Workforce Development Archives - Page 2 of 2

FOCO Talks: The Status of Workforce Development in Forsyth County

September 30, 2022 by Amanda Pearch

FoCo Talks

FOCO Talks: The Status of Workforce Development in Forsyth County

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FOCO TALKS, the official #Chambercast of the Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce

Dr. Valery Lowe, Director of College & Career Development with Forsyth County School System.

Having been very active in business and career classes during her time at South, Dr. Valery Lowe is now helping students throughout Forsyth County Schools discover their passions for engineering, marketing, culinary arts, veterinary science, and more. As the Director of College & Career Development, she oversees the direction of the entire CTAE programs at all of the high schools in Forsyth County.

Brooke Stall is the Director of Workforce Development for the Forsyth County Chamber Brooke is a 26-year hospitality veteran whose career started as a housekeeper and rose to multi-unit management and ultimately into the Learning and Development arena, which is where she found her true passion to give others the opportunity to grow their careers as she had. Brooke serves Forsyth County where she works to connect the local Business community with the Award-winning School system while working directly with businesses to create customized recruitment strategies.

Derek Brooks is the 2022 Board Chair of the Forsyth County Chamber. Additionally, he is a Forsyth County native, who was in the third graduating class of South Forsyth High School. He owns and operates Brandywine Printing Inc , a family-owned business founded in the early 80s by his father. Brandywine Printing helps organizations succeed by providing printed materials that improve their image or make them more efficient.
Derek has finds a lot of joy in being involved with multiple charities and nonprofits in his community and believes that you get what you give, so give a lot!

Michelle Daniels is the VP of Business Development. The FOCO Chamber is the voice of business, providing community leadership, information and solutions to foster a strong economic environment and a superior quality of life in Forsyth County. Michelle and team take great pride in creating events centered around connectivity and growth. To learn more about membership and Chamber offerings, visit www.focochamber.org. Check out their YouTube channel.

SERIES PRESENTED BY:

“FOCO Talks” is presented by the Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce

Broadcasted LIVE from the Forsyth Business RadioX Studio in Cumming, Georgia

Produced by Amanda Pearch

Tonya Hicks and Nicole Jones, Women Do Everything

September 27, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Tonya Hicks and Nicole Jones, Women Do Everything

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Tonya Hicks and Nicole Jones, Women Do Everything (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 527)

Tonya Hicks and Nicole Jones, Women Do Everything, LLC, joined host John Ray to share the tremendous work their organization does empowering and encouraging women to pursue male-dominated occupations. Tonya and Nicole discussed the Women Do Everything Summit and Career Expo to be held on October 1, 2022. They also explained the challenges facing women in the workforce, who the Summit is designed for, the tracks and speakers, their vision for women in the workforce, and much more.

North Fulton Business Radio is produced and broadcast by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Women Do Everything, LLC

Women Do Everything, LLC was founded by Tonya Hicks in 2015 as a social enterprise on a mission to change the future of work for women by providing the tools necessary to gain access to high-paying careers and contracts in male-dominated industries.

Her passion was inspired, in part, by her own career journey. Hicks was the first Black woman to be certified as a journeyman electrician in her home state of Mississippi. She is also the CEO of her electrical engineering firm Power Solutions, which she founded 22 years ago at the age of 28. (In the United States, only 2.4% of electricians are women, and just 9.5% of electrical contracting businesses are owned by women.)

“Women have always stepped up selflessly, leaving their jobs behind and limiting their own earning potential,” said Hicks. “Women need equitable career and job opportunities that pay a livable wage, benefits that support women’s health, and access to affordable housing. The life of the working woman has changed drastically and it’s time the working world responds.”

Tonya Hicks will bring this message to the masses when her Women Do Everything (WDE) Summit and Career Expo kicks off in Atlanta on Saturday, October 1, 2022. The event will feature some of today’s most accomplished women entrepreneurs, executives and community leaders who will gather to offer insight, advice and even jobs to the hundreds who will be in attendance. The festivities will then continue with a free career expo starting at 9:00 AM at Georgia State University’s Center Parc Stadium.

Company Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Tonya L. Hicks, President and CEO, Power Solutions, Inc. and Women Do Everything, LLC

Tonya L. Hicks is the President and CEO of Power Solutions, Inc. and the Managing Principal of Women Do Everything, LLC. Ms. Hicks is a serial entrepreneur and journeyman wireman electrician in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). She became the first woman – not to mention first African American woman – to become a journeyman wireman in Local 917 of IBEW in her hometown of Meridian, Mississippi. Ms. Hicks specializes in robotics, building automation, and high voltage equipment installation and repair.

