Workforce Wisdom

On this final episode, host Dr. Lisa Bly-Jones is joined by Workforce Wisdom's editor and producer, Amanda Sink, to close out the series. Lisa sits in the interviewee seat for a change, reflecting on her career, accomplishments at The Workforce Connection (TWC) over the past four years, discussing the impact of the pandemic on equity, and Lisa's own workforce wisdom as she closes out her chapter at TWC.   Dr. Bly-Jones has been a true change agent for equity, and has taken our organization to new heights. We are so appreciative of all her hard work and the impact she has made on our region's workforce. We wish her all the best in her new endeavor! She will be missed!

To kick off this new season of Workforce Wisdom, Dr. Lisa Bly-Jones is speaking with career professionals in law enforcement as a series of episodes.   In this episode, Dr. Bly-Jones is speaking with Andre Taylor, a current member of the U.S. Army and future police officer. The discussion revolves around why Mr. Taylor is pursuing a career in law enforcement when his five years with the military concludes, which character attributes will transfer from the military to becoming a local police officer, and of course, Mr. Taylor shares his workforce wisdom on making a career change.

In this episode of Workforce Wisdom, Dr. Lisa Bly-Jones validates labor market information and data by actually speaking with local employers. This panel discussion will provide insight from healthcare, IT, manufacturing, retail, and non-profit about workforce trends we're seeing as we move towards economic recovery.

Workforce Wisdom is a podcast brought to you by The Workforce Connection Board. In every episode, Dr. Lisa M. Bly-Jones interviews leaders and professionals across the workforce, informing your path to career success. Can you believe the final episode of season two is already here? Don't worry – we will be back just after Labor Day, but to close this season out, we wanted to recap the tremendous leaders I interviewed this season who embody the theme of “Stepping Up”. The past year+ has been an emotional and uniquely challenging year, from racial inequity to the new workforce trends affecting women and wages. Listen to this episode, share it with your colleagues, friends and family, and leave us a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts!

In this episode, Lisa Bly-Jones, Ed.D. speaks with the Social Equity Committee of Keller Williams Realty Signature in Illinois and Wisconsin. This rock-star team making equity strides in the real estate industry consists of Toni VanderHayden, the Operating Principle for Keller Williams Realty Signature. She, alongside a fantastic board of leaders and real estate agents, have realized the founding vision of their launch in 2008 to be a real estate company where all real estate agents can learn to build wealth, so they can turn around and help the next person do the same; Nastasia 'Staci' Brown, Realtor and Chair of Social Equity Committee, Lead Buyer Specialist, and Lifetime Nomination as Cultural Ambassador of the entire Keller Williams region; Joey Krutza, who focuses on social equity training, education and development; and Bryant Chandler, who leads the mentorship aspect of this work.   Keller Williams Realty Signature is hosting a Social Equity Wine & Cheese night on Thursday, June 10 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at their Loves Park address. You are invited to a gathering of highly successful professionals to discuss a strategy to promote and ensure social equity in our local business community. Your ideas and input are welcome while we enjoy a wine tasting with Artale Wines and plentiful charcuterie boards!

In this episode, Lisa Bly-Jones, Ed.D. speaks with Sharon Bush, the Executive Director of Grand Victoria Foundation, only the second person to lead the Foundation in its 20-year industry. She has over 20 years of nonprofit and business experience. As proponents of equality and equity with experience professionally and personally, Dr. Bly-Jones and Bush heavily focus on equity in the workplace, the progress that's been made and how there is still much work to be done.  Sharon is a recognized leader in the field who strongly values the economic and social contributions of the nonprofit sector. Throughout her career she has worked to ensure that the sector is strong, equitable, sustainable and highly capable of serving individuals and families throughout the Chicago region. She has launched, led and participated in innovative collaborations that have resulted in thousands of people securing employment and millions of dollars to support the regional workforce system.

In this episode, Dr. Lisa Bly-Jones speaks with Fred DeLaRosa, General Manager of Embassy Suites Rockford, about the hospitality industry before and amid the pandemic, how Embassy Suites remains competitive with lodging options like Airbnb, and insight into his own career pathway and motivation. Fred has over 20 years of experience in the industry and with the Embassy Suites brand, serving various roles throughout his career.

