work-related learning. While completing her own apprenticeship in machine tool repair at General Electric Company, she became interested in on-the-job and workplace-based classroom learning. She went on to teach at GE and then at Women in Building Trades, a pre-apprenticeship program. As director of the Roundtable since 1995, Connie has concentrated on providing basic skills for employed workers. She has a B.A. in Adult Training and Development from University of Massachusetts at Boston, and Ed.M. and Ed.D. degrees in Community Education and Lifelong Learning from Harvard University. Her research focused on sustainability of workplace learning programs. She has presented at numerous conferences and taught in professional development programs for workplace educators. She is Vice-President of the Massachusetts Coalition for Adult Education and serves on the Massachusetts Workforce Alliance and several policy boards and committees.

F	Cory Anderson Vice President Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation See Bio Cory Anderson is WRF’s vice president responsible for managing the Foundation’s Program Team and leading the Foundation’s grant making efforts in the areas of Community and Economic Development. Cory came to the Rockefeller Foundation in 2008 after seven years with the Annie E. Casey Foundation in Baltimore, Maryland, where he worked to support state-level child advocacy organizations. A variety of job experiences prepared Cory for his work with the Foundation. As a reporter with the Arkansas Gazette, he researched and reported on issues related to school, children, and higher education. His roles as a juvenile probation officer, as a program coordinator for a direct service program that provided an array of services to families and children, and as a state program specialist with the Corporation for National Service with responsibility for 25 AmeriCorps VISTA projects add valuable knowledge and skills. Cory also served as an intervention specialist and later as a program specialist with New Futures for Youth, where he assisted in the development of a model gang intervention program and then worked on youth employability issues. In addition to working for the Casey Foundation during his time away from Arkansas, Cory was also manager of partner development at the Forum for Youth Investment in Washington, D.C., engaging national organizations in partnerships designed to strengthen youth work. Cory, who is married to Dr. Phillis Nichols-Anderson, vice president of a national charter school management organization, is currently pursuing a master’s degree in theology from Anderson University. The Andersons have two sons still at home, a third son who works and lives in New York City, and a daughter who recently graduated from law school.

F	Craig Howard Director of Community and Economic Development John D & Catherine T MacArthur Foundation See Bio Craig Howard is the Director of Community and Economic Development for the Program on Human and Community Development, with responsibility for grantmaking in neighborhood revitalization and public housing transformation. Howard has more than 25 years of nonprofit experience, most of it working in workforce and community economic development, designing and implementing replicable programs that create jobs and opportunities for disadvantaged people here and abroad. In 1999, Howard was recruited to be Vice President and most recently, co-director of the Low Wage Worker and Communities unit of MDRC, a well-respected national program design, management and evaluation organization. He also managed and provided guidance to the research and evaluation component of MacArthur’s New Communities Program, and was Project Director for the Jobs-Plus Demonstration for Public Housing Residents and the Neighborhood Jobs Initiative teams. Howard was also Project Director for California Works for Better Health, a joint project of the California Endowment and the Rockefeller Foundation. Prior to joining MDRC, he was Senior Program Director for the James Irvine Foundation in San Francisco. Howard was formerly a Planner with the National Economic Development and Law Center and a Program Officer at the Ford Foundation, first in the Office for Eastern and Southern Africa in Nairobi, Kenya, and later in the Urban Poverty Program in the Foundation’s New York office. Howard managed the Sector Intervention Demonstration Project at the National Economic Development and Law Center, which was designed to increase employment opportunities for disadvantaged populations in targeted industries or sectors and led to widespread interest in linking poor communities to industrial sectors in local and regional labor markets. Howard also served as a consultant to the MacArthur Foundation on two occasions: to establish the East St. Louis Community Fund; and to provide technical assistance to the Glades Community Based Development Project in Bellglade, Florida. Throughout his career, he has had a commitment to measuring the results of programs and continuing to fund only those programs that can show measurable results. Howard holds a BA, magna cum laude, in Economics from the University of Massachusetts, and Masters degrees in Public Health and in International Affairs from Columbia University.

F	Cynthia Gair Managing Director of Programs REDF See Bio Cynthia Gair is the Managing Director of Programs at REDF. Using the practices of venture philanthropy, REDF (formerly The Roberts Enterprise Development Fund) creates job opportunities through support of social enterprises that help people gain the skills to help themselves.

F	Deborah Bennett Senior Program Officer Polk Brothers Foundation, Inc. See Bio Deborah Bennett is the Senior Program Officer for Polk Brothers Foundation. The Polk Bros. Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life for the people of Chicago. They partner with local nonprofit organizations that work to reduce the impact of poverty and provide area residents with better access to quality education, preventive health care and basic human services. Through their grantmaking, they strive to make Chicago a place where all people have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

N	Deborah Mutschler Executive Director Massachusetts Workforce Alliance See Bio Deborah Mutschler has been Executive Director of the Massachusetts Workforce Alliance (MWA) since 2005. She has an MBA in Human Services from the Heller School of Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University and is a former Executive Director of the Massachusetts Coalition of School-Based Health Centers. Ms. Mutschler is leading MWA to work on ways to grow opportunities for low-income populations in the emerging sustainable economy through an initiative called Down to Earth, and lives in a home that relies increasingly on clean energy and energy efficiency.

R	Don Baylor Senior Policy Analyst Center For Public Policy Priorities See Bio Don Baylor joined the center in 2004 and focuses on workforce and economic development. The Center for Public Policy Priorities is a nonpartisan, nonprofit policy institute committed to improving public policies to better the economic and social conditions of low- and moderate-income Texans. They pursue their mission through independent research, policy analysis and development, public education, advocacy, coalition-building and technical assistance. Before coming to the center, he served as a Legislative Director at New York ACORN, where he specialized in such issues as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), the minimum wage, affordable housing, and welfare reform. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Georgetown University in 1994 and a Master of Arts in African American and Southern History with honors from The University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1997.

N	Dorian Friedman Director, Workforce Readiness Corporate Voices for Working Families See Bio Dorian Friedman is the Director of Workforce Readiness at Corporate Voices for Working Families. Corporate Voices for Working Families is the leading national business membership organization representing the private sector on public and corporate policy issues involving working families. A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, they improve the lives of working families by developing and advancing innovative policies that reflect collaboration among the private sector, government and other stakeholders.

N	Dorothy Stoneman President and Founder Youth Build See Bio Dorothy Stoneman is founder and president of YouthBuild USA, the national support center for 273 YouthBuild programs and a leader in advocating for youth engagement in civil society. She is chairman of the National YouthBuild Coalition, with more than 1,000 member organizations in 45 states, Washington D.C., and the Virgin Islands. After joining the Civil Rights movement in 1964, and prior to founding YouthBuild USA in 1990, Stoneman lived and worked for 24 years in Harlem. She was first a teacher and then director of a community-based day care center, elementary school, community development housing corporation, community service program, and a youth employment and leadership development program. She was director for 10 years of the first YouthBuild program, based in East Harlem. She has built grassroots coalitions that have succeeded in obtaining hundreds of millions of dollars of city, state, and federal funds for community-based organizations to implement programs for youth and community development in low-income neighborhoods. Stoneman has a bachelor’s degree in history and science from Harvard University and a master’s degree in early childhood education and a doctorate of humane letters from Bank Street College of Education. She was selected by Non Profit Times as one of the 50 most influential non-profit leaders in 2008, awarded the prestigious international Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship in 2007, the John Gardner Annual Leadership Award from the Independent Sector in 2000, and a MacArthur Fellowship (“genius grant”) in 1996. As a leader committed to building momentum toward the elimination of poverty, Stoneman serves as a trustee of America’s Promise: The Alliance for Youth; a member of the steering committees of Voices for National Service, ServiceNation, America Forward, and Campaign for Youth. She served on the Task Force to End Poverty of the Center for American Progress which issued a set of recommendations in 2007 regarding how to cut poverty in half in ten years. She served as a founding board member of Youth Service America, founding co-chair of the Ford Foundation’s Leaders for a Changing World, and founding co-chair of the Campaign for Youth. Stoneman has been a member of the board of directors of Stand for Children, the board of advisors of the Forum for Youth Investment, the Harvard Saguaro Seminar on Civic Engagement convened by Robert Putnam, the Levitan Youth Policy Network convened at Johns Hopkins University, an international fellow of the Applied Developmental Science Institute at Tufts University, and senior fellow of Ashoka. Stoneman is the author or editor of numerous practical handbooks regarding how to run independent community schools, parent-controlled day care centers, leadership development programs for youth, and YouthBuild programs. She is married to John Bell, vice president of training and leadership development at YouthBuild USA; they live in Massachusetts and have two children and 13 godchildren.

N	Earl Buford President & CEO Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership (WRTP) See Bio Earl Buford’s career includes 17 years of experience in workforce development, diversity initiatives, education and program management. As executive director of WRTP/BIG STEP, Buford has developed strong partnerships with national affiliates, Milwaukee-area businesses, labor unions, government agencies, and non-profit organizations to develop and sustain a diverse labor pool for regional workforce development projects. Under a unique partnership, Buford has worked with leadership to merge WRTP/BIG STEP into a sector-based Center of Excellence, a nationally recognized central clearinghouse for the recruitment, assessment, preparation, and placement of qualified candidates into the construction and manufacturing labor opportunities, which in turn has benefited employers and the regional community. Buford received the 2007 MATC Apprenticeship Civic award, the 2006 AGC of America’s Craft Trainer award, the 2005 "Educator of the Year" award from the Daily Reporter, the 2003 Wisconsin Apprenticeship Advisory Council Affirmative Action Award, and in 2002 was selected by the Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship Training, Employer, and Labor Services (OATELS), as one of only 17 organizations nationwide to comprise its Diversity Outreach Providers Bank. Buford serves on the Boards of Menomonee Valley Partners, Milwaukee Community Service Corps and First Choice of Racine. He also serves as a member of the Workforce Committee of the AGC of America, National Network of Sector Partners, Wisconsin Apprenticeship Advisory Council, and chairs the workforce development committee of the Construction Labor Management Council of Greater Milwaukee. In spring 2004, Buford served on Honorable Mayor Tom Barrett’s mayoral transition team. Active with the Marquette University High School Alumni Association, Buford is a past Board Member and past Board President. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

N	Ed Strong Director, Human Capital Initiatives Corporation for a Skilled Workforce See Bio Ed oversees the organization’s investments related to vulnerable populations and formulating new strategies to address the issues facing people in today’s global economy. Ed’s portfolio of recent projects includes a long term effort to help the District of Columbia reinvent its delivery of human services; serving as a member of the national Gold Standard WIA Evaluation Team; project manager for the evaluation of the Pennsylvania National Fund for Workforce Solutions; helping the State of South Carolina implement standards for local WIBs; a review of the Philadelphia One-Stop delivery system to make it more relevant in this changing economy; assisting the State of Maryland in the movement of Adult Basic Education from the Department of Education to the Department of Labor; development of an older worker recruitment and retention guidebook in the healthcare industry in Pennsylvania; and long-term assistance to the North Carolina Department of Commerce in helping to create a state workforce investment strategy. Ed has worked closely with many state and local entities to help identify key issues that are impeding their economic progress. He has helped develop practical and relevant solutions that can be owned locally. He is currently engaged in helping to find solutions for vulnerable population groups in many different areas of the country.Ed has a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Alfred University; a Master’s in Psychology from Temple University; and a Master’s in Human Resource Management from the University of Utah. He has attended the Center for Creative Leadership and Federal Executive Institute and has taught at the college level.

R	Elizabeth Lower-Basch Senior Policy Analyst, Workforce Development Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) See Bio Ms. Lower-Basch is a Senior Policy Analyst for the Workforce Development team at CLASP. Her expertise is federal and state welfare (TANF) policy, other supports for low-income working families (such as refundable tax credits), and job quality. Ms. Lower-Basch is the author of many reports, including Opportunity at Work: Improving Job Quality. From 1996 to 2006, Ms. Lower-Basch worked for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In this position, she was a lead welfare policy analyst, supporting legislative and regulatory processes. She also developed and managed research projects on the implementation of welfare reform at the state and local level. Ms. Lower-Basch received a Master of Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Yale University.