In 2000, at the age of 28, Ms. Hicks founded Power Solutions, Inc.; an electrical contracting and facility maintenance company specializing in renewable energy, sustainability, and smart city technology. In 2015, Ms. Hicks launched Women Do Everything LLC; a workforce development and technology company helping women to thrive in male-dominated industries through employment or entrepreneurship.

Tonya Hicks serves on the board of C5 Georgia Leadership Foundation, Georgia Women’s Chamber of Commerce, and Board Chair for Partners in Action for Healthy Living (PAHL). In November 2019, Ms. Hicks was featured in Forbes Japan for expanding her business in Singapore and the New York Times for her progress as a tradeswoman and business owner in the construction industry. Ms. Hicks is a Leadership Atlanta Class of 2022 alumni and a Sustainability Ambassador for the City of Atlanta.

Tonya is a graduate of the inaugural classes of the City of Atlanta Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI), Women Export University by UPS, The Bridge Accelerator by Microsoft, and the African Diaspora Network (ABLE) Program. Ms. Hicks has received several honors and awards but most importantly she’s proud to be called “Mom” by her sons: Rashadim (28) and Vincent (16).

Ms. Hicks enjoys golf, cooking, gardening, and volunteering on community projects.

Company Website | LinkedIn

Nicole Jones, Co-Founder, Women Do Everything, LLC and Founder/CEO ‘The Perfect Fit’ Global HR Solutions

Nicole is a co-founder of Women Do Everything, LLC and works on community efforts for the organization. She has a twenty-year career in Human Resources.

In addition to helping coordinate the Women Do Everything Summit, Nicole is a speaker in the Work Track of the Summit happening on October 1st, 2022 at Center Park Stadium. The inaugural summit includes panel discussions, one-on-one networking and a career expo curated for women trying to find profitable new opportunities in a post-pandemic economy.

Questions and Topics in the Interview:

Description of the Conference
Why did you want to create this event?
What makes it different from other similar conferences?
What results to you want your attendees to take from the conference?
What drew you to work in a male-dominated profession?

North Fulton Business Radio is hosted by John Ray and broadcast and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.

Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown to become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions with over $13 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Special thanks to A&S Culinary Concepts for their support of this edition of North Fulton Business Radio. A&S Culinary Concepts, based in Johns Creek, is an award-winning culinary studio, celebrated for corporate catering, corporate team building, Big Green Egg Boot Camps, and private group events. They also provide oven-ready, cooked-from-scratch meals to go they call “Let Us Cook for You.” To see their menus and events, go to their website or call 678-336-9196.

LIVE from the GNFCC Grand Opening Celebration: Melvin Everson, Gwinnett Technical College

September 19, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

LIVE from the GNFCC Grand Opening Celebration: Melvin Everson, Gwinnett Technical College

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LIVE from the GNFCC Grand Opening Celebration: Melvin Everson, Gwinnett Technical College (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 521)

Melvin Everson, Gwinnett Technical College, stopped by to chat with North Fulton Business Radio host John Ray during the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce Grand Opening Celebration. Melvin discussed Gwinnett Tech’s presence in North Fulton, recent developments at the college, why Gwinnett Tech is so active in GNFCC, and more.

This show was originally broadcast live from the Grand Opening celebration and ribbon cutting of the new offices of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce at the 10000 Building at Avalon in Alpharetta, Georgia, on August 18, 2022.

North Fulton Business Radio is produced and broadcast by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Gwinnett Technical College

Gwinnett Tech has been providing career-focused education and training for our region for more than 35 years. Our programs focus on real-world education for real-world jobs and help you gain the knowledge you need to realize your dreams.

We offer more than 140 programs – degree, diploma and certificate options – that you can finish in two years or less. Programs in the fastest growing fields, plus emerging industries and technologies, where employers need a highly skilled workforce and our graduates are in demand.

Gwinnett Technical College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award the associate degree. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Gwinnett Technical College.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

Melvin Everson, Vice President, Economic Development, Gwinnett Technical College

Melvin Everson leads the College’s economic programming with a plethora of workforce development programs focused on training and education to grow businesses. He oversees continuing education, career services, and the Launch Pointe Center for Career Experience.

Everson brings more than 30 years of leadership and economic development in both the public and private sectors.

Everson mostly recently served as the College’s Director of Business and Industry Training. Prior to joining the College, he served as the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development and Executive Director of the Georgia Commission of Equal Opportunity. Everson also served as a Georgia State Representative for House District 106, on the Snellville City Council, and in the United States Army. Everson holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminology from Albany State University.