In this episode, Lisa M. Bly-Jones, Ed.D. speaks with Illinois State Representative for the 68th District, Dave Vella, who was recently elected to serve after narrowly winning "in a district (he) wasn't really supposed to win", as he put it. Prior to his election, Dave earned his Law Degree at NIU and served as a Public Defender for 3 years after law school representing indigents in criminal, juvenile, and civic court. He joined the family law firm in Rockford, which he and his brother later took over as partners. Vella's grandfather, E.J. "Zeke" Giorgi served as a representative for over 30 years until his death in 1993.

In this special episode, Lisa M. Bly-Jones, Ed.D. speaks with Dick Rundall of Eliminate Racism 815, a non-profit organization in the Rockford, Illinois area devoted to eliminating racism through education, advocacy, and partnerships. Through the interview, Dr. Bly-Jones learns more about Eliminate Racism 815: their mission, their accomplishments, and how our two organizations can partner together to make change to the economic mobility in our community.

In the conclusion of our two-part series, Lisa M. Bly-Jones, Ed.D. speaks with four of The Workforce Connection’s women Board of Directors members, all of which have earned a key spot as a leader for their organization. Featuring interviews with Pamela Lopez-Fettes of Growth Dimensions, Suzanne Fisher of OSF Healthcare, Michelle Cassaro of the Chicago-Rockford International Airport, and Karen Brown of Highland Community College, these incredible and empowering women share their pieces of wisdom – in a general sense and what they would share with aspiring female leaders.

In this first of two-part series, Lisa M. Bly-Jones, Ed.D. speaks with three of The Workforce Connection's women Board of Directors members, all of which have earned a key spot as a leader for their organization. Featuring interviews with Amy Ott of Boylan Catholic High School, Vanessa Hughes of Hughes Resources, and Kathy Crandall of Crandall Stats & Sensors, these incredible and empowering women share their pieces of wisdom - in a general sense and what they would share with aspiring female leaders.

In this episode, Lisa Bly-Jones, Ed.D. speaks with Sara Dorner, President of Rockford United Labor AFL-CIO. She is the first woman President in the organization's 66 year history. In addition to being the President of Rockford United Labor AFL-CIO, Sara is a labor representative with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Prior to her now 7 years with AFSCME, she was a labor representative with the Minnesota Nurse's Association, and an organizer with the Service Employees International Union in Wisconsin. Her real union education came during her tenure as a flight attendant with United Airlines, where she became active with her union - the Association of Flight Attendants - and remained active throughout her near decade career there. Rockford, Illinois is her hometown where she now lives happily with her husband and two young children. Sara holds a Bachelor degree in English from the University of Illinois-Chicago, she was listed in the Rockford Register Star as "people to watch" in 2019, and was named as one in the Rockford Chamber's 40 leaders under 40 in 2020.

In this episode, Dr. Bly-Jones shares clips from "Building a Business Case for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion" - an employer forum we hosted featuring speaker Dr. Sean Bailey. Mentioning her vision when applying for the grant for the employer forum series, Dr. Bly-Jones ties her vision with a poem from Lisa Nichols titled "The Dream Pt. 2". 

Workforce Wisdom is a podcast brought to you by The Workforce Connection Board. In every episode, Dr. Lisa M. Bly-Jones interviews leaders and professionals across the workforce, informing your path to career success. To kick off this second season, Lisa curates the most striking words of wisdom from conversations last season. While she loved all of the interviews, she selected workforce wisdom clips that resonated with her the most, and further stressed the need to show up and step as bold leaders in 2021.

In this short episode, Lisa reflects on the challenges 2020 has presented us all, what gives her hope for the next year, and a moment of giving thanks. And while we are closing out for the year, be sure to keep an eye out for our return in 2021 on February 3rd!

