A Seat at the Table with Debbie Brown

Workforce Development Month 2021 featuring the Colorado Workforce Development Council

September is Workforce Development Month, and we're pleased to welcome members of the Colorado Workforce Development Council to the show to discuss the work CWDC does, what workforce centers do and what services they offer, and highlight the work they do in Jefferson and Larimer Counties, in particular.

Joining us are Lee Wheeler-Berliner, Managing Director of the Colorado Workforce Development Council, Kat Douglas, Director of the Jefferson County Business and Workforce Center, and Jacob Castillo, Director of Larimer County’s Economic & Workforce Development Department. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

Lee Wheeler-Berliner

As the director of the Colorado Workforce Development Council Office, Lee manages the execution of strategies to develop and sustain an industry-led talent development system in Colorado. By forging relationships with industry and public partners at the local and state level, Lee helps to ensure the alignment of talent development efforts statewide. Lee has been with the CWDC for four years and brings extensive project management and leadership experience to this role. He previously worked as an independent consultant for mission-driven for-profit and nonprofit entities, as well as holding senior leadership positions with Hunger Free Colorado and Colorado Court Appointed Special Advocates. Lee holds an MBA with a concentration in social entrepreneurship from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and is an active coffee drinker at his local Edgewater coffee shop.

Kat Douglas (pictured)

Kat Douglas is the Director of the Jefferson County Business and Workforce Center. In this role she leads the workforce development solutions for a three-county region. By fostering partnerships with industry leaders, community organizations, education providers, economic development offices, and chambers of commerce, Kat ensures workforce efforts are aligned and best poised to meet the diverse industry and talent needs. Kat has been with Jefferson County for 17 years supporting the Human Services Department and leading the Community Development programs prior to joining the Business and Workforce Center in 2012. Kat holds an MPA from University of Colorado at Denver, and a BSBA with an emphasis in International Business from Denver University.

Jacob Castillo

Jacob Castillo serves as the Director of Larimer County’s Economic & Workforce Development Department. He has nearly two decades of diverse experience in regional economic and workforce development. Mr. Castillo has led the County’s effort to align local workforce initiatives and economic development activities to support upward mobility, wealth generation and economic inclusion. Castillo has co-founded two ventures with a strong social and environmental commitment. He was a contributing author to a text book on sustainable venturing and has served as an instructor at Colorado State University (CSU). He holds three undergraduate degrees in Agricultural Business, Foreign Language and Literature, and Economics from CSU and pursued a double masters in Global Social & Sustainable Enterprise and Agricultural & Resource Economics at CSU. 

 

The Development of the Sikorsky FIREHAWK Helicopter featuring Jeanette Eaton and Joe Rice

Colorado Business Roundtable is thrilled to bring this episode of Profits and Purpose to you discussing the development of the Sikorsky FIREHAWK Helicopter and its imminent arrival in Colorado. From the website, here is a little bit about it:

"Born a BLACK HAWK® helicopter, the Sikorsky FIREHAWK® aircraft relies on its proven military design to endure the unrelenting physical stresses demanded of the aerial firefighting and utility missions. Now, a new generation S-70i™ FIREHAWK® helicopter brings enhanced capability and flight safety to its high-payload role: extra power margin when dropping water or inserting firefighters at the fire line; 4 g maneuverability when fully loaded; a stronger airframe; and greater water drop control. A true multi-mission aircraft, the FIREHAWK helicopter can be quickly reconfigured in flight for search and rescue, hoist rescues and medical transport, even with its 1,000-gallon (3,785 L) external water tank still attached."

Joining us are Jeanette Eaton, Vice President of Strategy & Business Development for Commercial Systems and Services market segments around the world, and Joe Rice, Director of Government Relations for Lockheed Space. They provide insight into the development of the Sikorsky FIREHAWK, how Colorado came to procure one, and more. Here is a video of aerial firefighting in action. 

Jeanette has a diverse portfolio of experiences over 32 years, including 22 years with Sikorsky, spanning Engineering, Manufacturing, Program Management, Customer Support, Marketing and Sales in support of Commercial and Military rotorcraft and has guided Sikorsky into the firefighting market. As an engineer and program manager, she was involved in the original FIREHAWK design concept and production in the late 1990s with Los Angeles County. 