N	Elliott Brown Executive Director Springboard Forward See Bio Elliott Brown is the founder and executive director of Springboard Forward, an award-winning nonprofit organization on a mission to transform the lives of entry-wage workers and the workplaces around them. Springboard Forward has twice been recognized with Fast Company-Monitor Group's Social Capitalist Award and featured in Fast Company magazine as a prime partner, uniquely paired with for-profit research and evaluation company, Kenexa. Elliott was elected to the prestigious group of Ashoka Fellows in 2005 for his innovative work in changing the way poverty is being addressed in the United States. Elliott founded Springboard Forward in 2002 with his model for social change that aligns lower-wage workers and businesses in an unprecedented way. The model advances workers' careers while addressing chronic business challenges of low retention, poor employee performance, and unsatisfactory customer service. It creates bottom-line incentives for business to play a critical role in changing the landscape for the working poor. Springboard Forward has continued to refine its model and has more than tripled its client base and number of business partners in the past two years. Elliott began to explore the root causes of our society's most urgent problems as a student at Stanford University, where, inspired by the commitment to public service of Stanford University President Don Kennedy, he decided to devote his life to creating new solutions for economic prosperity. He began his career in Corporate Giving at Sun Microsystems, but soon left the corporate environment to start the Bayshore Workers youth employment program in East Palo Alto, CA. He then started a consulting practice to focus on new models in workforce development and examine the organizational success factors of the nonprofit sector. Convinced that current solutions and institutions were not adequate to truly move the needle on poverty, Elliott began experimenting with alternative models. He developed a corporate-based workforce model in the mid-1990s in partnership with Silicon Graphics. In 1997 he founded a for-profit staffing agency—the precursor to Springboard Forward—that combined a business mission with a social mission to increase employment opportunities in low-income communities. Often a presenter at Stanford University, Elliott was also featured in the national Mobility Agenda tour in 2007 and presented to 150 mayors and civic leaders from across the country at the CEOs for Cities national conference. Elliott is a frequent speaker at national and local conferences and a thought leader on poverty and in the burgeoning social entrepreneur space. He is passionate about the need for innovation in solving our most chronic societal problems.

O	Elyse Rosenblum Senior Consultant CORPORATE VOICES FOR WORKING FAMILIES INC See Bio Elyse Rosenblum is Senior Consultant, Workforce Readiness for Corporate Voices for Working Families. In that role, she oversees Corporate Voices’ early learning, afterschool and youth transitions pillars of work. Elyse oversees the research and development of public policy positions, as well as working with policymakers and nonprofit leaders to educate them about the business perspective on issues important to working families. In addition, she manages the partnership between Corporate Voices and The Conference Board, The Partnership for 21st Century Skills and the Society for Human Resources Management, which is focused on improving workforce readiness for young people.

O	Eric Seleznow Executive Director Maryland Governor's Workforce Investment Board See Bio Eric Seleznow is the Executive Director of the Governor’s Workforce Investment Board (GWIB). The GWIB is Maryland's chief policy-making body on workforce development. reviously, he was the Director of Workforce Investment Services for the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development. Mr. Seleznow oversaw the County’s workforce development system, including the local Workforce Investment Board and two One-Stop workforce centers serving more than 10,000 jobseekers and employers each year. Mr. Seleznow has over twenty years of experience with local employment and training programs. He was formerly the Workforce Manager for the Montgomery County Department of Correction and Rehabilitation, where he was responsible for the development and implementation of jail industry projects and employment re-entry programs. Eric has forged numerous partnerships with small businesses, corporations and training programs that have provided employment and training opportunities to numerous residents in the Washington, D.C. area. Mr. Seleznow is co-founder and past chairperson of the Employment and Training Advocacy Network of Montgomery County, a former member of the Montgomery County Workforce Development Board, and is active in local and national workforce development matters. He is an experienced trainer and facilitator in workforce and offender employment issues.

N	Eric Treworgy CEO East Harlem Employment Services, Inc. aka STRIVE See Bio Eric Treworgy is a 1979 graduate of Yale University and has spent the past 23 years as an executive in the Software industry, in a variety of roles. His specialty is in working with start-up ventures of 100 people or less, helping them to define their products and value propositions, creating a marketing and sales strategy and staffing, and positioning them for an equity event such as a Merger, Acquisition or IPO. From this successful work, in 1999 he and his wife Virginia created a charitable foundation focusing on Environmental, Human Development, Medical and Community initiatives. As a STRIVE contributor, Eric was asked to join STRIVE's Board of Directors in 2004, and he assumed the Chair in late 2007. He is currently the CEO for STRIVE, helping to transition STRIVE to foster innovation, scalability, cost reduction and improved client services. An important facet of Eric's role is to align STRIVE's mission and scope with the current needs of clients and our community, and to seek public and private sources of funding that can support STRIVE on both the New York and International stages.

R	Gail Spangenberg President & Founder Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy See Bio Gail Spangenberg is the President and Founder of the Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy (CAAL) is a national nonprofit public charity. Its broad mission is to help advance adult education and literacy in the United States – to move adult literacy out of the shadows into the mainstream of American education, as required by the nation’s 21st century needs.

N	Gail Coppage State Director of Workforce Development Connecticut Community College System See Bio Gail Coppage is the Director of Workforce Development at the Connecticut Community College System. The 12 two-year public colleges that comprise the System of Connecticut Community Colleges share a mission to make educational excellence and the opportunity for lifelong learning affordable and accessible to all Connecticut citizens.

O	Gene Sofer Partner The Susquehanna Group See Bio Gene Sofer is a founding partner in The Susquehanna Group, a consulting firm based in Washington, DC. He helps nonprofit organizations develop and implement winning legislative strategies, particularly to support national service, education, youth development, and youth employment. He has had a long career in public policy in Washington. Between 1980 and 1984, he served as Majority Associate staff on the House Budget Committee and developed an expertise in the Congressional budget and appropriations processes. From 1984 to 1993, Gene was Counsel to the House Education and Labor Committee where he was responsible for developing and executing the Committee’s budget and appropriations strategies. He served as the Committee’s liaison to the House leadership and the Budget and Appropriations Committees. At the Committee, he was instrumental in the enactment of landmark legislation on education, training, and community services for homeless youth, child care, youth gang intervention, education to promote economic competitiveness, drug-free schools, dislocated workers and defense reinvestment. As Counsel he was responsible for passage of national service legislation in 1990, as well as for the introduction, consideration, and enactment of the National and Community Service Trust Act in 1993, which created the AmeriCorps program. Eli Segal who spearheaded the effort for President Clinton called Gene a “brilliant political strategist” and brought him to the White House Office of National Service to help to craft the strategic plan to launch AmeriCorps. Between 1994 and 1998, Gene served as the first Director of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations at the Corporation for National and Community Service. He created and implemented legislative strategies to support AmeriCorps and other national service programs, was the principal advisor to the Chief Executive Officer on legislative matters and negotiated with Congress on the range of issues facing the Corporation. He also represented the Corporation to the White House, including the Office of Management and Budget, Cabinet departments and other federal agencies. From 1998 to 2001, Gene served as the Deputy Executive Director of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Holocaust Assets in the United States where he directed the preparation of the Commission’s report: Plunder and Restitution: The U.S. and Holocaust Victims’ Assets. Gene helped to create and organize the Save AmeriCorps Coalition (now Voices for National Service), a national organization created to rally public support for the AmeriCorps program. He also co-founded the Campaign for Youth (CFY), an initiative to promote public policy solutions to the issues confronting young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are out-of-school and out-of-work. He serves on the CFY Steering Committee. He is also a member of the Clean Energy Working Group focused on the development and implementation of policies, including the Clean Energy Service Corps, to help shape the transition to the green economy. He is a graduate of New York University and received his PhD in History from UCLA. He is the author of From Pale To Pampa: A Social History of the Jews of Buenos Aires. Gene is a Member of the national Leadership Council of Repair the World, a member of the DC Advisory Council of Avodah: The Jewish Service Corps, and co-Chair of the Government Relations Committee of the Corps Network.

F	Gloria Bruce Program Associate, Community Development The San Francisco Foundation See Bio Gloria Bruce is the Program Associate for Community Development at the San Francisco Foundation. The San Francisco Foundation ranks among the largest of the nation’s community foundations in grant making and assets, distributing millions of dollars a year to build on community assets, respond to community needs, and elevate public awareness.

N	Greg LeRoy Executive Director Good Jobs First See Bio Dubbed "the leading national watchdog of state and local economic development subsidies" and "God's witness to corporate welfare," Greg founded Good Jobs First in 1998. He has been writing, training, and consulting on development issues for state and local governments, labor-management committees, unions, community groups, tax and budget watchdogs, environmentalists, smart growth advocates, and associations of public officials for more than 25 years. A nationally prominent speaker and frequently quoted news media source, he is the author of The Great American Jobs Scam: Corporate Tax Dodging and the Myth of Job Creation (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2005) and No More Candy Store: States and Cities Making Job Subsidies Accountable (1994).

F	Gwen Rubinstein Program Officer Washington Area Women's Foundation, Inc. See Bio Gwen leads The Women’s Foundation’s grant making in the Stepping Stones Jobs Fund and Strategic Opportunity and Partnership Fund, manages the work of the Stepping Stones evaluation and research partners (including the annual Stepping Stones Research Briefing) and serves on the grant making committee of the Open Door Capacity Fund. She also actively spreads word about The Women’s Foundation’s work through social media, including the blog, Facebook and Twitter. Before joining The Women’s Foundation, Gwen advocated for policy change at the federal and state levels to provide women with the services and supports they need to achieve economic security for themselves and their families (at The Workforce Alliance and Legal Action Center). Gwen was a 1992 Presidential Management Fellow, serving in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources. Gwen was a founding board member of Our Place, DC, a community-based organization (and Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation) that supports D.C. women who are or have been incarcerated. She holds a master’s degree in public health from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in languages from Georgetown University.

R	Harry Holzer Professor, Public Policy Georgetown University See Bio Harry J. Holzer is a Professor of Public Policy at Georgetown University and an Institute Fellow at the Urban Institute in Washington DC. He is a former Chief Economist for the U.S. Department of Labor and a former Professor of Economics at Michigan State University. He received his A.B. from Harvard in 1978 and his Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard in 1983. He is a Senior Affiliate of the National Poverty Center at the University of Michigan and a Research Affiliate of the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is also a Nonresident Senior Fellow with the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program and a member of the editorial board at the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management. Holzer’s research has focused primarily on the labor market problems of low-wage workers and other disadvantaged groups. His books include The Black Youth Employment Crisis (coedited with Richard Freeman, University of Chicago Press, 1986); What Employers Want: Job Prospects for Less-Educated Workers (Russell Sage Foundation, 1996); Employers and Welfare Recipients: The Effects of Welfare Reform in the Workplace (with Michael Stoll, Public Policy Institute of California, 2001); Moving Up or Moving On: Who Advances in the Low-Wage Labor Market (with Fredrik Andersson and Julia Lane), Russell Sage Foundation, 2005; Reconnecting Disadvantaged Young Men (with Peter Edelman and Paul Offner), Urban Institute Press, 2006; and Reshaping the American Workforce in a Changing Economy (coedited with Demetra Nightingale), Urban Institute Press, 2007.

