A Seat at the Table with Debbie Brown

Workforce Development Month 2023 featuring Lisanne McNew and Jonathan Liebert

September is Workforce Development Month, and we're pleased to welcome Lisanne McNew, Chair of the Colorado Workforce Development Council and Vice Chair Jonathan Liebert to the show to discuss the work CWDC does, what workforce centers do and what services they offer, and talk about overall workforce issues in Colorado. 

In addition to serving as Chair for the CWDC, Lisanne McNew is President & CEO of SAFE Engineering, a customer focused technical services provider that provides comprehensive engineering and maintenance support to include evaluation and approval of repairs and modifications, evaluation of process specifications and development of specialized installation and tooling procedures. Jonathan Liebert is CEO/Executive Director of Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado. Since August of 1980, Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado has helped consumers find businesses, brands, and charities they can trust. BBB of Southern Colorado serves 25 counties throughout Southern Colorado and sets standards for marketplace trust – to create a community of dependable businesses and charities – by encouraging and supporting best practices, educating consumers and businesses, celebrating business role models, and calling out and addressing substandard marketplace behavior.

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

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For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

The Importance of Workforce Development Centers featuring Traci Marques and Stephanie Mufic

In honor of Workforce Development Month, we welcome Traci Marques, Executive Director/CEO of Pikes Peak Workforce Center and Stephanie Mufic, Business Innovation and Strategy Unit Manager for Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. The Pikes Peak Workforce Center connects vital businesses with work-ready job seekers and employer-driven services. They help residents of El Paso & Teller Counties with career transition, whether they are unemployed, underemployed, or employed. Clients range from entry-level to professional, including youth, adults, people returning to the workforce, and those with barriers to employment. They provide job search and training opportunities, including 20 different job seeker workshops at no cost. 

On this episode of A Seat at the Table with Debbie Brown, Traci and Stephanie share their passion for helping people reach fulfillment in their careers, discuss how workforce development centers actually function, tell engaging anecdotes about success stories, and share their own personal journeys into this field. It's an interesting look at how workforce centers serve as connective tissue between firms looking to hire and job seekers looking for ideal landing spots. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

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For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

Economic Mobility and the Women’s Bean Project featuring Tamra Ryan

Tamra Ryan is the CEO of Women’s Bean Project, a social enterprise providing transitional employment in its food manufacturing business to women attempting to break the cycle of chronic unemployment and poverty. She serves as an Economic Mobility Fellow for Common Sense Institute Colorado.

On this episode of A Seat at the Table with Debbie Brown, Tamra shares her professional journey that led her to Women's Bean Project, discusses the issues many of the women she works with face, and gives an overview of the report she completed with Common Sense Institute titled "Colorado’s Workforce Woes Should Spell Opportunity for Economic Mobility." Here's the summary of that report:

"Colorado’s labor force is facing an unprecedented shortage, and conventional trends alone won’t resolve the issue. The state’s tight labor market, with 2.7 jobs for every unemployed person, is resulting in a significant $46 billion loss in annual GDP. A substantial portion of the unemployed and marginally attached to the labor force are people with barriers to employment, such as disabilities, past incarceration, lack of childcare, and educational attainment challenges. To address these issues, employers, educational institutions, and the workforce system need to innovate and better align with the jobs of the future. Integrating basic education with job training, as seen in Washington State’s I-BEST program, and adopting Utah’s One Door policy for improved data sharing and support services are potential solutions. By addressing these barriers, Colorado can bridge the gap between labor demand and supply, leading to economic growth and improved opportunities for its workforce."

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

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For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

The Importance of Colorado’s Relationship with Canada featuring Sylvain Fabi and Kathryn Burkell

Sylvain Fabi is the Consul General of Canada in Denver. He joined the Consulate General of Canada in Denver in October 2020. As Canada's Consul General in the U.S. Mountain West Region, Mr. Fabi oversees a team of 17 people who work within Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Utah and Wyoming to strengthen trade and economic ties; enhance political, academic and cultural links; and assist Canadians visiting or living in the five-state territory.  He is also Canada’s chief negotiator for the modernization of the Columbia River Treaty with the United States.

Kathryn Burkell is the Consul and Senior Trade Commissioner, Consulate General of Canada, Denver Colorado

Kathryn Burkell is from Vancouver and joined the Trade Commissioner Service of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) in 1994. She began her foreign service career with various assignments in Ottawa and, in 1998, was appointed Vice Consul and Trade Commissioner at the Consulate General of Canada in Seattle, followed by assignments in Vancouver, Panama and Barcelona. In September 2019, Kathryn joined the Consulate General in Denver, where she is delighted to lead an excellent team of trade commissioners covering the Mountain West region, and enjoys exploring the mountains and plains of these beautiful states.

On this episode of A Seat at the Table with Debbie Brown, Sylvain and Kathryn join Debbie to discuss just how intertwined Canada and the United States are, why the depth of the relationship is so important, how Colorado specifically ties into things, and issues they're keeping an eye on. If you were unaware of just how deep this relationship goes, this episode is both informative and stimulating. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

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For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

Sundyne featuring CEO Mary Zappone

Mary Zappone is CEO of Sundyne, one of the few companies that design & manufacture both pumps and compressors.  Through organic & inorganic growth, Sundyne has assembled industry-leading brands that provide customers with a wide range of fluid and gas handling services and solutions. 

