P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative Network
Meeting Summary
October 8, 2008The P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative Network (PCN) members extend a most hearty thank you and high appreciation to the City of Los Angeles World Airports and the Fight Path Museum for their excellence in hosting the October meeting. Joyce Sloss, Director, provided welcoming remarks to the many PCN members in attendance on behalf of the Los Angeles World Airports, enhanced with vital information of the large programs of hiring and small business development as part of her responsibilities.
We wish to thank Allyson Lavalais for giving a consistently great contribution with coordinating this meeting, as well as Jamie Gutierrez for lending his generous energy to this program. Also, many thanks to Rose Cote and Clarence Espinoza for their hospitality and sharing of valued data on jobs and contracts with the Los Angeles World Airports.
Barbara Halsey, Executive Director, California Workforce Investment Board provided the keynote address for the October meeting. Ms. Halsey was appointed Executive Director for the California Workforce Investment Board in May 2007. She is a graduate of Orange City, Iowa’s, Northwestern College, where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Work. As the Executive Director, Ms. Halsey is responsible for overseeing the development of a collaborative process that will design and implement a workforce investment system including all partners, both State and local. Her role also consults and advises the State Board, in its deliberative role, in making recommendations to the Governor on the development of California’s five-year Workforce Development Strategy and the initiatives embedded in that strategy.
The PCN members enjoyed Ms. Halsey’s presentation, which in part offered the importance of innovation to inspire others to reach collaborative processes in a new way. The mission of the State Board is to foster partnerships between business, government, education and economic development to meet the workforce needs of local businesses. Ms. Halsey is committed to operating a demand driven service delivery system and feels this is a challenging and exciting opportunity to help develop tools today that will drive tomorrow’s workforce, which is essential to California’s economic growth. Ms. Halsey’s email address is barbara.halsey@cwib.ca.gov.
The 2008 Choreographer of Careers© honorees accepted their recognition with a lot of enthusiasm and pride. This year’s theme for the honorees was Community Spotlight, as these distinguished individuals are working in an extremely dense populated sector of the State of CA that has considerably more people than livable wage jobs available at any given time. This scenario raises the bar making for a more challenging opportunity to place potential and qualified job candidates into positive job and training services throughout the County of LA.
With well over one hundred PCN members at this the 5th annual awards program recognized the following seven outstanding individuals:
Ben Espitia, Director of Workforce Development, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County. Mr. Espitia’s award was presented by Janet McCarthy-Wilson, President & CEO, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County.
Collee Fields, Youth Manager, City of Compton CareerLink WorkSource Center. Ms. Field’s award was presented by Kimberly McKenzie, Director, Compton CareerLink.
Jennifer Ochoa Flores, Career Development Program Assistant, Los Angeles County Office of Education-GAIN/GROW Division. Ms. Flores’ award was presented by Terry Catanese, Program Supervisor, Career Development GAIN and Ava Archie, Job Coach.
Kisha Oglesby, Business Service Specialist, Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services West County GAIN Region I, Bureau of Workforce Services. Ms. Oglesby’s award was presented by Dean Jones from the PCN in the absence of Tabenyang Ndipagbor, Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services West County GAIN Region I, Bureau of Workforce Services.
Silvia Chan, Youth Employment Opportunity Program Specialist, Employment Development Department-West Los Angeles Workforce Services. Ms. Chan’s award was presented by Gloria Smith, General Manager, CA Employment Development Department, standing in for Marilyn Muse, Site Manager.
Sonnia Manzanillo, WorkSource Specialist, Title V Senior Community Services Employment Program, Hub-Cities WorkSource Center. Ms. Manzanillo’s award was presented by Maria Elena Mata, Director, Title V Senior Community Services Employment Program.
Sharon Cooper, Employment Specialist, Los Angeles Urban League - West Adams/Baldwin Hills Worksource Center. Ms. Cooper’s award was presented by Angela Hill, Director, Los Angeles Urban League - West Adams/Baldwin Hills Worksource Center.
April Lawrence, Field Representative, US Congresswoman Maxine Waters, 35th District of California provided formal resolutions for each of the 2008 Choreographer of Careers© honorees. Congresswoman Waters oversee the communities of South Los Angeles, Westchester and Playa Del Rey, Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood and Lawndale. She is Active on House Committee on Financial Services, Subcommittees on Housing and Community Opportunity, Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit, Oversight and Investigations, Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, Technology and the Committee on the Judiciary and its Subcommittees on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, and on Immigration, Border Security and Claims.
A special thanks to all of the organizations that donated promotional items for the PCN members in attendance, including Vasek Polak Health Clinic, Southern California Edison, Los Angeles Urban League, Los Angeles World Airports, and the Title V Senior Community Services Employment Program.
Dean Jones, CEO, Southland Partnership Corporation, extended an invitation to all PCN members to utilize the no-cost community job announcement web site, www.ISartOnMonday.com to share training and job programs. This community service program is part of the non-profit public benefits provided by the Southland Partnership, which operates the PCN enhancing the development of workforce needs of all southern California organizations and businesses. Mr. Jones’ office number is (310) 637-7248, or email POWERSOLA@aol.com
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The next PCN meeting is Wednesday, November 12, 2008, 10 AM – Noon, hosted by the California Employment Development Department (EDD), 5401 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90043. Our meeting host is Gloria Smith, (323) 290-5211.