F	Helen Parker Regional Administrator U.S. Department of Labor See Bio Helen N. Parker has served as Regional Administrator for the Atlanta Region of the Employment and Training Administration since March 9, 2003. She oversees approximately $2.5 billion in federal grant resources to state and local grantees. She provides leadership and direction to the workforce system in the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Dr. Parker began her career in workforce development in 1974 as a front-line worker in the North Carolina Employment Security Commission. She joined the Georgia Department of Labor in 1976, and worked her way through the ranks, including a stint as a local service delivery area director under the Job Training Partnership Act. In 1984, she was appointed Assistant Commissioner for Employment Services with the Georgia Department of Labor and served in that capacity until her federal appointment in 2003. Dr. Parker received Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, her PhD from Duke University, and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Georgia. Her honors include the Secretary of Labor's Special Achievement Award (1990), National Performance Review "Hammer" Award (1996), and Interstate Conference of Employment Security Agencies (ICESA) President's Award (1999). Her awards include Who's Who of American Women, International Who's Who of Professional and Business Women, U.S. Department of Labor Special Achievement Award, Miller Merit Award - International Association of Personnel in Employment Security, Vice President Gore's National Performance Review "Hammer" Award, and Interstate Conference of Employment Security Agencies (ICESA) President's Award.

N	Hermelinda Sapien President & CEO CET - Center for Employment Training See Bio Hermelinda Sapien has been a member of the Executive Management Team for The Center for Employment Training (CET) since it’s inception in 1967. Prior to CET, Hermelinda worked in a demonstration program funded by the U.S. Department of Labor for the purpose of opening opportunities for Latinos in MDTA programs. Ms. Sapien was the first Executive Secretary at CET for Russell Tershy, the co-founder of CET, while also responsible for administrative duties for the CET Board of Directors and CET's co-founder, Dr. Antonio Soto. Because she was involved in the development and expansion of the program from the beginning, her responsibilities increased as the program grew. She successfully managed CET's administrative support units until she was appointed to establish and run the Corporate Department of Human Resources; she directed this HR Department for 18 years. In this role, she developed procedures, systems and training programs for management and line staff, and was designated by the Board of Directors to be the Affirmative Action and Grievance Officer for staff, students and community. For many years, additional responsibilities included CET legal and personnel matters. In 1987, as the CET program began to gain growth momentum, the position of Deputy Director was created and Ms. Sapien was appointed to this new post. The primary focus of this newly created executive position was direct supervision of training operations for the rapidly expanding family of CET vocational training centers, nationwide. Ms. Sapien has led successful campaigns for funding initiatives and opposed funding cuts on behalf of CET at the local, state and national levels. She has directed numerous CET community outreach programs, some of which have involved public events for over 10,000 people. During the 1970's Ms. Sapien was a lecturer and Ambassador in the Cursillo Movement: a dynamic leadership-training program in the Catholic Church, founded in Northern California by Dr. Antonio Soto. In 1990, the newly appointed Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Henry Cisneros, invited Ms. Sapien to become a member of the Transition Team of President Clinton's Administration. Ms. Sapien was recipient of the 1993 Human Relations Award in Santa Clara County and a nominee for the Women of Achievement Award. Her parents and entire family (Hermelinda is one of nine children) were honored in 1992 as recipients of the Family of the Year Award in Santa Clara County for their exemplary commitment to alleviating social ills. Hermelinda Sapien is a graduate of Durham Business School and of Stanford University's prestigious Executive Management Program.

R	Jack Mills Director, National Network of Sector Partners Insight Center for Community Economic Development See Bio Jack Mills joined the Insight Center in 2005 as the Senior Program Manager for Sector Programs and was promoted to Director of NNSP in 2006. NNSP, a program of the Insight Center, is a national membership organization and learning community for sector program leaders, policy-makers, funders, researchers, and supporters. Jack guides NNSP’s efforts to improve employment for low-income individuals and other workers, and benefit the industries in which they work, through the use of sector initiatives. He has been the senior adviser on projects that have established a sector initiative in post-Katrina New Orleans, developed regional workforce-funding collaboratives, and increased state policy support and financing for sector initiatives in 11 states. Jack is nationally recognized in the field of workforce development, with over 18 years of experience. He has authored or co-authored publications including Building Skills, Increasing Economic Vitality: A Handbook for State Policy Makers; Filling America’s Jobs: How Businesses Can Implement Sector Workforce Development Strategies for Jobs and Economic Growth; Opportunity in Tough Times: Promoting Advancement for Low-Wage Workers; and Sector Initiatives for Colorado’s Long-Term Care Industry. Prior to joining the Insight Center, Jack held senior positions in consulting, nonprofit organizations, and government, including Jobs for the Future, the City of Cambridge's Office of Workforce Development, and the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health’s Metro-Boston office. Jack organized workers to expand access to construction jobs, and organized his community to end a wave of arson for profit and to replace hundreds of burned, abandoned apartments with affordable housing. Jack received his B.A., cum laude, from Harvard College, and his M.P.A. from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

R	James Jacobs President Macomb Community College See Bio On July 1, 2008 Dr. James Jacobs became the fifth president of Macomb Community College in Michigan. Dr. Jacobs earned a bachelor of arts degree from Harpur College, Binghamton University, part of the State University of New York system, and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in politics from Princeton University. He previously served as the Associate Director for Community College Operations at the Community College Research Center (CCRC), and the Director of the Center for Workforce Development and Policy at Macomb Community College. Dr. Jacobs is a national expert on workforce development and community colleges. He specializes in occupational change and technology, suburban economic development, occupational education, retraining displaced workers and conducting needs assessments for occupational programs. He is the Vice President for Partnerships and Collaborations for the National Council for Workforce Education (NCWE), a national postsecondary organization of occupational education and workforce development specialists. He has also been an advisor to several national foundations and community colleges on workforce development issues. He served on the Advisory Board of the congressionally mandated National Assessment of Vocational Education (NAVE). Dr. Jacobs has conducted many specific examinations of community college programs at CCRC and for other organizations, such as the National Science Foundation and the Ford Foundation. He has also conducted major studies on the impact of new manufacturing technologies on skill requirements of firms both for the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Labor. He has authored several technical articles and papers in community college journals and has been a regular presenter at community college conferences and meetings. He is an editor of The Journal of Career and Technical Education.

N	James Vander Hulst President & CEO West Michigan Team See Bio James launched West Michigan TEAM in 2007 with assistance from Vice President Ashleigh Emmerson and support from key partners. He advances its mission by leading work that adapts a proven local, employer-driven workforce development model and successfully scales it to a regional network of sites. James holds key experience in leading innovative approaches that identify, gather and share key employer/employee performance indicators. He plays a central role in achieving organizational goals by sharing how employers can use measurable data to impact employment advancement approaches. He forwards this work by educating key local, state and federal government departments, as well as respective legislatures in an effort to inform and establish best practices. Prior to starting West Michigan TEAM, James was Vice President of Human Resources for Grand Rapids-based Butterball Farms, Inc. In that role, he was involved in the creation of an innovative, corporate-sponsored workforce development intermediary called The SOURCE. James has held numerous management positions in manufacturing and technology firms in West Michigan and around the world. He founded Gibraltar Consulting in 2005. Prior to that, he acquired extensive experience in the corporate sector. In addition to human resources expertise, he possesses executive experience in the Information Technology sector. There, he gained national and international experience as Director of North American Operations and International Liaison to Asia-Pacific, where he managed business development and the launch of new offices in Asia and the United States. He also worked to integrate strategic acquisitions into the corporate structure. James is very active in the Grand Rapids community, and currently works with several organizations on poverty reduction and workforce development initiatives.

N	Janet Wallace Enterprise Director UpLIFTD See Bio Janet Wallace is the Enterprise Director for UpLIFTD, which is a nonprofit organization that assist persons with disabilities and or those who are disadvantaged to achieve self-sufficiency.

N	Jeffrey Lewis Senior Vice President Planning and Research Pathstone Corp. See Bio Jeffrey Lewis has served as the Senior Vice President of Planning and Research since 1982. Lewis began his career with PathStone in 1976 after attending the State University of New York College at Brockport, where he majored in liberal arts and public policy, and serving four years in the U.S. Navy in Submarine Service. Lewis started his career with PathStone as Regional Nutrition Coordinator, responsible for all nutrition and alternative meal programs for participants in Western New York. He was quickly promoted to Deputy Director of Community Service Programs, a role in which he oversaw the proposal development and funding source negotiations for all community services programs. In his current role, Lewis is responsible for all new multi-state program research, development and implementation. His development efforts have generated millions of dollars to fund PathStone’s services to individuals and families in need. Lewis also oversees Information Technology and the PathStone Product Suite, which includes the agency’s Client Data systems, Project Information system and Volunteer and Boards System, as well as a staff of 9 employees. Lewis is in charge of the development and oversight of federal, state, local and private program performance reporting and the corporate Business Planning process. He also serves as Acting Director of Puerto Rico Training and Employment and Emergency Services, overseeing a staff of 39 full-time employees, and as Acting Director of Virginia Operations, overseeing one full-time staff and 15 part-time Senior Employment Specialists. From 1998-2001, Lewis also served as Acting Director of New Jersey Operations, overseeing 22 full-time and 30 part-time staff members.

N	Jennifer McNelly Senior Vice President The Manufacturing Institute/NAM See Bio In January 2008, Jennifer McNelly joined The Manufacturing Institute, the non-profit, non-partisan affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers. Since assuming this role, Ms. McNelly has supported the Institute’s efforts to launch and implement a strategic national agenda on education reform and workforce development, innovation support and services, and research on behalf of U.S. manufacturers. Ms. McNelly is the chief architect of one of the Institute’s flagship reform efforts, the NAM-Endorsed Manufacturing Skills Certification System. The System is a set of nationally portable, industry-recognized manufacturing skills certifications now influencing secondary and post-secondary education reform efforts in over 20 states. Prior to joining the National Center, Ms. McNelly was a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES) for the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA). Ms. McNelly served as the Administrator for Office of Regional Innovation and Transformation and managed ETA’s regional offices, working collaboratively with the national program offices to ensure an integrated workforce investment approach that promotes the critical role talent development plays in creating effective regional economic development strategies. Under her leadership, regional offices promoted collaboration beyond traditional strategies for worker preparation by bringing together state, local and federal entities; academic institutions; investment groups; foundations; and business to address the challenges associated with building a globally competitive and prepared workforce. Ms. McNelly also served as the Director of the Business Relations Group for ETA. In this capacity, she managed the President’s High Growth Job Training Initiative and the Community Based Job Training Grants. These initiatives take a groundbreaking approach to closing skills gaps by developing solutions to workforce challenges and creating partnerships among business, academic institutions, and the workforce community. Prior to joining the Department of Labor, Ms. McNelly served as Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, LLC, an international consulting firm specializing in assisting Fortune 500 corporations to build strategic partnerships with government agencies in support of workforce development.

R	Jennifer Lenahan-Cleary Senior Research Manager Rutgers University- Heldrich Center for Workforce Development See Bio Jennifer Cleary performs a variety of research and capacity-building activities. Her current work is focused on developing industry-based intelligence and assisting policymakers to develop and implement workforce and employer engagement strategies that promote economic growth. She managed New Jersey’s Ready for the Job initiative for several years, a project to ensure New Jersey educates qualified workers for the state’s key industries that is now an active part of Governor Corzine’s Economic Growth Strategy for the State of New Jersey (2007). In addition, Cleary has evaluated adult literacy and dislocated worker programs, managed customer satisfaction surveys for several states, and coordinated work on the New Jersey Consumer Report Card System, an interactive directory of training providers. Cleary also co-authored Helping Jobseekers Who Have Limited Basic Skills: A Guide for Workforce Development Professionals, a handbook designed to provide practical advice to One-Stop Center staff regarding how to improve services. Cleary has over 10 years of experience managing social service programs and spent 5 years coordinating events and projects for nonprofit organizations. Her previous experience includes working as the executive director for a shelter for homeless families in New Jersey. She also served as an events coordinator for the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Foundation. Cleary earned her master’s degree from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University and is currently enrolled in the Ph.D. program at the same school.