Questions and Topics in the Interview:

Gwinnett Tech
Recent developments
Gwinnett Tech’s connection to GNFCC

Tony Kimbrough, Veterans Empowerment Organization

August 2, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Tony Kimbrough, Veterans Empowerment Organization

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North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 480)

A veteran himself, Tony Kimbrough, CEO of Veterans Empowerment Organization, was in the studio with host John Ray to highlight the work of the VEO in helping homeless veterans find housing and rebuild their lives. Tony shared some of the issues veterans face, the VEO campus on the westside of Atlanta, systemic cultural issues at play, the need for affordable stable housing, employment, and much more.

North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

An estimated 2000 veterans throughout Georgia have little access to the resources they need for daily living. There are many invisible wounds that affect veterans, including post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, depression, and anxiety – all of which can lead to homelessness.

VEO’s mission is to connect Veterans to vital resources that will assist in rebuilding their holistic well-being, and empower them to make positive changes in their life.

VEO offers a healing campus environment that allows veterans to rebuild their lives. Its mission is to empower veterans along their journey to self-sufficiency.

Veteran Empowerment Organization follows a Housing model. Their housing programs offer both temporary and permanent solutions to uplift low-income and homeless veterans. Through emergency beds, Veterans Empowerment Organization provides low-barrier access to ensure that veterans have a safe place to stay while procuring permanent housing placement. Veteran Empowerment Organization provides veterans with transitional housing as a way to garner permanent housing or independent living. Their residential site offers housing in a supportive, therapeutic community, with wraparound care including workforce development, mental health, and optimal wellness, and case management services to help veterans address their specific challenges and needs.

VEO’s Optimal Wellness program offers professional counseling from licensed clinicians and peer mentorship services with a focus on social reintegration.

Company website | Facebook | Instagram

**Tony Kimbrough, CEO, Veterans Empowerment Organization**

Tony Kimbrough is Chief Executive Officer for Veterans Empowerment Organization.

Part of a family with a long military heritage, Tony Kimbrough joined the South Carolina Army National Guard during his junior year at The Citadel. His subsequent eight years of service as a military intelligence officer included a year with the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan, where he led an embedded training team.

Tony was formerly the Executive Director of Atlanta’s East Lake Family YMCA. He was recruited to Atlanta as head of the Arthur M. Blank Youth YMCA in 2015 and took on that role in 2017.

A native of Kentucky, Kimbrough grew up in Metro Atlanta, where his father was an executive with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and his mother a development officer with the YMCA.

After college, Kimbrough spent four years with Mannheim Auto Auctions in Georgia, North Carolina, and Arizona before moving to the nonprofit sector, first with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and then with the YMCA.

Questions and Topics in this Interview:

What are the problems veterans are facing?
What is VEO?
Tell us about your military journey and how you became involved with VEO
What services do you offer?
How can others get involved?

Special thanks to A&S Culinary Concepts for their support of this edition of North Fulton Business Radio. A&S Culinary Concepts, based in Johns Creek, is an award-winning culinary studio, celebrated for corporate catering, corporate team building, Big Green Egg Boot Camps, and private group events. They also provide oven-ready, cooked from scratch meals to go they call “Let Us Cook for You.” To see their menus and events, go to their website or call 678-336-9196.

It Takes A Village E30

March 21, 2022 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

It Takes A Village E30

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It Takes A Village E30

On this episode of Collaborative Connections Radio Show and Podcast, host Kelly Lorenzen had the pleasure of interviewing some amazing leaders in our community.

Ania Kubicki, CEO & Founder of ANGLES Communications and President-Elect of NAWBO Phx, Laura Bode, Director of Community Engagement of A New Leaf, and Shana Duffy, Principle Consultant, Blue Ocean Advisory and owner of Yellow Day Marketing joined Kelly on-air for an enlightening conversation.

If you want to be inspired, get more involved in the Arizona community, or learn something new about PR, non-profits, business ownership, or women in business, then check out this episode.

Did you know there is a media collaborative in Phoenix that focuses on Positivity? The Center for Positive Media just opened and Ania was excited to share about it. https://www.thecenterforpositivemedia.com/

Did you know that NAWBO advocates for women in business? They are a great resource in our community. https://www.nawbo.org/phoenix

Did you know that A New Leaf helps sexual and domestic violence victims? They are opening a Rap Crisis Center next month. Check out all of their services at https://www.turnanewleaf.org/services/

Did you know there is a consulting firm that helps brands connect with financial institutions for co-branded credit cards and loyalty programs? Shana Duffy is a principal consultant with them and a great resource for small and large businesses needing help with customer loyalty. https://boadvisory.com/

These ladies shared some GREAT resources, stories, and quotes during the show about everything above and more. It is worth the hour to listen to this episode of Collaborative Connections.