In this episode, Dr. Bly-Jones is speaking with Lisa Medellin. Lisa serves as Director of Programs for Healthcare Georgia Foundation and is a member of the Executive Leadership Team at the Foundation. She oversees the Foundation's strategic grant making programs, management of program staff, and programmatic partnerships for the foundation. She ensures all programs and initiatives deliver desired results for the Foundation, by focusing on implementing grant making strategies to enable, improve, and advance the health and well-being of all Georgians. Lisa is a primary liaison between the Foundation's philanthropic partners and the non-profit sector, both in Georgia and nationally. She provides thought-leadership to the Foundation on identifying new strategic funding opportunities, cultivating partnerships, and directs the allocation of the Foundation's annual distribution of $3.8 million. Since joining the foundation in 2005, Lisa has been responsible for awarding over $57 million in grants in Georgia. Lisa has successfully implemented a multitude of foundation health initiatives and programs during her tenure. She received her Master of Social Work from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, and completed her undergraduate degree from Illinois State University before leaving us and going to Georgia.

October is Manufacturing Month. In this episode of the Workforce Wisdom podcast, Dr. Bly-Jones is speaking with Andy Bittman, General Manager for IMA Automation North America, who has been with the company since 2017. Andy has been involved in product development and manufacturing tests and assembly equipment development, including class 3 medical devices, aerospace products, and industrial products for the past 25 years. He has a Business of Science and Electrical Engineering degree from Marquette University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.

In this episode, Dr. Bly-Jones is speaking with Terry Roche, President of Northern Precision Plastics, which is located in Belvidere, Illinois, approximately 30 minutes northwest of Chicago. Their two buildings have over 60,000 sq. ft. including their new state of the art printing facility and an assembly area for electronic components and custom packaging. Operation is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with three shifts. The five main processes that constitute operations are injection molding, thermoforming, CNC routing, digital printing and final assembly. Mr. Roche is an operationally focused executive who has led mid-sized industrial manufacturing companies as large as $125 million in revenue. He earned his B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering, cum laude, from Texas A&M University, and his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. During Manufacturing month, we hear from Terry about his day-to-day and what he loves about his industry.

Ms. Aranda-Suh leads the National Latino Education Institute (formerly Spanish Coalition for Jobs, Inc.) as its Executive Director since 2008. The National Latino Education Institute (NLEI) is a nonprofit and nationally accredited. The organization started in the mid-60s and incorporated in Chicago in 1972. NLEI’s mission is to advance our community’s economic independence through market and results-driven education, training, employment and advocacy.   NLEI has served generations of Latino families enabling economic empowerment through comprehensive industry-driven education, career placement and supportive services. NLEI offers a variety of high quality services designed to meet the varying needs of the adult learner and workforce. NLEI’s competitive workforce education include industries such as healthcare and energy. The services are holistic in nature as the staples include building participant capacity in financial literacy, technology and wellness

In this episode, Dr. Bly-Jones is speaking with Amanda M. Sink, Board Strategic Initiatives Manager for The Workforce Connection and Editor/Producer of Workforce Wisdom. In honor of Workforce Development, it seemed most appropriate to close out September with a poignant discussion on the world of workforce from the lenses of professionals with various experience.   Amanda serves as the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's Rockford Chair and Advocate, as IGNITE Young Professionals’ Board Secretary, as well as a member of the Northern IL 100 Women Who Care. With a driven passion to help those in need, Amanda also served a decade of leadership volunteerism with the American Cancer Society. She has over 5 years’ experience in media as a professional film critic, short story author, and podcaster, recognized by the industry with five podcast award nominations and one win.     Her educational background includes a B.S. in Psychology and Film Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, with research specializing in intimate partner violence and suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention, and an A.A. from Rock Valley College.

In this episode, Dr. Bly-Jones is speaking with Dr. Paige Niehaus, the Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Innovation Office at Wayne County Community College District in Detroit Michigan. Dr Niehaus is a passionate leader with 29 years of community college experience. Prior to her current role, she was the Director for Workforce Development at Joliet Junior College in Joliet, Illinois. As the Chief Innovation Officer and Executive Director of the Design Center of WCCCD, she has a leadership role in growing the district's innovation and entrepreneurial capacity.

In this episode, Dr. Bly-Jones is speaking with Cathy Cornelius, Board Assistant for The Workforce Connection board. The two speak about leadership and the ability to lead from any position in the organization. As the Board Assistant, Cathy works with Elected Officials from three counties, a Mayor, Executives from the business community, college Presidents, other government leaders, as well as the Executive Director of The Workforce Connection. 