R	Jennifer Craft Morgan Associate Director for Research & Research Assistant University of North Carolina See Bio Jennifer Craft Morgan is Associate Director for Research at the Institute on Aging. She is currently co-principal investigator, with Thomas R. Konrad, PhD for the Evaluation of the Jobs to Careers: Promoting Work-Based Learning for Quality Care Program. Jobs to Careers is a national initiative of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in collaboration with the Hitachi Foundation. Jobs to Careers seeks to establish systems that train, develop, reward, and advance current frontline health and health care workers to improve the quality of care and ensure the quality of services provided to patients and communities. She previously served as a co-investigator on the now-complete Better Jobs, Better Care Applied Research project (STEP UP NOW) and currently serves as a the Associate Director for the on-going intervention program WIN A STEP UP (Workforce Improvement for Nursing Assistants: Supporting Training, Education and Payment for Upgrading Performance). Dr. Morgan is also involved in other workforce and evaluation studies in the Institute including the Workforce Aging in the New Economy (WANE) project, the Workforce Issues in Library and Information Science (WILIS) project and the Lifelong Access Libraries Evaluation Project. She received her Ph.D. (Just a Job? A Mixed Methods Analysis of the Situation of Direct Care Workers in Long Term Care) in the Summer of 2005 from the Department of Sociology at UNC-Chapel Hill where she also received her M.A. Dr. Morgan's substantive interests include medical sociology, gender stratification, evaluation research, health care workforce, and the sociological study of work and careers over the life course.

F	Jessica Pitt Coordinator, Bay Area Workforce Funding Collaborative The San Francisco Foundation See Bio Jessica Pitt is the Coordinator for the Bay Area workforce funding collaborative for San Francisco Foundation. She was previously the coordinator of City-County Violence Prevention Initiative at City of Oakland, and Senior Associate at Urban Strategies Council. She has a Ph.D. for City and Planning from Cornell University, and graduated from Wesleyan University.

R	Jim Scheibel Executive in Residence Hamline University See Bio Jim Scheibel has extensive experience leading complex organizations to create social change and promote social justice. He is an acknowledged leader in hunger, homelessness, immigration/refugee issues and national service. Jim is a servant leader who builds organizations through vision, innovation, and collaboration. Some of his more significant elected and appointed public sector positions and experience as executive director of nonprofits are: mayor, council member and president of the council of the City of Saint Paul, president and executive director of Project for Pride in Living in Minneapolis, vice president and senior advisor of the Corporation for National Service, and vice president and director of AmeriCorps Vista and Senior Corps. Currently, Jim is an Executive in Residence with the Hamline School of Business. He is also a consultant with private colleges and nonprofit organization on service and poverty initiatives. He has a BA from St. John's University in Collegeville, a Doctor of Humane Letter, Honoris Causa from the College of St. Catherine in Saint Paul, and was a FannieMae Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. With Erin Bowley and Steven Jones, Jim is author of The Promise of Partnerships published by Campus Compact in 2005. He is on the board of directors for the National Skills Coalition, a broad-based coalition working toward a vision of an America that grows its economy by investing in its people so that every worker and every industry has the skills to compete and prosper.

F	John Padilla Senior Associate Annie E. Casey Foundation See Bio John Padilla is the Senior Associate at Annie E Casey Foundation. He is also part of the steering committee for Workforce Matters, which is an emerging network that leverages the collective knowledge, relationships and experience of the funder community on workforce development training to support stronger and smarter philanthropy, employer practices and public policy.

N	John Plunkett President & CEO Harborquest, Inc. See Bio John Plunkett is a founder and current president of Harborquest, Inc., a nonprofit organization started in 1970. He has initiated five social enterprises and two mergers. Harborquest has realized $225 million in sales from satisfied customers; provided paid work experience to over 60,000 disadvantaged Chicagoans; trained and placed over 17,000 with other companies and provided 2 million express bus rides linking city neighborhoods of need with suburban employment. In 1992, John became the first person from the not-for-profit sector inducted into the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, sponsored by the University of Illinois, Arthur Andersen and LaSalle National Bank of Chicago.

N	Joseph Antolin Executive Director & Vice President Heartland Human Care Services, Inc See Bio Mr. Antolín oversees Heartland's service based policy advocacy as well as program delivery including: transitional jobs (scattered site, public housing, reentry and refugee services); vocational literacy/ESL for chronically unemployed populations (including reentry); homeless prevention and supportive housing; residential services for homeless and unaccompanied youth; resettlement for immigrants and refugees; substance abuse counseling; immigration legal assistance; and counseling, safety planning, and legal services for survivors of trafficking, domestic violence, or sexual assault. In his role within the Illinois Poverty Summit, a bi-partisan effort facilitated by Heartland Alliance, Mr. Antolín provides leadership to the steering committee as it sets its priority issues each year and guides research projects that shed light upon, and facilitate dialogue about, specific poverty-related issues and solutions. Previously, Mr. Antolín was Director of the Division of Early Childhood and Self-Sufficiency for Catholic Charities, where he oversaw over 20 early childhood and Head Start sites and developed the initial Transitional Community Jobs programs for the hard to employ. Prior to that, he served for 8 years as Deputy Director for the Illinois Department of Public Aid developing and implementing statewide welfare, employment and child support reform policies. He began his career in 1979 as a civil rights litigator with the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago and Legal Aid Society of Cleveland. Mr. Antolin is a past member of the Chicago Workforce Investment Board, Center for Economic Progress, Erie House and multiple governmental advisory committees at the federal, State and City levels. Mr. Antolín serves as a member of several efforts focused on anti-poverty programs and policies such as the National Transitional Jobs Network, the Illinois Asset Building Group, and the United Way Chicago Council, was appointed by Mayor Richard Daley to the Chicago Committee on Urban Opportunity and the Chicago Community Development Block Grant Advisory Committee, was appointed by Governor Rod Blagojevich to the Children's Savings Account Task Force and the Latino Family Commission, and holds leadership positions with the Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Action Council, Illinois Public Health Institute, and the Chicago Jobs Council. Mr. Antolín holds a J.D. from Columbus School of Law at Catholic University and received his Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University.

N	Julie Castro Abrams CEO Women's Initiative for Self Employment See Bio Julie Castro Abrams is a national leader in microfinance and women’s issues. She has been CEO of Women’s Initiative since 2001, following a non-profit career that spanned 20 years in Chicago. She led the transition of Women’s Initiative from a founder-led organization to a rapidly growing non-profit that has expanded throughout the Bay Area and increased the number of women trained and receiving microloans tenfold. Under her leadership, significant new services have been developed that contribute to the success of entrepreneurs and the economic growth in the communities served by the organization, and the Women’s Initiative has been recognized by the Urban Institute Best Practices Foundation, the Equal Rights Advocates and Cisco Innovation in Technology, among others. Julie currently serves on the Board of the California Association for Microenterprise Opportunity (CAMEO), on the OneCalifornia Bank Advisory board and is a highly sought after speaker and expert on microenterprise in the U.S. Julie is the recipient of the League of Women Voter’s “Women Who Could Be President” Award, SBA Advocate of the year 2009, Human Rights Award from the Commission on the Status of Women, the Women of Color Action Network Award. Prior to her work at Women’s Initiative, Julie served as Deputy Director and Director of Development and Marketing at Chicago’s Merit School of Music. Julie’s previous positions include Director of Development at Community Christian Alternative Academy and principal at the Catalyst Group consulting firm. She has also held positions with the Illinois Pro-Choice Alliance, the Chicago Department of Health, and the Chicago Foundation for Women. Julie studied for her masters degree in Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago and she has a BA in Human Development and Social Policy from the school of Education at Northwestern University. She currently lives in Novato with her husband and two children.

O	Karen Coleman Director of Division of Employment and Workforce Solutions New York State Department of Labor See Bio Karen Coleman is the Director of Division of Employment and Workforce Solutions for the New York State Department of Labor. The New York State Department of Labor fosters economic growth by supporting a highly skilled workforce. Their One Stop Career Center system connects businesses and workers.

F	Kelley Bernardi Deputy Director of the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment City of St. Louis See Bio Kelley Bernardi is the Deputy Director at the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE), a City of St. Louis agency and partner of the Missouri Career Center system. Kelley started her career with SLATE in January 1999 as a Job Developer, was promoted to Community Relations Manager in 2002, and became Deputy Director in 2008. In addition to being a member of the Workforce Investment Board for the City of St. Louis, Kelley serves on the Employment Development Committee for Independence Center and the Business Advisory Council for Jobs and Employment Support Services (JESS). She is also an active member of Kirkwood Road Christian Church. Before her career with SLATE, Kelley worked in private industry for Mosby Publishing (now Elsevier Science) and Energizer in sales and marketing.

N	Kim Freeman Dean, Economic and Workforce Development Mt. Hood Community College See Bio Kim Freeman is the director of workforce development for Mt. Hood Community College in Portland, Oregon, and oversees Steps to Success.

N	Kristin Wolff Director, Community Initiatives Corporation for a Skilled Workforce See Bio Kristin and her Community Initiative Team colleagues work with leaders, change-agents, community investors, and the public on change initiatives designed to help their communities prosper. Kristin’s skills and interests lie in the areas of collaborative partnerships and networks and the impact of technology on learning, work, and regional/community economies. Kristin and her team help their partner communities collect and understand their data, and develop, launch, and implement projects aimed at sustainable transformation. Kristin is working with states like Michigan to shape their post-auto manufacturing futures and regions like Southwest Oklahoma turn planned military base expansion into economic opportunity for residents. She has developed and continues to pursue relationships with local areas seeking to catapult their enterprising firms and creative residents up the next rung on the (sustainable) economic ladder. Before joining CSW, Kristin worked in the United Kingdom in the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit where she and her colleagues developed a blueprint for the Blair administration’s workforce development strategy. She later worked for the Northeast region where she helped develop investment strategies linking skill-building, with sustainable economic regeneration and entrepreneurship, and assisted with the region’s European Capital of Culture. Her prior experiences with Worksystems Inc., the Workforce Development Board serving greater Portland, OR, Social Policy Research Associates in Oakland, CA, and as an appointed Commissioner in San Mateo County, CA provided her with the solid foundation of analytical, policy, program management skills she practices every day. Kristin holds a BA from Miami University in Oxford, OH and an MA from the University of Arizona in Tucson.

N	Kysha Frazier Senior Policy Associate Corporation for a Skilled Workforce See Bio Kysha joined CSW in January 2008; she is responsible for bringing effective workforce development strategies to scale through employer engagement and producing innovative products and services to support the growth of existing and emerging industries. As a member of the Business and Industry Strategy team, she also provides project management, sales, marketing, and strategic public/private partnership design. Frazier served most recently as Business Unit Leader of Quest Sustainable Solutions, a consulting division of Cascade Engineering which she created and launched. Kysha was responsible for identifying and designing innovative solutions to assist Quest’s clients in building their social and environmental capital, while assisting with their transition into socially-responsible employers of choice. Prior to joining Cascade Engineering, she was an Assistant Director of Career Services at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. Kysha earned her Master’s degree in higher education administration from the University of Iowa, and holds a second Master’s degree in organizational management from Spring Arbor University.

N	Larry Good Chairman Corporation for a Skilled Workforce See Bio As co-founder and Chairman of CSW, Larry Good provides strategic leadership across the organization’s practice. Within CSW’s Board of Directors, Larry is leading a strategy to strengthen the Board’s ability to provide effective governance. Larry engages with policy and practice leaders nationally as part of CSW’s engagement in informing change in public policy and investment in workforce development. Larry leads CSW’s work with state governments in transforming their workforce strategies. For the past six years Larry has led a major engagement assisting the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth in developing and implementing a total rethinking of state workforce policy, initiatives, and structure. Results from that work include the No Worker Left Behind initiative, providing up to two years of free tuition for at risk workers seeking the skills and credentials they need to transition to new careers. Larry’s work in recent years has also focused on two other major subjects: reinvention of adult education and integration of basic skills development with career pathways, and development of sector strategies at a state and regional level to engage groups of employers in developing shared workforce solutions. Prior to becoming CSW’s chair in 2006, Larry served as President and CEO from 1991 to 2005. As CEO, Larry led the growth of CSW from a start-up to a $3 million/year enterprise with a solid reputation for high quality work. Larry works as a full time member of the organization while serving as chair. Before co-founding CSW, Larry served for seven years as a leader within Michigan’s Governor’s Office for Job Training, which was a start-up that became an incubator for transformative policy initiatives in the state. He has also served on the staff of two State Senators, played management roles in statewide political campaigns, and reported about state and local government for the Oakland Press in Pontiac, Michigan. Larry has an MBA degree in Finance from Michigan State University and a BA in Political Science from Oakland University.