Thank you, KLM Consulting, Marketing, and Management for sponsoring Collaborative Connections Radio Show and Podcast.

A New Leaf advances its mission of “Helping Families…Changing Lives” by providing meaningful opportunities to empower disadvantaged individuals and families, and to create a stronger and healthier community. A New Leaf’s 30+ programs in the Phoenix Metro area address households’ immediate and longer-term needs through a continuum of care that promotes social and economic health and stability.

Services include emergency shelter, supportive housing, domestic and sexual violence support, financial empowerment, behavioral and primary health care, foster care, early childhood education, and family preservation. With 51 years’ experience providing social services to local communities, A New Leaf anticipates improving more than 30,000 lives this year through culturally responsive programming that cultivates equity in the community.

Laura Bode serves as A New Leaf’s Director of Community Engagement. She has worked with A New Leaf for 10 years and is passionate about advancing the critical services the organization provides for the community.

She engages community corporations, foundations, civic leaders, and service groups to build awareness, funding, in-kind donations, and volunteer service to support all of A New Leaf’s programs.

Follow A New Leaf on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

ANGLES is a communications agency with a mission to connect ideas and the people behind them to those who benefit from them. ANGLES works with visionaries who challenge the status quo and disrupt industries that need change.

We help our clients bring positive change to industries, communities and the world through highly curated communications strategies and programs.

Ania Kubicki started her career in public relations in New York City, working on high profile campaigns for destinations and political organizations. She moved to Phoenix in 2002 and started her agency, ANGLES Communications in 2006.

Ania is passionate about her clients and works with growth-oriented companies, powerful organizations and meaningful non-profits. She firmly believes that if you are not telling your story, someone will tell it for you.

Ania is an active member of our community serving on multiple committees, supporting and volunteering for causes in education, arts & entertainment as well as women and children. She is the President-Elect of the Phoenix Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners and is passionate about helping people overcome adversity and own their stories!

Connect with Ania on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Blue Ocean is a multi-faceted advisory firm that excels in brand loyalty and payments solutions with a strong emphasis in the co-brand credit card space. Blue Ocean uses their vast experience and industry knowledge to successfully align brand partners and merchants with issuing banks and payment providers.

The Blue Ocean team has spent many years effectively negotiating co-branded programs nationally and internationally for travel, auto, retail, and financial institution brands. Additionally they manage RFP’s and contracts with Issuers and all three Card Networks; Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.

Blue Ocean also provides operational and marketing guidance on credit card programs to maximize growth and revenue, create winning marketing and focused strategies that enhance consumer loyalty through enhanced product value and innovation.

Beyond marketing and business development the Blue Ocean team has strong operational backgrounds that cover Credit, Risk, Fraud, Customer Service, Forecasting, Financial Analysis, and user Analytics.

Shana Duffy is a Principal Consultant with over 25 years of experience in the credit card and co-brand industry. Her experience runs deep across Operations, Marketing, and Business Development.

Shana spent over 20 years at Bank of America where she managed Credit Underwriting, Fraud, and Risk teams and strategies before transitioning to co-brand marketing where she spent 10 years managing a suite of successful programs such as America West, Alaska Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines.

Prior to joining Blue Ocean Advisory in June 2020, Shana spent 7 years managing Retail, Airline, and Financial Institution co-branded programs at U.S. Bank.

Shana’s skills span across executive leadership, program management, product development and innovation, contract renewals and negotiation, revenue generation, and relationship management.

Follow Blue Ocean on LinkedIn.

About Collaborative Connections

Kelly Lorenzen started the “Collaborative Connections” show to bring her clients and favorite charities together to meet each other, connect and collaborate in life and business. She hopes to build a stronger community one show at a time.

About Our Sponsor

KLM is a one-stop support shop for small business owners who are starting, growing, or trying to sustain. Our purpose is to foster the growth and prosperity of small businesses in our community.

Entrepreneurs & small business owners come to KLM for support in all areas of business. KLM clients think of us as a concierge, business snuggy, another arm, or duplicate for the business owner; They call us when they need us. Business owners can continue to do what they love while having the support they need when they need it.

About Your Host

Kelly Lorenzen, CEO of KLM, is an award-winning entrepreneur with over 15 years of business-ownership experience. She is also a certified project management professional.

Kelly’s expertise is in business development, customer service, marketing, and sales.

Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn, and follow KLM Consulting on Facebook.