PCN Meeting Attendees for October 2008
Andrea Paris, Los Angeles World Airports
Angela Hill, Los Angeles Urban League
Ann Proctor, City of Los Angeles Community Relations
April Lawrence, Office of Congresswoman Maxine Waters
Ava Archie, Los Angeles County Office of Education – Job Club
Barbara Halsey, California Workforce Investment Board
Barbara Lynn, Personal Involvement Center- Healthy Marriage
Ben Espitia, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County
Beverly Butler, Title V Senior Community Services
Billy Williams, Los Angeles Urban League
Blanche Octave, LA County Sheriff’s Department
Bobbi Smith, Los Angeles Urban League
Calvin Cooper, Boys Republic
Carolyn Christian Hines, Hines Hospitality Group
Cathy Farrar, Los Angeles Job Corps
Charles Jackson, City Pride Magazine
Charlotte Callegari, Carson Career Center
Clarence Espinosa, Los Angeles World Airports
Cleo Wilson, Human Potential Consultants
Cleon Joseph, Los Angeles Police Department
Collee Fields, City of Compton CareerLink Worksource Center
Connie Johnson, CA Employment Development Department, Inglewood
Darryl Fisher, California Employment Development Department
Dauna Semon, City of Los Angeles Community Relations
David Dirks, Harbor Interfaith Services
Dean Jones, Southland Partnership Corporation / P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative Network
Delores Adger-Frisby, Goodwill, Serving the People of Los Angeles County
Derric Johnson, The Alliance for Children’s Rights
Dwayne Price, Los Angeles Urban League
Elaine Martinkovic, JVS
Elena Lopez, Los Angeles County Office of Education
Eliza Dzhaneryan, Glendale Youth Alliance
Erick Cerda, Los Angeles Probation Department
Frank Vega, The Midnight Mission
Gail Jordan, Verdugo Jobs Center
Gloria Smith, CA Employment Development Department
Gregory Clayborn, Farmers Insurance
Henry Smith, City of Compton CareerLink Worksource Center
Jackie Jackson, City Pride Magazine
Jalonn Harrison, Los Angeles Job Corps
James Jones, Gangsters For Christ
Jamie Gutierrez, Los Angeles World Airports
Janaya Thomas, Goodwill, Serving the People of Los Angeles County
Janet McCarthy-Wilson, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County
Jennifer Frank, Mentors International
Jennifer Ochoa Flores, Los Angeles County Office of Education – GAIN
Jessica Diaz, Los Angeles County Office of Education
Jesus Casas, Guest
Jo Tenner, City of Compton CareerLink Worksource Center
Jo Tenner, Compton CareerLink WorkSource Center
Joanne Varga, Los Angeles County Office of Education
Joseph Rouzan, City of Los Angeles – Community Development Department
Joy McKenzie, United First Financial
Joyce Sloss, Los Angeles World Airports
Karen Dounard, West Angeles Community Development Corporation
Keith Sweet, Los Angeles Urban League
Kenneth Tyler, LA County Dept. of Public Social Services
Kimberly McKenzie, City of Compton CareerLink WorkSource Center
Kisha Oglesby, LA County Dept. of Public Social Services – GAIN Region I
Krystal Wright, City of Compton CareerLink Worksource Center
Larry Hoberman, Lawrence Funding
LaVonté Jackson, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County
Leola Barner, OneSource Careers, LLC.
Leslie Devine, City Pride Magazine
Loretta Jackson, Broad Spectrum Community Development Corporation
Luz Ross, LA County Dept. of Public Social Services – GROW
Lynette Johnson, LA county Housing
Margarita Lopez, Bond Assistance Program – Los Angeles World Airports
Margo Harris, NYA
Maria Elena Mata, LA County Senior Community Services
Maria Martin, City of Compton CareerLink Worksource Center
Marie Happ, City of Los Angeles Community Relations
Marlo Afflalo, Express Employment Professionals
Mary Sutton, Los Angeles County Department of Health – West LA
Maryd Miller, City of Los Angeles-Youth Opportunity Movement
Michael Dolphin, California Employment Development Department
Michael Kane, California Employment Development Department
Mindy Owes, RAFT, Inc.
Monique Lynch, Goodwill, Serving the People of Los Angeles County
Natha Duhon, City of Los Angeles Housing Authority
Pat Simpson, LA County Dept. of Public Social Services
Priscilla Guadamuz, Bond Assistance Program – Los Angeles World Airports
Rachel Centerro, DFS North America
Rafael Garcia, Vasek Polak Health Clinic
Regina Lee, El Camino College – CalWorks
Rick Conroy, Westfield Fox Hills
Robert Hamm, Los Angeles Unified School District
Romona Holland, People Assisting the Homeless (PATH)
Rose Cote, Los Angeles World Airports
Ryan Sims, Express Employment Professionals
Salvador Barajas, Goodwill, Serving the People of Los Angeles County
Saudra Noboa, LA County Dept. of Public Social Services – GAIN
Sharon Cooper, Los Angeles Urban League
Sharon Cruse, Purple Reign Life Skills
Shirley Green, InterCoast Colleges
Silvia Chan, CA Employment Development Depart. - Youth Employment Opportunity
Sonnia Manzanillo, Title V Senior Community Services
Susan Tenner, Los Angeles Unified School District
Terry Cantanese, Los Angeles County Office of Education – GAIN
Valerie Harris, Los Angeles County Office of Education – GAIN
Vertia Nichols-Wright, OneSource Careers, LLC
Victor Gallardo, Culver City Adult School
Victoria Westerskov, Southern CA Regional Occupational Corporation
Walter Pittman, Los Angeles Urban League
Yalonda Wade, El Camino College
Yvonne Hairston, West Angeles Community Development Department
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PCN started in January 2001, focused on job coordination for community residents in order to assist in public & private sector work placement. The PCN members are community builders serving to identify, nurture, & mobilize local assets by enhanced networking to rejuvenate economies, strengthen business investments, & ultimately build up civil society. The PCN meets monthly sharing job recruitment, funding, training, workforce projects, & other related topics at various member locations.
P.O.W.E.R. - Partnership Opportunities With Economic/Educational Resources