R	Laura Dresser Associate Director Center on Wisconsin Strategy, University of Wisconsin-Madison See Bio Laura Dresser (BA, Rice University; MSW, PhD, University of Michigan) is Associate Director of COWS. A labor economist and expert on low-wage work and workforce development systems, she has both written about ways to build stronger labor market systems and worked extensively with labor, business, and community leaders in building them. Laura has written widely on race and gender inequality and labor market reform. She is most recently co-editor of The Gloves-Off Economy: Workplace Standards at the Bottom of America's Labor Market.

N	Linda Murphy Executive Director Colorado Urban Workforce Alliance See Bio Linda Murphy is the Executive Director of Colorado Urban Workforce Alliance. She is on the board for Arapahoe/Douglas Works! Workforce Center, which is a member of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment’s statewide network of workforce centers that provide a variety of no-cost services to job seekers and businesses.

N	Lindsey Woolsey Co-Director, Business and Industry Strategies Corporation for a Skilled Workforce See Bio Lindsey leads the strategy and development work of the Business and Industry Strategies Team at CSW. Her work involves advising states and local areas on industry sector and economic development models that focus on industry clusters, including strategies to advance workers into meaningful careers. She is well- versed in industry-focused training models, including how they are designed, implemented, and evaluated. Lindsey is a skilled presenter, writer, and facilitator. Prior to joining CSW in 2007, Lindsey was a consultant, focusing on industry-based workforce strategies, cross-system policy alignment, and targeted strategies to transition disconnected populations to education and work. She has published in each of those areas. Prior to private consulting, Lindsey worked as a policy analyst at the National Governors Association, where she worked on projects related to the advancement of vulnerable populations; coordination of housing and economic development; and work in industry-focused workforce development models. Lindsey received her Master of Public Policy degree from Johns Hopkins University. She received her BA from American University in International Studies.

O	Luke Weisberg Owner LukeWorks, LLC See Bio Luke Weisberg is the owner of LukeWorks, which works in workforce development, community growth and prosperity, and other supports to help end poverty. He have served previously on the board for the National Skills Coalition. He has also previously done work with Genesys Works.

N	Mabel Edmonds Dean for Workforce Development Clover Park Technical College See Bio Mabel Edmonds is the Dean for Workforce Development at Clover Park Technical College. Clover Park Technical College was founded in 1942 and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. It is one of 34 community and technical colleges in the State of Washington and has been part of the state system of community and technical colleges since 1991.

F	Marci Hunn Program Director, Workforce Development The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation See Bio Marci Hunn is the Program Director for Workforce Development at the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation. The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation is dedicated to assisting the poor through operating and capital grants to direct service organizations primarily located in Maryland, Hawaii, Northeastern Pennsylvania, New York, Israel and the Former Soviet Union. These grants focus on meeting basic needs such as shelter, nutrition, health, socialization, and enhancing an individual’s ability to meet those needs. Within that focus, emphasis is placed on older adults and the Jewish community. Marci was previously Program Officer at Corporation for National and Community Service and Program Manager at Youth Service America.

N	Margret Graham Project Manager, Communications Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County See Bio Margret Graham is the Project Manager for the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County. The Workforce Development Council is a non-profit organization that supports and funds providers of employment and training services. The WDC’s work includes program leadership and oversight, system-wide coordination, technical assistance, program monitoring and evaluation, data tracking, fiscal management, and strategic planning. An important focus of the WDC is to provide guidance to the Seattle-King County WorkSource System.

N	Marian Eichner Project Support Manager Capital Workforce Partners, Inc. See Bio Marian Eichner is the Project Support Partner for Capital Workforce Partners. As the regional Workforce Investment Board in North Central Connecticut, Capital Workforce Partners coordinates programs and initiatives to develop a skilled, educated and vital workforce.

N	Marianne Bellesorte Director of Policy PathWays PA See Bio Marianne Bellesorte is the Director of Policy for PathWays PA, a nonprofit organization that serves more than 6,000 women, children, and families in the Great Philadelphia Region by keeping families together, supporting teen parents and their children, providing in-home services to prevent child abuse and assisting families in their move towards self-sufficiency.

N	Mark Loranger President & CEO Chrysalis A Center for Women See Bio Mark Loranger, President and Chief Executive Officer, has proven experience at Chrysalis. Chrysalis is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping economically disadvantaged and homeless individuals become self-sufficient through employment opportunities. He successfully managed Chrysalis Enterprises for nearly two years as Vice President before becoming Chrysalis' CEO. Mark has been a key member of the senior management team at Chrysalis developing new business concepts, securing valuable contracts for Chrysalis Enterprises through the BIDs (Business Improvement Districts) and effectively interfacing with Client Services to ensure the needs of their clients are being met. Mark brings a diverse skill set developed over twenty years as both an entrepreneur and a corporate leader. Early in his career, Mark held various sales and technical positions for almost a decade at IBM in both Washington DC and New York. Among his entrepreneurial ventures he counts the founding, operation and sale of a leading logistics and marketing firm in Southern California. Most recently, Mark has served as a consultant to such not-for-profit organizations as the Alzheimer's Association, the Avon Products Foundation, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in the development and execution of large-scale fundraising walks. He holds a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of California – Davis and a Masters in International Business from George Washington University.

O	Martha Holleman Principal Strategic Thinking for Social Change See Bio Martha Holleman is a consultant for Workforce Development Affinity Group. The Workforce Development Affinity Group assists funders interested in workforce development to improve their grant making by learning more about effective programs, national and local best practices, and their colleagues' investments. She is also the principal of Strategic Thinking for Social Change, a Baltimore-based policy and research practice. From 2006-2008 she served as a Distinguished Fellow of the WT Grant Foundation at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service and from 1996-2008 she was a Policy Advisor to Baltimore’s Safe and Sound Campaign.

N	Martin Simon Director, Workforce Development Programs National Governors Association Center for Best Practices See Bio Martin Simon is the Director of Workforce Development Programs at National Governors Association. He directs policy and legislative analysis, research, information sharing and technical assistance services to states related to workforce and economic development policy and programs. Simon has worked on a variety of NGA Center projects including studies on the development of industry-based skills standards and certification, incumbent worker training, adult literacy, school-to-work and restructuring state workforce development systems. He is a nationally recognized expert on workforce development and economic development. Martin's workforce development program includes the "Next Generation of Workforce Development Policy project;" leading a federal-state-local consortium to prepare state and local workforce systems for the implementation of common performance measures across major workforce, welfare and education programs; providing support to two NGA affiliate associations—the National Association of State Workforce Board Chairs and the National Association of State Workforce Liaisons; and monitoring and analyzing major federal action, including the reauthorization of workforce-related legislation and providing customized technical assistance to states on workforce development and related issues, policies and practices. His previous positions include Deputy Director, Michigan Human Investment Fund; Manager, Policy and Coordination, Michigan Governor's Office for Job Training; Manager, Michigan Job Opportunity Programs, Michigan Governor's Office for Job Training; Program Consultant, Michigan Governor's Office for Job Training; Project Director, Michigan Interagency Collaborative Project, Michigan Department of Labor; Manager, Employment and Career Education, Youth Development Corporation. He has a M.A. from Western Michigan University and B.A. from University of Detroit.

F	Mary Donnan Program Officer, Community Economic Development Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, Inc. See Bio Mary Fant Donnan is the Program Officer primarily responsible for Community Economic Development since 2001. The Foundation seeks to foster economic well-being, vitality and sustainability by promoting asset-building for individuals, families, and communities in North Carolina. Mary Fant Donnan was the Democratic nominee for North Carolina Commissioner of Labor in the 2008 election. Donnan is a graduate of Davidson College and of the University of Adelaide. Prior to attending Davidson College, Mary was President of the Young Republicans Club at Independence High School, in Independence, Virginia. She has worked as a public school music teacher in Virginia, as development director for the N.C. Center for Public Policy Research, as director of research and policy at the North Carolina Department of Labor. In 2008, Donnan filed to run for Commissioner of Labor. She finished first in the May 6 Democratic primary, but did not receive more than 40 percent. She and the runner-up, John C. Brooks, advanced to a runoff election in June. Donnan defeated Brooks in the runoff, with approximately 68 percent of the vote. Donnan lost to incumbent Cherie Berry in a close November election.

N	Mary Pena Executive Director Project QUEST See Bio Mary Peña is Executive Director of Project QUEST, Inc., a nonprofit organization in San Antonio, Texas. Project QUEST has been instrumental in bridging the gap between employers and training institutions as well facilitating changes in both sectors. Mary has extensive background in employment training and community organizing. Her strength is in creating and implementing new programs within a training continuum for the residents of San Antonio. Mary began her career at Project QUEST in 1993 as a case manager and eventually became Executive Director in 1998. As an expert in training and employment, she is often called upon to speak at national meetings and conferences. Mary served on the executive committee of The Workforce Alliance and on the organizing committee of the National Network of Sector Partners (NNSP), as well as on the steering committee for Leadership San Antonio. She is also the current chairperson of the NNSP Advisory Committee and is the recipient of the Alamo Workforce Development Board’s Award for Excellence in Workforce Service.

N	Mary Gershwin President & Co-Founder Gershwin Consulting See Bio Mary Gershwin is President and Co-Founder of Business Champions, Inc. Supported by Lumina Foundation for Education and The Joyce Foundation, this non-profit organization is dedicated to engaging the business voice for a skilled workforce. With more than 25 years of practical experience in workforce development, Ms. Gershwin is nationally and internationally recognized for her work to engage employers as partners in strengthening the quality of the workforce. Early in her career as an English teacher for immigrant workers in entry-level jobs, Mary learned to link work and learning so students get good jobs and employers get a stronger workforce. In eighteen years with the Colorado Community College System, ultimately as Executive Director of the Education Foundation, she built large-scale efforts that engaged business leaders as partners, improving results in a system that serves more than 110,000 students in thirteen colleges. Before launching Business Champions, Mary served as president of Gershwin Consulting, a for-profit consulting firm that spearheaded the rollout of national and international initiatives focused on the intersection of workforce development, business engagement and economic competitiveness. Clients include The Lumina Foundation, The Ford Foundation, the US Embassy in Brazil, The U.S. Department of State, USAID, The American Association of Community Colleges, and The National Association of Manufacturers. Gershwin has taught at the graduate level and holds a B.A. in Economics and a Ph.D. in Communication Studies from the University of Denver. Fluent in Portuguese and conversational in Spanish and German, she serves on several international, workforce and community related boards, including serving as past-President of the Colorado Chapter of Partners of the Americas. Gershwin has two grown children and lives in Denver, Colorado.

N	Maryanne Nickle Dean, Center for Career & Technical Education Community College of Denver See Bio Mary Anne received her Master's Degree from Colorado State University in Adult and Community Education in 1984. She is currently the Director of Workplace Learning and Program Chair of Essential Skills at Community College of Denver. Prior to coming to CCD, Mary Anne was Program Director for the Center for Work Education and Employment (CWEE) in Denver. There she developed programs to serve low income single mothers, including those on TANF. In her work history, Mary Anne has worked in drug and gang prevention programs for the City of Aurora and was instrumental in the development of the Jefferson County Juvenile Assessment Center. She has been a member of the Self Sufficiency Coalition for 6 years. She lives in south Aurora with her family.