Laura Hemenway With Paradigm Solutions Rob Buelow and Amy O’Reilly With AZNext

February 3, 2022 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Laura Hemenway With Paradigm Solutions Rob Buelow and Amy O'Reilly With AZNext

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Laura Hemenway With Paradigm Solutions Rob Buelow and Amy O’Reilly With AZNext

Paradigm Solutions leads knowledge driven success through Technology and Business Transformation.

Paradigm Solutions’ portfolio includes Fortune 10, Small Business, Public, Private, Public Sector, and Non-Proit industry wide initiatives ranging from Assessment to Optimization to Transformation.

Paradigm Solutions LLC is a woman owned consultancy based in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Laura Hemenway is Founder and Principal of Paradigm Solutions, a consultancy leading knowledge driven success through Technology and Business Transformation

Laura’s broad and deep technical experience, strong business acumen, and lifelong passion as an educator and mentor power her success as a technology and business transformation leader.

Her technology career spanning roles as Developer, Business Analyst, Solution Architect, Project Manager, PMO Director, and Fractional CIO afford her the in-depth expertise to communicate, collaborate, and drive results.

Laura shares her passion and expertise as an Arizona State University W.P. Carey School of Business Guest Speaker, AZNext Contributor, and Title I School STEAM Mentor.

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn.

AZNext is a public-private partnership to address the acute need for mid- to high-skilled workforce in information technology (IT)/cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing within Arizona and across the nation. AZNext brings together employers, a Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) workforce development network, state-level economic development organizations, and industry partnerships, while creating a model for replication across the Southwest and the US.

Led by Arizona State University (ASU), AZNext includes three key innovations by creating: (a) modular, flexible, and progressively higher-skill career pathways in IT/cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing sectors; (b) new flexible ASU digital courseware (convert existing and new courses) on an innovative digital platform; and (c) next-level collaborations with employers and among industry associations and workforce development organizations to provide various training experiences.

Rob Buelow is the Program Director for the AZNext Workforce Training Accelerator Partnership Grant. Teaming ASU with Industry/Community Partners to develop the next generation workforce in Advance Manufacturing and Information Systems.

Over 20 years of industry experience in project and program management, process design and improvement, program implementations, team leadership, and business and customer management.

Education:
Master of Business Administration, WP Carey School of Business, Arizona State University
Bachelor of Science, Business Operations, DeVry University

Amy O’Reilly is the Project Manager for AZNext at Arizona State University and works closely with industry and community partners to develop innovative work-based learning programs in high-growth sectors.

Originally from Chicago, Amy graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism & Mass Communication, a minor in International Studies, and a TESOL certification. Amy taught English in Japan with the JET Program before beginning her career in higher education with Arizona State University in 2016.

Amy completed her MBA at ASU in 2019 with a focus in international business and marketing. She is determined to help all learners further their education with industry-relevent experience and knowledge of how to reach their personal and professional goals.

Follow AZNext on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Coaching, HR and More E27

December 23, 2021 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Coaching, HR and More E27

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Coaching, HR and More E27

Imagine if we all had a coach or accountability partner for every area of our lives. What if every workplace was inclusive, equitable, and diverse? What would the world be like? Check out this episode of Collaborative Connections Radio Show & Podcast to hear what these experts think about it.

Host, Kelly Lorenzen was joined on-air by Laurel Elders, CEO of Institute for Integrative Intelligence, Mary Henry, Co-Founder or AZ Talent CoOp, and Tamica Sears, The Corporate Fixer at Sears Coaching. These amazing business leaders shared their perspectives on HR, corporate America, coaching, collaboration, mindset and more.

The Institute for Integrative Intelligence is a team of masterful coaches on a mission to elevate human potential through the art and science of Integrative Intelligence®.

The Institute has a strong mission to equip professionals, leaders, and companies to dive into the core of intelligent transformations. The company values leaving a positive footprint and being a part of the solution.

The Institute offers ICF accredited coach training programs in life enhancement, leadership excellence, and human development.

Laurel Elders is the founder and CEO of the Institute for Integrative Intelligence. She began her career as a coach in 2005 after noticing that we are living in pivotal times; corporations often place profit above people, individuals are feeling lost in the “rat race” and corporate drive is leaving the largest scale impact on the future of sustainability.

Laurel observed how coaching is powerfully tapping into the next phase of human potential in ways never before experienced and is contributing to powerful solutions. She is invested in bringing the highest levels of coach training and mentoring, into a world that needs people’s gifts, talents, purpose and heart, now more than ever.

Her clients and students are torch holders for positive impact, locally and globally, in service to the success of generations to come.

Connect with Laurel on LinkedIn and follow the Institute for Integrative Intelligence on Facebook.

Sears Coaching provides leadership development, executive coaching, and HR consulting to small and medium businesses that are struggling to rise to their full potential.