Joe is responsible for the management of legislative and regulatory matters at the state and local level for Space, which employs more than 21,000 people and generated more than $10 billion in sales for the Lockheed Martin Corporation in 2019. Prior to joining Lockheed Martin in August 2011, Mr. Rice served two terms in the Colorado state legislature as State Representative for the 38^th House District of Colorado from 2007-2010.  While in the legislature, he focused on economic development and transportation, passing legislation that resulted in significant jobs creation across the state.  He also previously served as the mayor of Glendale, Colorado, from 1996-2003.

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown. 

Building the Industrial Neighborhood featuring Scott MacKenzie

Scott MacKenzie is the Host and Founder of The Industrial Talk Podcast. He's also a husband, father, and passionate industry educator. He began humbly as a lathing contractor and certified journeyman/lineman, and worked to earn his Undergraduate and Master’s Degree in Business Administration. Scott has led a team onto the NASDAQ Stock Exchange while serving as President of a multi-national terminaling corporation. His driving purpose is people. In his words, "Accomplishments are rungs of a ladder, tasks undertaken to prove one’s abilities. Changing lives and building futures are the destination, the reason we climb."

He joins Profits and Purpose to discuss his journey, share insights learned along the way, delve into the impacts of the global pandemic, and announce his ultimate vision for what an "industrial neighborhood" would look like. What is that? Tune in to find out!

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown. 

Nextworld CEO featuring CEO Kylee McVaney

Kylee McVaney is the CEO of Nextworld, a company that delivers modern ERP architecture that helps organizations better align with today's business realities. This innovative and adaptable technical foundation is key to addressing unexpected change. Architecting for the modern business world means re-thinking how applications are developed. This revolutionary architecture insulates your business by separating the technology from the applications. Thus, enabling you to stop investing large amounts of money, staff, and time to simply maintain the status quo. Instead, you’ll be increasing your ROI and lowering the TCO.

Kylee was essentially raised on software, landing her first job in the technology industry in 1977 when her father, Ed McVaney, founded J.D. Edwards. Kylee was exposed to all aspects of the ERP product and, by the time she graduated high school, Kylee was considered a subject matter expert in both payables and fixed assets.

Kylee went on to earn a BS in Accounting from the University of Southern California, became a CPA, enjoyed a brief stint in public accounting, and then returned to J.D. Edwards where she held various technical and management positions. In addition to her love of technology and software, Kylee is passionate about providing opportunities for the next generation to excel and make a positive impact in the world. In 2005, Kylee helped found Valor Christian High School and served as chairman of the board until 2017. Under her guidance, Valor has achieved national recognition, and has grown from an initial enrollment of 120 students to a current size of about 1,200.

She joins the show to discuss Nextworld, the impacts of the global pandemic, her own journey, and the good business can and does do for society. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown. 

 

Jacobs Engineering featuring COBRT Board Member Jennifer House

Jennifer House is Vice President and Geographic Operations Manager leading the operations and growth of the Southwest Geography (SWG) for Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. Based in Jacobs' Englewood, Colorado office, Jennifer leads a team of over 640 staff for buildings and infrastructure market across eight southwest states. Jennifer has a demonstrated history of working in the civil engineering industry, specializing in operational leadership, strategic growth and sales, community outreach, and project management.

On this week's show, Jennifer shares her professional journey, discusses the vital work Jacobs Engineering does for American infrastructure, dives into the challenges and opportunities presented by COVID-19, and goes in depth about the importance of women pursuing careers in STEM fields. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

What Is "P-TECH" featuring Don Haddad and Ray Johnson

In short, P-TECH 9-14 School Model is a pioneering education reform initiative created by IBM, to prepare young people with the academic, technical and professional skills required for 21st Century Jobs and ongoing education. P-TECH is a public education reform model focused on college attainment and career readiness. P-TECH schools span grades 9-14 and enable students to earn both a high school diploma and a no-cost, two-year postsecondary degree in a STEM field. Students participate in a range of workplace experiences, including mentorship, worksite visits and paid internships. Upon graduation, students have the academic and professional skills required to either continue their education in a four-year postsecondary institution or enter into entry-level careers in IT, healthcare, advanced manufacturing and other competitive fields.

Dr. Don Haddad is the Superintendent of the St. Vrain School District, which has successfully incorporated P-TECH into its district for a number of years. Dr. Haddad has an impressive career spanning 36 years where he has benefited from a broad range of experiences in several school districts while working in various teaching, coaching and administrative positions at every level, PK-12. You can read more about St. Vrain School District here, and Dr. Haddad's bio here. 