R	Maurice Emsellem Policy Co-Director National Employment Law Project See Bio Maurice Emsellem joined National Employment Law Project (NELP) in 1991, after working for the Legal Aid Society in New York City. At NELP, he has worked on collaborations with organizers and advocates that have successfully modernized state unemployment insurance programs, created employment protections for workfare workers, and reduced unfair barriers to employment of people with criminal records in state laws and in city hiring practices. He has testified before Congress and numerous state legislatures, promoting innovative policy reforms. He was a Soros Justice Senior Fellow in 2004 and a Stanford Public Interest Law Mentor in 2003. He has a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law, and B.A. from University of Michigan.

F	Melanie Styles Program Officer, Workforce Development Abell Foundation See Bio Melanie Styles is the Program Officer in Workforce Development for Abell Foundation, which is dedicated to enhance the quality of life in Baltimore and Maryland.

N	Michael Lawrence Senior Policy Associate Corporation for a Skilled Workforce See Bio Mike has over 30 years of diverse experience in the Workforce Development field. Currently, Mike is assisting the District of Columbia Human Services in redesigning their case management system, finalizing the North Carolina Regional Collaborative workforce effort, leading a pilot project with the U.S. Department of Labor, the states of Mississippi, Maine, Colorado and Pennsylvania and the Sloan Foundation to bring online education to the nation’s public workforce system. Previously, Mike was the Director of Workforce Development Initiatives in the Office of Economic and Workforce Development at Penn State University. He has supervised and directed the Pennsylvania Plastics Initiative, the CareerLink Credentialing Project (Pennsylvania’s one stop system), developed health care management and supervision education for incumbent workers and developed the Center for Regional Economic and Workforce Analysis. Mike holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and is currently enrolled in the Masters of Science in Workforce Education with emphasis in Human Resources and Training at Penn State University.

N	Mike Rosenthal Executive Director, Workforce and Training Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce See Bio Mike Rosenthal is the Executive Director of the Workforce and Training for the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.

N	Mona Sowiski Acting Executive Director Springboard Forward See Bio Mona Sowiski is the Acting Executive Director for Springboard Forward. Springboard provides career development services through existing community-based agencies and businesses that lead to a lifetime of Engaged Employment, and was recognized by Fast Company twice in three years for its innovative, business-based approach to alleviating poverty in America.

R	Nan Poppe Ex-Executive Director, Completion by Design Assistance Team (CDAT) Tides Center See Bio Dr. Nan Poppe has 29 years of experience in community college administration. During her career she has served as a Director of Workforce Development, Dean for Adult & Continuing Education, Dean of Instruction, Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, and Campus President. She currently is the Campus President for the Extended Learning Campus at Portland Community College in Portland, Oregon. The campus serves over 53,000 credit and non-credit students each year and produces over 4,500 FTE. Over her career, Nan has designed and implemented many innovative programs to better serve under-served students and get them on a pathway to earning a college degree. Locally, Dr. Poppe serves on the Portland Workforce Alliance, the Construction Apprenticeship and Workforce Solutions, and Open Meadow, an alternative middle and high school. At the state level she serves on the Oregon Presidents’ Council, the Oregon Workforce Investment Board, and as a member of the Oregon Career Pathways team. Nationally, she is the past President of the National Council for Workforce Education and serves as Board Chair for the Gateway to College National Network. Nan is currently the Campus President of the Extended Learning Campus at Portland Community College. Nan earned at BA in Social Work/Psychology at San Diego State University, a MSW in Social Work at California State University in Fresno, and an Ed. D. in Community College Leadership from Oregon State University.

R	Neil Ridley Senior Policy Analyst, Workforce Development Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) See Bio Mr. Ridley is a Senior Policy Analyst for the Workforce Development team at CLASP. His focus includes employment policy, workforce development, and postsecondary education for low-income individuals. Prior to CLASP, Mr. Ridley was a member of the senior management team at the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, located at Rutgers University. In that position, he oversaw numerous technical assistance and research projects for state and local governments, nonprofit agencies and private foundations. He co-authored Getting Back to Work, a report on assisting unemployed workers, and he oversaw the Work Trends public opinion series. In addition, he was a Senior Policy Analyst at the National Governors' Association Center for Best Practices and a Research Associate at the National Center on Education and the Economy. Mr. Ridley received a master's degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor's degree from Occidental College.

R	Nina Babich Senior Policy Associate Corporation for a Skilled Workforce See Bio Based in Kansas City, Missouri, Nina Babich works with states, regions, and communities across the nation to develop strategic responses to their human capital issues. She specializes in research based planning and benchmarking processes; provides practical technical assistance for strategy implementation; conducts assessments and evaluations of programs and organizations; and facilitates a professional learning network of leading-edge workforce board directors from around the country. Nina has extensive knowledge of the workforce development policy and operational environment, and the Workforce Investment Act, having directed policy for the Indiana Department of Workforce Development from 1985 to 2000. In that capacity, she led development of the state’s One-Stop system that originated in 1991, staffed the Indiana Job Training Coordinating Council, and coordinated Indiana’s early implementation of the Workforce Investment Act. She developed and delivered teleconference training on her Guide for Improving One-Stops through Benchmarked Critical Success Factors; designed and facilitated a national WIB Benchmarking project and authored the Benchmarking for Success report. Nina has extensive knowledge of the postsecondary environment, having led a Postsecondary/Economic Development Alignment project for Kansas and facilitated strategic planning for the Missouri Community College Association. Nina has a BA degree in Psychology from Ball State University (IN); a certification in peer training from the Indiana Job Training Administrators’ Training Institute; and certification as a training consultant from Ball State University.

R	Pam Ferrara Research & Program Analyst Job Growers Incorporated See Bio Pamela Ferrara is a research and program analyst for Job Growers Incorporated (formerly Enterprise for Employment and Education). Pam Ferrara has a Master’s from Oregon State, with graduate level courses in Labor Economics and Statistics, and is also a fluent Spanish-speaker, having learned during two years in the Peace Corp in Guatemala. Ferrara has taught courses in Consumer Economics at Oregon State University while working on her master’s, and Oregon Politics and Government at Oregon State University and Willamette University while working on a Ph.D. in American Government. She wrote two reference books on the history of Oregon’s legislative elections, entitled “The Almanac of Oregon Politics”, while working for six years as the director of Oregon Common Cause. Ferrara has been writing a monthly column for the Salem Statesman Journal for over a year and a half on topics relevant to the local and state economy.

N	Pamela Tate President and CEO Council for Adult and Experiental Learning (CAEL) See Bio Joining CAEL in 1987, Pam has become nationally and internationally recognized for her work in facilitating workforce education and training programs among educational institutions, business, labor and government and for her efforts in assisting colleges and universities to develop systems of Prior Learning Assessment and quality assurance in adult learning programs. In 1996, Pam was acknowledged for a career devoted to expanding lifelong educational opportunities for adults with the Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa, conferred by SUNY Empire State College, Saratoga Springs, New York. As a presenter, she is regularly sought out for her vision and insights into adult learning and workforce development and their vital relationship to the future of the economy. Born in Davenport, Iowa, Pam grew up in East Moline, Illinois and graduated from the University of Illinois at Champaign with masters degrees in both English and journalism. She completed her doctoral coursework at the Annenberg School of Communications, University of Pennsylvania.

F	Parminder Jassal Program Officer, Special Initiatives Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust See Bio Parminder currently serves as a Program Officer in Special Initiatives at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As an entrepreneurial technologist and strategic planner and implementer, Parminder has enjoyed a rewarding career in research as well as launching new products and developing innovative programs. Previously, she served as the Director of Workforce Solutions at Greater Louisville Inc. where she designed and implemented workforce and higher education strategies for the Greater Louisville region. Selected highlights of her work include creating an innovative business/academia connection process that resulted in the formation of the HIRE Education Forum and the creation and launch of www.LouisvilleWorks.com, a platform for efficiently connecting job seekers with employers that integrates colleges and universities, government, and the Employee Cost Turnover Program to support business labor planning. The vast majority of Parminder's career has been spent in the private sector with Fortune 100 companies and start-ups representing firms such as Ford Motor Co., Atlantic Richfield Oil Co., International Network Services, Lucent Technologies and Appriss. Currently, Parminder is an instructor for the International Economic Development Council and holds a Ph.D. from the College of Education at the University of Louisville. Her research focuses on the linkages between higher education and economic development.

F	Patrice Cromwell Director, Workforce Development Strategies; Associate Director, Civic Sites and Investments Annie E. Casey Foundation See Bio Patrice Cromwell is the Director, Workforce Development Strategies; Associate Director, Civic Sites and Investments at Annie E Casey Foundation. Her experiences include: Co-Chair of ACCE High School; Chair of Development Committee; Associate Director, Civic Sites and Initiatives at the Annie E. Casey Foundation; Director, Workforce Development Strategies at the Annie E. Casey Foundation; Secretary of the Development Committee; Board Member of Job Opportunities Task Force; Board Member of Baltimore Alliance for; Board of Trustees Member (past) of Catholic Charities USA. The Annie E. Casey Foundation is a private charitable organization, dedicated to helping build better futures for disadvantaged children in the United States. The primary mission of the Foundation is to foster public policies, human-service reforms, and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of today’s vulnerable children and families. In pursuit of this goal, the Foundation makes grants that help states, cities and neighborhoods fashion more innovative, cost-effective responses to these needs.

N	Peggy Frame Executive Director Training, Inc. See Bio Peggy Frame is the Executive Director of Training, Inc. Training, Inc. is a national network of local job training organizations, creating and sharing best practices to strengthen their collective performance as they prepare a qualified and diverse workforce to meet employers’ expectations in today’s work environment.

R	Pradeep Kotamraju Deputy Director National Research Center for Career and Technical Education (NRCCTE), Unviersity of Louisville See Bio Pradeep Kotamraju is the Deputy Director of the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education (NRCCTE), Unviersity of Louisville. His educational Background is: PhD, Economics, University of Illinois; MA, Economics, George Washington University; BA, Economics, University of Delhi. Professional Activities: National Association of Workforce Education, Board member, 2007 – present; National Association of State Directors of Career and Technication Education Consortium, Member, 2007 – present; Program Committe, Joint International Summit on Community and Rural Development, Member, 2000-01; Information Technology Association of America Workforce Committee, Member, 1999 – present. Honors & Awards: National Scholar, Professional Development Academy, National Dissemination Center for Career and Technical Education, Ohio State University, 2002; Certificate of Appreciation, Minnesota High Tech Association, 2000. Publications: “Researching CTE Student Success: A New Conceptual Framework”, Techniques, April 2007, pp. 49-52; “The Efficiency of the High-Tech Economy: Conventional Development Indexes versus a Performance Index”, Journal of Regional Science, (2006) Vol.46 (3), pp.545-563; “Employer Perceptions of Work Flexibility: Role of Skills and Wages in Job Performance,” Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science, (2002), pp 5-13; “Efficient Provision of Child Quality of Life in Less Developed Countries: Conventional Development Indexes versus a Programming Approach to Development Indexes,” Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, 34, (2000), pp.51-67.

N	Rachael Grossman Chief of Organizational Advancement Goodwill of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin See Bio Rachael Grossman is the Chief of Organizational Advancement for Goodwill Industries of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin Counties. Goodwill Industries puts people back to work. They provide education and career services to people who have disadvantages that would otherwise make it hard for them to find jobs. 85% of the cost of these services is paid for by their businesses. Sometimes called the “original recycler,” Goodwill’s main business is to collect donated clothes, jewelry, even automobiles and sell them online or in one of our 17 retail outlets. Every month, they serve 325 program participants, place 73 people in jobs, process over 100,000 retail transactions, and divert 1.5 million lbs. of material goods from landfill.