Using team coaching, one on one coaching, training, and consulting techniques, they help create breakthroughs and transformations that are needed for organizations to be innovative, inclusive, and profitable.

Sears Coaching focuses on developing leaders in an effort to change the face of corporate America by shifting the ways that leaders behave and disrupting the status quo. They create a “new normal”, a workplace where everyone is appreciated and feels like they belong.

Tamica Sears, The Corporate Fixer, has over 20 years of experience in Human Resources in various industries and Fortune 500 companies. She has coached leaders, teams, and individual contributors. Her focus is on helping leaders gain a better understanding of who they are, their strengths, and development opportunities, so they can move forward with authenticity.

A self-professed HR nerd, she loves working with leaders on projects like strategic planning, org restructuring, talent reviews, and succession planning. What really makes her heart sing is coaching teams to be more cohesive and collaborative.

Identifying self-esteem as a common issue with many leaders, Tamica published “You Are Enough”, a book of motivational quotes designed to increase self-esteem in 30 days, and has a second leadership development book releasing in February, “Are You an A**hole Boss?”.

Connect with Tamica on LinkedIn and follow Sears Coaching on Facebook.

AZ Talent CoOp is a collaboration of People centered associations and their members. Our focus is professional development, board development and member experience through shared events.

Our impact is to create value by understanding how to build and maintain inclusive workplaces.

Mary Henry is a human resources consultant and recognized leader in change management, people development, and organization assessment focusing on adding bottom-line value to organizations through People Process and Profit.

Her stellar leadership background with Fortune 50 companies in the retail space has been instrumental in her being sought after for organization change assignments. As a senior human resources leader with a major pharmacy retailer, Mary was selected as the HR Partner aligned with the business in multiple acquisitions. During these lengthy assignments she used the many change models to effectively integrate the acquired companies into the organization and culture with detailed approaches, tools, and strategies.

Mary holds the SPHR, Senior Professional in Human Resource designation from the Society of Human Resource management. Mary holds the designation through TTI Success Insights International as a Certified Growth Curve Strategist, Certified Professional in Behavioral Analyst CPBA and Certified Professional Motivators Analyst. She is currently the Co Founder and Executive Director of the Arizona Talent CoOp and is an independent service provider of business services to growing companies.

Connect with Mary on LinkedIn and follow AZ Talent CoOp on Facebook.

About Collaborative Connections

About Our Sponsor

KLM Consulting is a business development firm with over 18 years of award-winning business savvy. Their purpose is to foster the growth and prosperity of small businesses in our community.

Everything KLM does is to help small businesses build, grow, and sustain. They enable owners to get back to doing what they love about their business and bring them happiness.

By offering business development strategy sessions, concierge services, consulting, marketing, project management, and social media training, KLM’s clients can continue to do what they love while having the support they need when they need it.

About Your Host

Kelly Lorenzen, CEO of KLM Consulting, is an award-winning entrepreneur with over 15 years of business-ownership experience. She is also a certified project management professional.

Kelly’s expertise is in business development, customer service, marketing, and sales.

Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn, and follow KLM Consulting on Facebook.

Workforce Development: Cultivating Arizona’s Tech Talent Future E13

May 10, 2021 by Karen

Workforce-Development-Cultivating-Arizona’s-Tech-Talent-Future-FEATURE

AZ TechCast

Workforce Development: Cultivating Arizona’s Tech Talent Future E13

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Workforce Development: Cultivating Arizona’s Tech Talent Future E13

While technology and innovation bring new solutions to life, it can sometimes result in unforeseen challenges and opportunities. Although the IT and cybersecurity industry is the fastest-growing sector in the state, there are currently more than 7,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs in Arizona alone. As a result of this exponential sector growth, many of Arizona’s IT and cyber companies are faced with a huge talent gap. For Arizona to fulfill its destiny as a world-class tech hub, it will need to prioritize an outcome-driven approach to meet industry and employer needs in IT and cybersecurity.

Moderated by Phoenix Business RadioX, a distinguished panel of tech leaders recently joined AZTechCast for an engaging discussion on scalable solutions and comprehensive resources to not only address Arizona’s tech-talent shortage, but to create a digital destination to explore career opportunities, internships, apprenticeships, training programs and scholarships to build the region’s talent pipeline and close the gap between students and industry.

Arizona’s tech industry is thriving! Unfortunately, the sector is challenged by a shortage of skilled IT and cybersecurity professionals. To maintain the state’s trajectory and economic recovery, a group of distinguished tech leaders shared insight on the specific jobs that are the most in-demand in Arizona’s tech sector, what outcome-driven approaches Arizona companies and key stakeholders are taking to address this tech-talent deficit, as well as the collaborative efforts that are helping to drive meaningful workforce development for Arizona’s IT/cyber sector.