In this episode, Dr. Lisa Bly-Jones is interviewing Dan White, Board Fiscal Manager at The Workforce Connection. Dan has over 25 years of accounting experience, on top of 20 years of IT experience. Using his analytical skills and critical thinking, Dan was able to transition the board staff - within less than a week - to being fully functional in a remote capacity. Dr. Bly-Jones peers into the mind of a forward-thinking and adaptable professional, to discuss electronic company security, potential changes in the workforce, and of course, his workforce wisdom. 

In this week's episode, Dr. Bly-Jones is interviewing Scott Bloomquist, the Regional Superintendent for Boone and Winnebago counties in Illinois. Scott has over 20 years leadership experience and began his leadership development in college when he founded and served as President of the the local chapter of FCA at Concordia University in St. Paul Minnesota. During Scott's internship and full time work with Youth for Christ, he was exposed to working with at risk youth and the world of fundraising. He started his own youth outreach organization (The Lighthouse) because of a need for youth mentoring he saw in his community. As Scott continued to grow in leadership and recognizing the power of influence with youth, he entered the field of education. Scott used the leadership principles he learned to grow from a part-time bus driver to Superintendent in 13 years. He has coached football and wrestling, helping several athletes become collegiate athletes at the Division I and other levels.  Scott holds a BA in Psychology, MS in Educational Leadership, and an Ed.S in Educational Leadership. As he continues to study leadership and is a Certified John Maxwell Team Coach, Speaker, and Presenter. Scott has had the opportunity to speak all over the nation from Minnesota to Florida and internationally in Papua New Guinea.

Karin M. Norington-Reaves is a lifelong public servant with more than 25 years of experience in education, law, advocacy, community, and workforce development. In 2012, Karin became the founding Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership (The Partnership) upon her appointment by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.   As CEO and change agent, she led the merger and restructuring of three diverse workforce systems into what is now the nation’s most extensive workforce system managed by a non-profit administrative agency. Karin leads The Partnership’s mission to ensure that “every person has the skills to build a career and every business have the talent it needs to compete in a global economy.”   She oversees the administration of federal, state and philanthropic funds and the creation of effective programs that assure alignment between the skills demanded by a changing economy and those offered by the region’s labor force. She also works to generate both private and public funding to expand the services available throughout Chicago-land. In her tenure, The Partnership has raised nearly $50 million in diverse funds, including a $10.9 million grant awarded by the Walmart Foundation – the most significant gift in the history of the foundation.

In this episode, Dr. Bly-Jones is speaking with Amanda Cage, Chief Executive Officer for National Fund for Workforce Solutions (NFWS). NFWS is a national network promoting economic opportunity and prosperous communities through investment and innovation. Based in Washington D.C., the National Fund partners with philanthropy, employers, workers, public and private community organizations, and more than 30 regional collaboratives to invest in skills, improve systems, and generate good jobs.

In this episode, Dr. Bly-Jones is speaking with Bob Lanter, Executive Director of the California Workforce Association, a leader in workforce strategy and the implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act for the state of California. Bob has worked almost two decades in the public sector and non-profit industry, with experience in the field of workforce development and job training. He has held various positions in local workforce investment systems from case manager to the Executive Director of the Contra Costa County Workforce Board. He gained national/federal experience working for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration as a Federal Project Officer. 

In this episode, Dr. Bly-Jones is joined by Dr. Rena Cotsones, Associate Vice President of Outreach, Engagement and Regional Development for Northern Illinois University (NIU). In her role, Rena works with regional partners to create and implement collaborative approaches to advancing education, economic development, workforce development, and innovation initiatives in northern Illinois and Chicagoland.  Dr. Bly-Jones and Dr. Cotsones discuss working in higher education, the benefits and methods of effective collaboration, and how Rena made her steps to her current position, modeling after her father. 