On this episode of A Seat at the Table with Debbie Brown, Mary shares her own professional journey, the insights and advice she gained along the way, and what opportunities and challenges face a company like Sundyne. The episode touches on issues of energy security, geopolitics, workforce development, and Sundyne's impressive global footprint. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

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For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

Colorado’s Office of New Americans featuring Dee Daniels Scriven

Dee Daniels Scriven is the Director of The Office of New Americans serves as the point of contact for state agencies, private sector organizations, and the public to advance the integration and inclusion of immigrants and refugees in Colorado communities. The office falls under the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. In recognition of New Americans’ significant economic, cultural, and civic contributions to Colorado, on June 25, 2021, Governor Jared Polis signed HB 21-1150, creating an Office of New Americans in Colorado’s Department of Labor and Employment. The bill expands the work of the New American Integration Initiative, which launched in November of 2019. The bill also requires that the office implement a statewide strategy to facilitate economic stability and promote successful economic, social, linguistic, and cultural integration by investing in the success of immigrants in Colorado.

On this episode of A Seat at the Table with Debbie Brown, Dee Daniels Scriven talks about her career journey that led to her taking the helm of this new department in Colorado. They talk about the immigrant journey, the roadblocks and obstacles that exist for New Americans, how the office helps to overcome those, and much more in a stimulating and informative chat. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

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For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

BOK Financial featuring Bill Sullivan and Marisa Famariss

BOK Financial is a top 25 U.S.-based bank, offering sophisticated wealth, commercial and consumer products and services. For more than ten years, Bill Sullivan has led BOK Financial’s Colorado Market as President and Chief Executive Officer. In his role, Bill works to strengthen the community – by investing in our community’s greatest needs or funneling capital into growing companies and the local economy. Marisa Famariss joined BOK Financial in 2008. She has more than 30 years of Treasury experience from both regional and money center financial institutions. Marisa’s primary focus throughout her career involves educating companies on emerging technologies and the benefits they deliver. 

On this episode of A Seat at the Table with Debbie Brown, Bill and Marisa share their own personal journeys into their current roles, how BOK Financial maintains solid relationships during economic times both good and bad, how they work to make a positive impact on the Colorado community and much more. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

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For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

UNC’s College of Osteopathic Medicine featuring Andy Feinstein and Beth Longenecker

The University of Northern Colorado is creating a College of Osteopathic Medicine – a project that will expand the program offerings in the health sciences and position the university to better meet the workforce needs of the state and region. A College of Osteopathic Medicine at UNC will greatly enhance the strength, health and prosperity of our people and our communities.

On this episode of A Seat at the Table with Debbie Brown, Debbie welcomes UNC President Andy Feinstein and Founding Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine Beth Longenecker, DO, MS, FACOEP, FACEP. They discuss the current state of healthcare, workforce development in Colorado, how much of an employment driver healthcare is, and why osteopathic medicine is the right course of UNC. It's the intersection of many issues pertinent to Colorado business - education, healthcare, and workforce development.

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

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For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

 

The Evolution of Wireless Infrastructure featuring Crown Castle

We live in a time where broadband access is no longer a luxury, but a critical tool – connectivity is essential for individuals and businesses. Colorado set an ambitious goal to connect 99% of Colorado households to high-speed broadband by the end of 2027. While there are many methods for broadband expansion, microtrenching is a minimally invasive, rapid, cost efficient, and environmentally-friendly method to deploy fiber infrastructure across the state. Over the last few years Crown Castle has been updating wireless infrastructure in several Colorado communities with fiber and small cell builds.

Scott Harry is the Government Affairs Manager at Crown Castle, the nation's largest provider of shared communications infrastructure - cell towers, small cells, fiber - which connects businesses to the data, technology, and wireless services we all rely on every day. The company's comprehensive infrastructure portfolio consists of more than 40,000 cell towers, approximately 70,000 on-air or under-contract small cell nodes, and approximately 80,000 route miles of fiber.

Mark Guillen an external affairs leader specializing in Public Affairs, Government Relations for Telecommunications, Healthcare, Municipal Water and Energy Recovery Management. Experienced in building partnerships and coalitions that drive corporate goals across multiple states in the western region of the United States. Mark currently directs Public Affairs efforts in the 13 Western states for Crown Castle Inc.

Scott and Mark join A Seat at the Table with Debbie Brown to discuss microtrenching technology and upcoming legislation that would be conducive to Crown Castle and other companies speeding up broadband deployment in the state. They also discuss how the pandemic highlighted the vital importance of having access to reliable broadband internet, what opportunities they see ahead, and the general state of our country's infrastructure, and more. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown. 

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For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

The Future of Business and Higher Education featuring Dr. Mordecai Brownlee

Dr. Mordecai Ian Brownlee proudly serves as the sixth President of the Community College of Aurora in Colorado. In addition, Dr. Mordecai publishes frequently, including serving as a columnist for EdSurge. He also teaches for Lamar University within the College of Education & Human Development and serves as an international keynote speaker. Dr. Mordecai has been featured on a number of local, state, and national platforms including the American Association of Community Colleges Community College Journal, NASPA Leadership Exchange, EdUp Experience, and EdTech Magazine. This year, Dr. Mordecai was named 40 Under 40 by the prestigious Denver Business Journal and the Community Leader of the Year by the Aurora Chamber of Commerce. In 2022, he was featured by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education Magazine as a “New School” leader representing the next generation of college presidents.

On this episode of A Seat at the Table, Debbie Brown welcomes Dr. Brownlee to discuss his personal and professional journey to becoming the President of the Community College of Aurora. The two met and hit it off at a gathering of business and higher education leaders as they discuss how higher education can evolve to meet the needs and challenges of growing and developing a robust workforce in Colorado. Dr. Brownlee is someone with bold ideas, a tireless work ethic, and a hunger for creative partnerships which makes this a dynamite conversation.

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

Rate, review and subscribe on your favorite podcatcher.

For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.