The Arizona Cyber Threat Response Alliance, Inc. (ACTRA) serves as the hub for collaborative cyber information sharing in a neutral environment of trust where partners from industry, academia, law enforcement and intelligence come together, leveraging cross-sector resources to more effectively analyze critical, real-time intelligence and respond to emerging cyber threats to Arizona’s Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources. Visit https://www.actraaz.org to learn more.

Frank Grimmelmann serves as President & CEO for the Arizona Cyber Threat Response Alliance (ACTRA), a non-profit entity, that was developed collaboratively with the FBI’s Arizona InfraGard Program and independently launched in 2013 to enable its private/public sector members to enable themselves to respond to the escalating national cybersecurity threat.

Grimmelmann co-chairs Gov. Doug Ducey’s AZ Cybersecurity Team (ACT) and is a founding member of President Obama’s National ISAO Leadership Group at the University of Texas San Antonio.

As ACTRA’s leader, Grimmelmann was the first private-sector representative in the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center on its executive board. He has held C-level positions in finance, health care and government, focusing on cybersecurity in response to 9/11. He holds an MBA in finance/international business from UC Berkeley, and a BA in operations with a business law minor from the University of South Florida.

Pipeline AZ is a career development and exploration platform designed for the Arizona community, to create more pathways to in-demand careers by connecting the dots between industry and education.

Pipeline AZ uses skills mapping technology to help job seekers begin a new path, level-up in their existing careers, explore work or work-based learning opportunities, and discover new passions that change their career trajectory.

For employers, Pipeline AZ is a valuable recruiting tool that features high-quality candidate matching, free job posting, and white-glove concierge case management service to assemble candidate pools with the skills needed to build their talent pipeline. Learn more at PipelineAZ.com.

Katherine Pappas is an executive leader with 17+ years of experience designing workforce strategies, wellbeing focused environments, enhancing and transforming culture, innovating and streamlining relevant strategies and developing people.

Connect with Katherine on LinkedIn and follow PEI Phoenix on Facebook and Twitter.

University of Advancing Technology (UAT) is a private and family-owned university that merges the values of the traditional academy with the modern technology campus, a fusion that enhances its ability to fulfill the mission of educating students in the fields of advancing technology who innovate for the future.

At the heart of UAT’s curricula is a technology-infused campus in Tempe, Arizona. This fusion of the traditional academy with the technology-focused curricula creates a distinct, non-exclusionary university in which students learn to value their own uniqueness and the power of technology in education. Visit https://www.uat.edu to learn more.

Provost Bolman has focused his career upon the profound need for a substantial and diverse workforce within Arizona and the nation.

As its long-standing provost, Dr. Bolman has built the University of Advancing Technology (UAT) into a unique, all-STEM institution that marries the best of a traditional, small, private college with the genetics of innovation that come with agile technology organizations.

As an educator, he has focused on cultivating a base of technology students and future inventors. As a technologist, he has worked to create a university where the culture of innovation and creation is so regular and celebrated that the goal for each student is to graduate having worked on numerous teams and built complete solutions again and again.

Dr. Bolman has researched, written and spoken on the nature of technology and how to successfully lead innovation. He is an alumni of Valley Leadership and currently serves as its past board chair. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Arizona Technology Council and the AZPBS community board.

Follow UAT on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About AZ TechCast

AZ TechCast is dedicated to covering innovation and technology in Arizona and beyond.

Through the art of connected conversation, AZ TechCast’s guests will share their expertise, success stories, news and analysis about the region’s leading startups, companies and emerging technologies, as well as the latest industry trends and critical issues propelling the state’s growing technology ecosystem.

About Your Hosts

Steve Zylstra serves as president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council, a role he assumed in 2007. He is responsible for strategy, operations, finance and policy development. Zylstra is a vocal spokesman for the value technology can provide in raising social and economic standards in Arizona.

Zylstra serves on numerous councils, committees and boards, was named “Leader of the Year, Technology,” by the Arizona Capitol Times, and “Most Admired Leader” by the Phoenix Business Journal. In addition, he was awarded an honorary doctorate of science in technology from the University of Advancing Technology in Tempe, Ariz.

Zylstra earned a bachelor’s degree in automotive engineering technology from Western Michigan University.

Karen Nowicki is a successful author, speaker and the creator of Deep Impact Leadership™ and SoulMarks Coaching™. She is a two-time recipient of the prestigious national Choice Award® for her book and personal development retreat. Karen was crowned the first-ever “Mompreneur of the Year” Award in 2010 for the southwestern states. She was recognized for her leadership, business acumen, and work-life balance.