Roberta (Bobbie) Holzwarth is the Chair of the firm’s Employment & Labor Group.  Bobbie represents employers in various employment and labor matters, including: counseling in complex ADA, EEO, FMLA and other workplace matters, sexual harassment investigations and training, negotiation of collective bargaining agreements, preparation of employment and no-compete agreements, and the preparation and review of employee handbooks and personnel policies. Bobbie also represents employers and employee welfare benefit plans in connection with employee benefit matters.  Bobbie’s litigation experience includes the representation of employers in discrimination and sexual harassment cases, retaliatory discharge and other “employment tort” cases such as those involving tortious interference, defamation and breach of privacy claims, and breach of contract cases. Her experience also includes litigation of unfair competition claims, ERISA and COBRA benefit claims, FLSA and other wage claims, as well as prevailing wage claims. She has represented employers in state and federal court, and in administrative proceedings before the United States and Illinois Departments of Labor, as well as the NLRB and the Illinois State Labor Relations Board.  Bobbie also serves as a certified mediator with the local state and federal courts.

In this episode, Dr. Bly-Jones is joined by State Representative Maurice West to discuss his rise in politics, public access to technology, and much more. Rep. West is serving his first term representing the 67th House District in Rockford, IL. and lives by the motto of "serving the bold and the vibrant".  A Rockford native, Rep. West serves on four committees, which are the Appropriations for Higher Education, Higher Education, Mental Health, and Judiciary - Criminal. He was also elected to serve as the House Secretary for the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus.  After high school he went on to receive his Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Sociology from Illinois College in Jacksonville, IL, and Master's degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. After completing his education he came back to Rockford and began working at Rock Valley College (RVC) as a Career Counselor for the Dislocated Workers Program. For three and a half years he assisted people within the community who were laid-off from their jobs to find new work and/or be retrained to become more marketable in the workforce. While at RVC, he received the Booker Washington Community Center’s 25 Black Leaders to Watch Young Leader on the Rise Award in 2012.

Workforce Wisdom is a podcast brought to you by The Workforce Connection Board. In every episode, Dr. Lisa M. Bly-Jones interviews leaders and professionals across the workforce, informing your path to career success. In this episode, Dr. Bly-Jones is joined by Danielle Angileri, Executive Director of the Northern Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Northern Illinois. NAMI is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. Danielle discusses the care-giving stresses, the rising levels of domestic violence, NAMI's mission, and the affect loneliness has on one's self.

In this episode, Dr. Bly-Jones is joined by Mayor Thomas McNamara. Elected in 2017, Mayor McNamara serves Rockford, Illinois and got his start as a politician serving as alderman of Rockford's 3rd ward. Throughout the episode, McNamara shares his insights into government, leading through crisis, wisdom he received from his father - former Mayor of Rockford, Illinois - and the value of the people around you. 

In this episode, Dr. Bly-Jones is joined by President and CEO of the National Association of Workforce Board (NAWB), Ron Painter. In his capacity as CEO of NAWB, Painter has traveled the country meeting with State and Local workforce leaders in an effort to identify cutting-edge practices and programs and understand how best to spread innovative trends in human capital development throughout the nation-wide job training system. As leaders of workforce development, the two discuss the value of workforce boards, the survival of small businesses amid a pandemic, and ongoing conversations on The Hill. 

In this episode, Dr. Lisa Bly-Jones is joined by Ed Wood, Vice President of Human Resources for Berner Food and Beverage, to discuss his workforce sector: food processing manufacturing. Ed discusses the many ways HR keeps employees top of the mind, the way his sector is responding amid COVID-19, and of course, his piece of workforce wisdom.

In this episode, Melinda Mack, Executive Director for New York's Workforce Association (NYATEP) joins to discuss the elements pertinent to workforce and business strategy during COVID, the future of the workforce and the potential positive impacts on low-wage earning workers. You will hear the epitome of workforce wisdom, as Melinda dives right into some of the most provoking words of advice she has received and offers as a professional leader in her field. 

In this episode, Pam Clark Reidenbach from Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence (NICNE) joins to discuss the COVID-19 impact on the nonprofit sector of the workforce. Pam has given the majority of her adult career to the service of others and leads training sessions for those interested in pursuing a career in philanthropy. Pam and Dr. Bly-Jones also discuss the leadership skills of those that give their lives to helping other and what organizations in the nonprofit sector can do to in order to manage and recover amid these times.