Ray Johnson is Corporate Citizenship Manager for IBM, and a Colorado Business Roundtable Board Member. Ray oversees the company’s community and government relations programs, along with workforce development and K-12 education reform, for a 11-state region. A leading advocate of K-12 business and education partnerships, Ray has been involved with numerous initiatives in his territory, including the push for standards and assessments in the mid-1990’s. Most recently, Ray worked with the Governor, state legislature and the Colorado departments of Education and Higher Education to bring P-TECH schools to the state. You can read his full bio here. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown. 

Club 20: The Voice of the Western Slope featuring Executive Director Christian Reece

Christian Reece is the Executive Director of Club 20, a coalition of individuals, businesses, tribes and local governments in Colorado's 22 western counties. The group is organized for the purpose of speaking with a single unified voice on issues of mutual concern. Its activities include marketing and advertising, public education, promotion, meetings and events and political action.

As a leader on the Western Slope, Christian has had a passion and commitment to Western Colorado for many years. When the opportunity to lead the non-partisan coalition of Club 20 came up five years ago, Christian jumped at the chance to advocate on behalf of Western Colorado. Through her tenure with Club 20, she has worked to make the state constitution more difficult to amend, advocated for common sense regulations that protect the nature of Colorado while ensuring a business friendly environment, and has influenced the outcome of countless bills and regulations coming out from under the golden dome.

She joins Profits and Purpose to discuss her own personal journey, share the challenges and opportunities facing Club 20 and the Western Slope, and discusses how to bridge the urban/rural divide. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown. 

COBRT Vice Chair and Deloitte Denver Managing Partner Chris Schmidt

Chris Schmidt is the managing partner for the Denver Deloitte office. As managing partner, Schmidt is responsible for driving client and business growth, facilitating cross-functional teaming, and further enhancing strategic positioning in the Denver market. Over his 20-year career with Deloitte, he has seen the Colorado practice grow from 200 professionals to more than 1,500 across four offices in Colorado. With more than 300,000 professionals worldwide, Deloitte provides audit and assurance, tax, consulting, and risk and financial advisory services to a broad cross-section of the largest corporations and governmental agencies.

Chris is also Vice Chair of the Colorado Business Roundtable. On this week's episode, Chris shares his professional journey, provides insights into the work of Deloitte, how the company has adapted to COVID-19, and provides an outlook for the coming year. Chris also discusses his work collaborating on Colorado's Road to Recovery Initiative. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown. 

Pro15 featuring Executive Director Cathy Shull

Cathy Shull is the Executive Director for Pro 15, an organization that speaks with a single, unified voice for Northeastern Colorado to influence public policy and enhance our economic viability and quality of life. Additionally, Pro 15 through its membership takes positions and stands on various issues which affect Northeast Colorado. Pro 15 also takes positions on various state and federal amendments up for vote. Pro 15 is a non partisan organization and all are welcome at the table that support the mission of the organization.

On this week's episode, Cathy shares her career journey, discusses the importance of advocating on behalf of rural Colorado, the opportunities and challenges presented by COVID-19, and much more. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown. 

The CWDC Talent Pipeline Report featuring Lee Wheeler-Berliner and Jean Dougherty

The annual Colorado Talent Pipeline Report identifies areas of growing demand and opportunity, key features of the current labor force, and strategies to balance the supply and demand equation for talent. It also highlights the Top Jobs in Colorado -- jobs with high annual openings, above average growth, and a good wage. The report offers a collection of strategies, investments, and policy recommendations in response to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to build back stronger from the pandemic, Colorado must focus on its talent pipeline in order to facilitate an equitable economic recovery that creates more opportunity for prosperity throughout the state.

Lee Wheeler-Berliner, Managing Director, and Jean Dougherty, Talent Development Research Analyst from the CWDC discuss the report, its findings and discuss how Colorado moves forward while still in the midst of a pandemic and beyond. 

The vision of the Colorado Workforce Development Council (CWDC) is that every Colorado employer has access to a skilled workforce and every Coloradan has the opportunity for meaningful employment, resulting in individual and statewide economic prosperity. Their mission is to enhance and sustain a skills-based talent development network that meets the needs of employers, workers, job seekers, and learners for today and tomorrow.

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.