N	Rachel Unruh Associate Director National Skills Coalition See Bio As Associate Director, Rachel helps lead National Skills Coalition by facilitating the integration of the organization's organizing, advocacy, and communications strategies. She also directs the organization's strategic communications initiatives and operations, and advises on the development of state and national policy strategies. Rachel joined the organization in 2006 as Communications Director to develop and lead the national Skills2Compete campaign. Prior to joining National Skills Coalition, Rachel served as Director of Community Relations and Senior Policy Associate on the workforce development team at Women Employed, where her work included policy analysis and advocacy, program development, constituent organizing, as well as programmatic marketing and communications initiatives. She led federal higher education advocacy efforts and two successful campaigns to expand state funding for postsecondary education for low-income adults. Rachel holds a master’s degree in history from Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree in history from Grinnell College. She is based in Chicago and Washington, DC.

O	Rachel Huvedlt Principal RGH & Associates See Bio Rachel's education in business management and managed care as well as her extensive background working with Fortune 500 companies serve her well in fulfilling her pivotal position at The Menkes Clinic. Her primary challenge came in the form of assisting Dr. Menkes to fulfill his vision, that of providing total quality skincare for his patients and delivering a higher standard of patient care. This called for hiring a staff of highly qualified professionals and molding them into a high-performance team that would achieve the vision and mission of the Menkes Clinic. Rachel believes that the clinic's success largely depends on the quality of the people managing it. She has implemented operational systems designed to function smoothly and effectively with only one purpose in mind: meeting the individual needs of every patient. When not busy at work, Rachel enjoys investing in real estate, traveling with her husband, Patrick, and gardening.

R	Rebecca Kusner Research Associate Community Research Partners See Bio Rebecca Kusner undertakes policy research and analysis on issues related to adult workforce education and training for low-skilled and low-wage workers. She provides staff support for CRP's involvement in the National Working Poor Families Project and the Ohio Workforce Coalition. Rebecca has held a variety of HR related positions and previously was Vice President of Workforce Development for WIRE-Net, a regional economic development organization serving manufacturers in Northeast Ohio. Rebecca has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Politics & Government from Ohio Wesleyan University and a Master of Public Administration with a Certificate in Urban Economic Development from Cleveland State University.

F	Rebecca Cherin Managing Director, Programs Tipping Point Community See Bio Rebecca Cherin is currently the Managing Director, Programs at Tipping Point Community. In the past she was Director of Education and Employment Services at Larkin Street Youth Services, Learning Center Supervisor at East Bay Conservation Corps, and Administrative Coordinator at Marin Conservation Corps. She received an MSW from San Francisco State University and her BA from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

N	Ricardo Estrada Vice President for Education and Training Institute for Latino Progress See Bio Ricardo Estrada is the Vice President for Education and Training at Institute for Latino Progress. Highlights of tenure at Erie Neighborhood House include: Creation of Erie Elementary Charter School; Increase of budget from $5.8M to over $10M; Expansion of service area from one community to three; Development of five community technology centers; Increase in facilities from two to four; Over $2M annually in private grants; Awards, recognition, and additional financial support from organizations include Microsoft (Unlimited Potential Award), Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (Outstanding Immigrant Organization Award), Chicago Cares (Community Partner Award), Tomás Rivera Policy Institute (Digital Stepping Stones Award), Sara Lee Foundation (Chicago Spirit Award), Peoples Energy (150th Anniversary Award), and LISC (Chicago Neighborhood Development Award). He is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Erie Elementary Charter School. There he developed concept and business plan; recruited design team and principal; led charter-school application process; recruited board of directors; secured $1.2 million in financing for first-year operations, and commitments of nearly $1 million in private revenue to support five years of incremental growth. He led the rehab of the school facility, negotiated use of space, and oversaw preparations for the school’s opening. He monitored education planning, teacher selection, and recruitment of students.

N	Richard Kazis Senior Vice President Jobs for the Future See Bio Richard Kazis leads JFF’s policy and advocacy efforts. Since joining JFF in the early 1990s, his areas of focus have included: school-to-career models and policy; strategies for improving outcomes for low-income community college students; state policies to promote college and career readiness for struggling students; policies to promote low-wage worker advancement; and the emerging role of labor-market intermediaries in workforce development. Mr. Kazis directs JFF’s contributions to Achieving the Dream, a national initiative to improve student success in community colleges, particularly for low-income students and students of color. JFF leads the initiative’s effort to help 15 states make policy changes that are more supportive of student success at two-year institutions. Mr. Kazis also coordinates JFF’s efforts to promote federal and state policies that can help identify and expand effective school models for struggling students, with a particular focus on approaches that blend secondary and postsecondary learning. Mr. Kazis is a former teacher at an alternative high school for returning dropouts. He has also supervised a Neighborhood Youth Corps program, helped organize fast-food workers, managed a cooperative urban food production wholesaler, supported labor-environmental jobs coalitions, and studied informal, experiential learning in Israel. He serves on the boards of the Institute for College Access and Success and the Workforce Strategy Center. Mr. Kazis is a graduate of Harvard College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

R	Richard Moore Professor of Management The California State University See Bio Ph.D., 1981, UCLA. Teaches in the areas of organizational behavior and management theory. He has extensive international experience in training policy and economic development. He is also an active consultant in the pay television industry.

O	Robert LePage Senior Vice President Clements Group See Bio Mr. LePage joined the Clements Group (CG) in 1999 and acted as lead consultant for ACT, Inc., in the creation of a network of over two hundred workforce development certification, training, and assessment centers in partnership with community and technical colleges across the country. In addition to his role as senior vice president for the firm, he also serves as lead consultant for all workforce development efforts on behalf of the Clements Group. He is currently assisting the Kentucky Community and Technical College System and colleges on a state wide Workforce Competitiveness Initiative. Bob is advising the Council for Occupational Research and Design (CORD) in developing the National Adult Career Pathway program. Bob is also assisting Harrisburg Areas Community College on a multi-campus major gifts campaign. His past CG clients include York County Community College (ME), Prince George’s Community College (MD), Edison Community College (OH), Farmingdale State University of New York (NY), LaGuardia Community College (NY), Springfield Technical Community College (MA), Los Angeles Community College District (CA), among many others. r. LePage is a frequent presenter at national conferences, including the League for Innovation for the Community College, American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the Council for Resource Development (CRD), and the National Coalition of Advanced Technology Centers (NCATC). Additionally, Mr. LePage directs and acts as lead faculty for CG’s highly-acclaimed two-day training seminar entitled “Workforce Development Academy: Building Business & Industry Partnerships”. He has been a professor of business administration at Holyoke Community College and has instruction experience in marketing, finance, management, sports management, sports law, and e-commerce classes. Bob was department chair for of one of the first community college Sport Management programs in the country and was actively involved in the fundraising efforts for the Bartley Athletic Center (Health Wellness). Bob also has served as a sabbatical replacement instructor at Springfield College for management, marketing, and finance classes. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts and dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Marketing, and Finance and Insurance from Northeastern University.

F	Robert Giloth Vice President, Center for Family Economic Success and Community Change Annie E. Casey Foundation See Bio Bob Giloth oversees Casey’s Center for Family Economic Success, which combines the Foundation’s economic opportunity and community change work. Prior to joining the Foundation in December 1993, Bob managed community development corporations in Baltimore and Chicago and was Deputy Commissioner of Economic Development under Mayor Harold Washington. Bob has a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University. He edited Jobs and Economic Development: Strategies and Practice (Sage Publications, 1998), Workforce Intermediaries for the Twenty-first Century, (Temple University Press, 2004), and Workforce Development Politics: Civic Capacity and Performance, (Temple University Press, 2004).

N	Roberta Meyers-Peeples Director of National H.I.R.E. Network Legal Action Center See Bio Roberta Meyers-Peeples, Director of the National H.I.R.E. Network Prior to assuming this position, Ms. Meyers-Peeples served as Co-Director of HIRE for two years, Co-Deputy Director for one year and as the Field Educator and Organizer for two years while dramatically expanding the outreach of the Network. She has worked directly with policy makers and advocates around the country to identify public policy priorities that directly affect employment opportunities for people with criminal records as well as helped develop appropriate advocacy strategies in strengthening or challenging existing legislation in those states. Ms. Meyers-Peeples has also served as a Legal Assistant at the Legal Action Center for 10 years. She has trained hundreds of workforce development and corrections staff on employment strategies that best serve job seekers who have criminal histories. She is the author of the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) newly released primer entitled Serving the Employment Needs of Justice-Involved Juveniles and Adults: A Primer for Treatment and Recovery Support Service Providers (May 2008), is a contributing author for the U.S. Department of Labor guidebook, Working Ahead: A Guide for Connecting Youth Offenders with Employment Opportunities (July 2004) and is author of the "Completing Employment Applications" section of Legal Action Center's How to Get and Clean Up Your New York State Rap Sheet, Sixth Edition 2003. Roberta has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business, Management, and Economics with a concentration in Management from the State University of New York/Empire State College. Additionally, she serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of Youth Represent, a non-profit legal advocacy organization for juveniles in New York City and on the Steering Committee of the National Transitional Jobs Network.

R	Ronald D'Amico President, Chair of the Board & Senior Social Scientist Social Policy Research Associates See Bio Dr. D'Amico is SPR’s President and also serves as a Senior Social Scientist. He has extensive experience in conducting and leading studies of workforce development and education programs, including quantitative impact studies and qualitative process and implementation studies. His major areas of research have included the study of school-to-work programs and workforce programs for adults and youth, dislocated workers, and special populations, including Native Americans and farm workers. Dr. D'Amico holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Johns Hopkins University and is the author of numerous articles in professional journals, including the American Sociological Review, Sociological Methods and Research, Sociology of Education, Work and Occupations, and Industrial and Labor Relations Review. He has also presented papers at many national conferences over the years, including at the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, Workforce Innovations, and the American Sociological Association. Prior to joining SPR, Dr. D'Amico was on the faculty at Ohio State University, where he worked at the university's Center for Human Resources Research, participating in the design and analysis of the National Longitudinal Surveys of Labor Market Experiences, and he periodically taught classes in research methods to graduate students. In his spare time, he enjoys taking long and lazy walks with his family and dog, cooking, and training for triathlons.

R	Rose Baker Director & Assistant Professor Penn State See Bio Rose Baker is a professional associate for Management Development. She joined Penn State Management Development Programs and Services in 2001 as a full-time faculty member. She became a part-time professional associate in 2006. Dr. Baker brings nearly 20 years of instructional design, project management, and teaching experience, and more than 10 years of business experience, to her position at Penn State. Formerly, she worked as an instructional designer and project manager with General Motors, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Training and Educational Systems Associates, University of Phoenix, Huntingdon County Career and Technology Center, and the Pennsylvania public school system. She performed benchmarking and instructed and researched global trends for e-business and coaching strategies. She was a partner in successful retail businesses for more than 10 years and has worked as a manuscript review consultant for Corwin Press, Inc., Penn State Workforce Education, and Penn State faculty. In addition to her appointment in Management Development, Dr. Baker is also the program manager for the Workforce Assessment Center at Penn State. She was formerly employed by the Penn State World Campus to perform and analyze survey and interview evaluations of courses. Dr. Baker earned a B.A. in mathematics and chemistry from Washington & Jefferson College, and an M.Ed. in adult education and a Ph.D. in instructional systems from Penn State. She is a certified teacher with an Instructional II certificate, and a certified Project Management Professional with the Project Management Institute. In these assignments, Dr. Baker was involved in all aspects of instructional design and project management, including multiple levels of analysis, material design and development, implementation and multilevel evaluation, and all aspects of general management (operations, human resource planning, finance, sales, marketing, and strategic planning). She has also worked as a manuscript review consultant for Corwin Press, Inc., Penn State Workforce Education, and several Penn State professors.