Karen has been an expert guest on regional TV and radio shows, including Fox Phoenix Morning Show, Sonoran Living, Good Morning Arizona, The Chat Room, and Mid-Day Arizona. She has been a regular contributor to many print and online magazines – publishing articles and blogs for business and education.

In addition to working with private coaching clients, Karen is also the Owner & President of Phoenix Business RadioX. The Business RadioX Network amplifies the voice of business – serving the Fortune 500,000, not just the Fortune 500. Phoenix Business RadioX helps local businesses and professional associations get the word out about the important work they’re doing to serve their market, profession, and community.

Of all the experiences Karen has had the privilege of participating in over her vast career, she shares that Phoenix Business RadioX is a pinnacle adventure!

Connect with Karen on LinkedIn and follow Phoenix Business RadioX on Facebook and Instagram.

About Our Sponsor

The Arizona Technology Council, Arizona’s only statewide organization serving the technology sector, fosters a climate of innovation to enhance technology in Arizona.

A trusted resource in strengthening Arizona’s technology industry, the Council proactively eliminates impediments that companies face, accelerates the entrepreneurial mindset in the state’s expanding innovation ecosystem, and works to create a destination for companies to be, thrive and stay.

Follow Arizona Technology Council on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

Workforce Development Taskforce, with Misty Fernandez, Georgia Power, and Samir Abdullahi, Select Fulton

March 1, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

Workforce Development Taskforce, with Misty Fernandez, Georgia Power, and Samir Abdullahi, Select Fulton

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Workforce Development Taskforce (GNFCC 400 Insider, Episode 58)

The Greater North Fulton Chamber’s Economic Recovery Task Force was created to connect businesses and jobseekers to much-needed resources. Misty Fernandez, North Fulton Area Manager for Georgia Power serves as the Chair of the Chamber’s Workforce Committee. Samir Abdullahi is the Deputy Director of Economic Development for Select Fulton and also serves on the Workforce Committee.

Misty and Samir joined the host of “The GNFCC 400 Insider,” GNFCC CEO Kali Boatright, on this edition of The GNFCC 400 Insider, presented by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®. John Ray and North Fulton Business RadioX served as the media sponsor for this event.

Samir Adbullahi, Deputy Director, Select Fulton

Samir Abdullahi is Deputy Director of Economic Development at Select Fulton. It is Fulton County, Georgia’s economic and workforce development initiative that drives collaboration among public and private partners in order to generate inclusive growth, opportunities, and prosperity for the Metro Atlanta region.

Select Fulton does this by fostering the creation of middle and high-skill jobs in our key industries, preparing our residents for those opportunities, and accelerating the growth of connected and sustainable commercial development. Additionally, Select Fulton provides collaborative economic development leadership to promote a globally competitive, prosperous, and growing Fulton County economy to improve the wellbeing of our residents and communities.

Company website, LinkedIn

Misty Fernandez, Georgia Power

Georgia Power is the largest subsidiary of Southern Company, one of the nation’s largest generators of electricity. The company is an investor-owned, tax-paying utility, serving 2.3 million customers in 155 of 159 counties in Georgia. Georgia Power’s rates remain well below the national average.

Misty Fernandez is an energy industry professional with 20+ years of experience across the customer service, environmental compliance, and charitable giving arenas. As an Area Manager for Georgia Power Company, she collaborates with business and community leaders in lifting and growing the communities where they live, work, and serve.

Company website, Select Georgia website, LinkedIn

About GNFCC and “The GNFCC 400 Insider”

**Kali Boatright, President and CEO of GNFCC**

“The GNFCC 400 Insider” is presented by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GNFCC) and is hosted by Kali Boatright, President and CEO of GNFCC. The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce is a private, non-profit, member-driven organization comprised of over 1400 business enterprises, civic organizations, educational institutions and individuals. Their service area includes Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park, Roswell and Sandy Springs. GNFCC is the leading voice on economic development, business growth and quality of life issues in North Fulton County.

The GNFCC promotes the interests of our members by assuming a leadership role in making North Fulton an excellent place to work, live, play and stay. They provide one voice for all local businesses to influence decision makers, recommend legislation, and protect the valuable resources that make North Fulton a popular place to live.

For more information on GNFCC and its North Fulton County service area, follow this link or call (770) 993-8806. For more information on other GNFCC events such as this North Fulton Mayors Appreciation Lunch, follow this link.

For the complete show archive of “The GNFCC 400 Insider,” go to GNFCC400Insider.com. “The GNFCC 400 Insider” is produced by John Ray and the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.