F	Sarah Oldmixon Director, Workforce Initiatives The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region See Bio Sarah Oldmixon is the Director of Workforce Initiatives at The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, a regional community foundation. She is responsible for helping their donors and collaborative members think about workforce investment strategies in Maryland and Northern Virginia. Her work involves four community colleges, five workforce investment boards, over a hundred nonprofits, several thousand employers, and more than a million workers.

R	Sarah White Senior Associate Center on Wisconsin Strategy, University of Wisconsin-Madison See Bio Sarah White (Ph.D. Columbia University, B.A. Wellesley College) is a Senior Associate at the Center on Wisconsin Strategy. Her work at COWS focuses on sustainable workforce strategies, both local and national, including green career pathways in the clean energy economy. White came to COWS from Wisconsin’s Department of Workforce Development, where she served as the Secretary’s policy and budget analyst for federal employment and training programs. Before that, she ran the Development Education Office of Interfaith Hunger Appeal in New York, working to integrate academic and NGO efforts addressing food security, poverty and sustainable development. A labor historian by training, White has written widely on political mobilization and education for social change.

N	Saru Jayaraman Founder Brooklyn College See Bio Saru Jayaraman is a graduate of Yale Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. In 1992 she founded Women and Youth Supporting Each Other (W.Y.S.E.), a national non-profit organization dedicated to providing young women of color with the resources, information and support necessary to think critically and take leadership in their communities for change. As Attorney/Organizer at the Workplace Project, a Latina/o immigrant worker organizing center, she created The Alliance for Justice, a law and organizing program that organized custodial, factory, and restaurant workers to fight for workplace justice. Most recently, together with workers from Windows on the World, the restaurant at the top of the World Trade Center, she founded the Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York (ROC-NY), an immigrant workers' center focused on organizing immigrant restaurant workers all over New York City, particularly those displaced from the World Trade Center, and the families of restaurant worker victims of 9/11. Among other things, ROC-NY has organized workers to win workplace justice campaigns and launch their own cooperatively-owned restaurant. As a Professor of Political Science and Labor Law at Brooklyn College, Queens College, and New York University, Ms. Jayaraman has also just co-edited The New Urban Immigrant Workforce (ME Sharpe, 2005). Her constant fight is for racial and economic justice domestically and globally.

N	Scott Sheely Executive Director Lancaster County Workforce Investment Board See Bio Scott J. Sheely has been the Executive Director of the Lancaster County Workforce Investment Board, one of 22 such boards in Pennsylvania, since 2000. Vocationally, he has worked as the human resources director of a large mental health agency, the operations manager of a nursing home chain, the associate pastor of a church, and the owner of a regional wholesale jewelry business. A graduate of Franklin and Marshall College in government, Wright State University in mental health counseling, and United Theological Seminary in pastoral counseling, Scott is currently a doctoral candidate in adult and workforce education at Penn State University.

N	Shauna King-Simms Director, Adult Education Partnerships & Transitions KY Community and Technical College System See Bio Shauna King-Simms is the Director of Transitional Programs at the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS), where she works with policy and program development targeting economically disadvantaged and educationally under-prepared students. Prior to joining the KCTCS staff in August, 1999, Shauna administered post-secondary education TANF contracts for the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services and served as staff for the Cabinet’s task force on post-secondary education. Ms. King-Simms spent 10 years as a state level administrator of Kentucky’s adult basic education and literacy initiatives and 7 years as a student services administrator in a two-year college. She was also a regional administrator for the Job Training Partnership Act program. Shauna initially joined the KCTCS Chancellor’s office staff to implement a statewide TANF funded initiative aimed at recruiting, transitioning and supporting Kentucky’s public assistance recipients in the Community and Technical College System. The success of this nationally recognized effort, “Ready to Work”, led to a parallel initiative targeting the state’s adult education population. This transitions model integrates campus-based targeted case management with a TANF funded work study component. Additionally, she has assisted in the design and supported implementation of innovative transitioning collaborations among KCTCS colleges and local adult education providers statewide. More recently, Shauna has facilitated the KCTCS statewide Career Pathways initiative as part of Kentucky’s Ford Foundation Bridges to Opportunity Initiative. All sixteen KCTCS colleges have developed and implemented at least one Career Pathway in an employment sector identified in collaboration with their local stakeholders. As part of this process, Shauna facilitated the statewide Developmental Education Pathways faculty workgroup. Shauna has a BA from Eastern Kentucky University and an MA from the University of Cincinnati in Organizational Behavior and Communications.

N	Shawn Bohen National Director of Strategic Growth and Impact Year Up See Bio Shawn Jacqueline Bohen is the first National Director of Strategic Growth and Impact at the innovative social enterprise organization Year Up, Inc., a one-year intensive workforce development program serving urban young adults. Over the last 25 years, Shawn has made a career as a collaborative strategist, creating, growing, and strategically managing mission-driven organizations. Shawn is recognized for her ability to turn great ideas into dynamic, diversely-staffed, fiscally-viable entities. She has had responsibility for administration, governance, fundraising, communications, constituency engagement, curriculum planning, and research, as well as for managing partnerships with community-based organizations and individuals, donors and collaborators. Prior to Year Up, Shawn spent more than a decade working at Harvard University in a series of leadership roles facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration to tackle some of society’s most challenging and interesting social, political and economic dilemmas. Partnering with academic colleagues, Shawn led the strategic evolution of four university-wide start-ups, including the Harvard Initiative for Global Health, the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations at the John F. Kennedy School, the university-wide Mind/Brain/Behavior Initiative, and the Harvard Medical School Division on Addictions. In her last post at Harvard, Shawn served as Assistant Provost, co-creating and co-leading the first institution-wide Office for Faculty Development and Diversity committed to transforming Harvard's approach to finding, developing and promoting a diverse, world-class faculty. Earlier in her career, Shawn worked as an actress and as a political grassroots organizer. Shawn holds an M.B.A. from Babson Graduate School of Management and a B.A. in Theatre Arts and English from the University of Minnesota. Shawn has two elementary school-aged children. She currently serves as an advisor to Partners in Health and the Division of Global Health and Human Rights at Massachusetts General Hospital, and she is on the Board of Global Action Network-NET.

N	Simon Lopez Senior Director of Workforce Development & Leadership Development National Council of La Raza See Bio Simon Lopez is Senior Director of Workforce Development & Leadership Development at National Council of La Raza, the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S. He received his B.A. in Psychology from The University of New Mexico.

N	Sofia Navarro Chief of Staff Spanish-Speaking Unity Council of Alameda County, Inc. See Bio Sofia Navarro is the Chief of Staff for Unity Council. The Unity Council, located in Oakland, California, is a nationally recognized nonprofit community development corporation. It manages integrated programs in a three-prong approach of economic, social and neighborhood development to create a healthier, safer, and more prosperous community for families, residents and local businesses. She was previously Program Manager/Employment Services at The Unity Council, and Teacher's Aide at Los Perales Elementary School, Panther Club. She is expecting her M.A. in Leadership from St. Mary's College of California, and received B.A in Sociology from St. Mary's College of California.

N	Steven Jackobs Executive Director Capital Investing in Development and Employment of Adults See Bio Steve Jackobs is Executive Director of Capital IDEA in Austin, Texas and has been since its founding in 1998. Capital IDEA moves low-earning adults through the community college and into high-paying careers. Previously he worked in neighborhood organizing in Massachusetts, consumer advocacy in Florida, and with Texas Interfaith Education Fund, the support organization of Austin Interfaith and its sister broad-based community organizations. Steve received his BA from Harvard University in 1979 and his MA from the University of Sussex, England in 1981. He was recognized in 2007 as the Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year for Central Texas.

N	Steven Ovel Executive Director, Governmental Relations Kirkwood Community College See Bio Steven Ovel is the Executive Director of Governmental Relations at Kirkwood Community College, inCedar Rapids, Iowa. During his twenty-five years at Kirkwood, Steve has provided administrative leadership to the areas of development and foundations, community relations, economic development, business and industry training, grants, governmental relations and assistant to the president. He is a member of the state board of directors of the Iowa Workforce Development Department and was involved in the redesign of Iowa’s workforce development delivery system in 1996. He also serves on the national board of directors of The Workforce Alliance. For the past sixteen years, Steve has served the Iowa community college system as a lobbyist before the Iowa Legislature specializing in education, job training, workforce and economic development and corrections education.

F	Surabhi Jain Manager, Career Pathways Initiatives National Council of La Raza See Bio Surabhi Jain is the Manager of Career Pathways Initiatives for National Council of La Raza. The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) – the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States – works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. Through its network of nearly 300 affiliated community-based organizations, NCLR reaches millions of Hispanics each year in 41 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia

O	Susan Crandall President Workforce Results See Bio Susan R. Crandall, PhD, is the President of Workforce Results. She leverages her expertise in private-sector HR and public/non-profit workforce development to create high-impact solutions for employers, workforce providers, and funders. Most recently, Dr. Crandall served as the director of workforce innovation at Keystone Research Center, where she led the Pennsylvania Fund for Workforce Solutions and provided technical and research assistance to Pennsylvania’s nationally recognized Industry Partnerships. Prior to that, she was the director of research and innovation at the Crittenton Women’s Union, where she published several major reports that served as the cornerstone for CWU’s program, research, and advocacy strategy. Her experience includes 10 years in the private sector where she championed leadership and career development initiatives at Fortune 500 companies including Microsoft, Boeing and Gateway. Dr. Crandall has served on the National Skills Coalition Leadership Council, was a visiting scholar at the University of California San Diego, has been recognized as one of Boston’s Emerging Leaders by the University of Massachusetts and was selected as a Marano Fellow for the Aspen Institute’s Sector Skills Academy. She received her PhD from the University of Washington Foster School of Business. She is certified in numerous career development and training programs from world-class vendors including the Center for Creative Leadership, DDI, and Blessing White.

O	Terri Feeley Independent consultant Self Employed See Bio Terri is a recognized leader in the workforce development, asset-building, and income-support fields. She is currently senior advisor at SF Works, an innovative nonprofit focused on building the careers and self-sufficiency of low-income workers. Terri served as SF Works' executive director from 2001 to 2007, during which time the organization pioneered job training in biotechnology and spearheaded creation of San Francisco's Working Families Credit. Terri's previous work experience includes the National Association of Child Advocates, and consulting work for the American Society for Training and Development, and the U.S. Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services. She chairs the boards The Workforce Alliance and the Youth Leadership Institute. She earned her Master's of Public Policy degree at Georgetown University and her bachelor's degree at The College of William of Mary. In 2006, Terri was awarded a prestigious American Marshall Memorial Fellowship.

N	Thomas DuBois Director of New Initiatives Institute for Latino Progress See Bio Thomas DuBois is the Director of New Initiatives for Institute for Latino Progress. Instituto del Progreso Latino (Instituto) was incorporated in 1977 to meet the needs of Latino immigrants to learn English, find employment, accustom their children to the U.S. educational systems, and adjust to life in Chicago in a myriad of ways.

N	Tim Rainey Executive Director, Workforce and Economic Development Program California Labor Federation See Bio Tim Rainey is the Director of the Workforce and Economic Development Program (WED) of the California Labor Federation. WED’s primary work is twofold: policy development at the State and local levels and brokering industry-based training partnerships among unions, employers, community organizations, education, and public workforce agencies. Previously, Tim was Policy Director for the California Workforce Association where he advocated on behalf of local workforce investment boards in legislative, policy, and administrative deliberations in Sacramento and Washington DC. Prior to joining CWA, he was consultant to the Senate Democratic Caucus of the California State Senate. Mr. Rainey is a co-founder and executive committee member of the EDGE Campaign, member of the California Apollo Alliance Steering Committee, and serves on several other committees and commissions related to workforce and economic development. He holds a bachelors degree in Government from California State University, Sacramento.

N	Yanil Teron Executive Director Connecticut Puerto Rican Forum, Inc. See Bio Yanil Teron is the Executive Director for Connecticut Puerto Rican Forum, a nonprofit organization that has been in the business of employment training and job development in Connecticut for 28 years.