P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative Network (PCN)

Meeting Summary
October 16, 2006

The P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative Network (PCN), a provider of human resources outreach connectivity had the privilege of formally recognizing seven outstanding people during its October 2006 meeting.  These honorees work in the community to place people into positive jobs and/or assist with training that will help to gain placement into a career path. 

The PCN extends high appreciation and gratitude to the City of Los Angeles world Airports for hosting the October 2006 meeting at the flight Path Museum.  Everything was finely tuned for the attendees.  Thank you to all of the LAWA representatives; Joyce Sloss, Michael Corrin, Rose Cote, and Allyson Lavalais for making the P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative members feel so welcome.

Jean Franklin shared some phenomenal information regarding the United Job Creation Initiative (UJCI).  This is a grassroots campaign to encourage elected representatives to create legislative rules that address the job recruitment and hiring of local and at-risk residents on all public and private construction throughout the county of Los Angeles.  For more information, feel free to contact Jean Franklin at (562) 804-9649.

Thank you to Blair Taylor, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Urban League for serving as the October meeting’s keynote speaker.  The Los Angeles Urban League is an original member of the PCN and regularly hosts two meetings a year.

Mr. Taylor shared a new program that the Los Angeles Urban League is introducing to help revitalize neglected neighborhoods.  The Los Angeles Urban League is embarking on a new process to help positively transform neighborhoods through a foundation of opportunities and a socio-economic system that delivers high expectations.  Specifically, the Los Angeles Urban League will target health, employment, safety, housing, and education.

We are very thankful to each of our award presenters, Ben Espitia, Goodwill, Brigitte Slayton, New Directions, Antoinette Anderson, Los Angeles Urban League, Greg Burks, City of Los Angels Youth Opportunity Movement, Mareta Papu, Southeast Los Angeles WorkSource Center, Michael Kane, CA Employment Development Department, and Dean Jones, Southland Business Partnership.

Each presenter acknowledged the vital career building information & support services consistently provided by the honorees.  Their distinctive work ethics and follow through help people who otherwise would not gain access to positive jobs, is a special attribute of these notable job development specialists, who are actually Choreographers of Careers.”

To receive these recognitions the members of the PCN nominated their peers, managers, or subordinates to the Southland Business Partnership, which coordinated the presentation.  The actual awards are in a diamond like shape, symbolizing earthly resources as people who provide valued quality to others.  The 2006 honorees are:

Lavonté Jackson, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern L.A. County

Carolyn Christian Hines, Hines Hospitality Group

Michael Richardson, Los Angeles Unified School District, ‘We Build’

Maryd Miller, L.A. Community Development Department, Youth Opportunity Movement

Deidra Vandiegriff, New Directions, Inc.

Eileen Arthur, Southeast Los Angeles Worksource Center

Dinah White, State of California Employment Development Department.

The next PCN meeting is set for Monday, November 13, 2006 hosted by the State of California Employment Development Department, 5401 Crenshaw Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90043, Contact: Portia C. Smith - (323) 766-2401

PCN Meeting Attendees for October 2006

Allyson Lavalais, Los Angeles World Airports

Anabel Barragan, Los Angeles Unified School District ‘We Build’

Andre Arthur, Workforce

Angela Hill, Los Angeles Urban League

Anita Wallace, Los Angeles Urban League

Anthony Maddox, Los Angeles Urban League

Antoinette Anderson, Los Angeles Urban League

Antoinette Brown, State of California Employment Development Department

Arelettia Jones, Los Angeles Opportunities Industrialization Center

Ben Espitia, Goodwill Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County

Bennetta Johnson, Alameda Corridor Jobs Coalition

Billy Williams, Southeast Los Angeles WorkSource Center

Blair Taylor, Los Angels Urban League

Bobbi Smith, Los Angeles Urban League

Brygitte Slayton, New directions, Inc.

Carolyn Hines, Hines Hospitality Group

Charles Jackson, Hub City News

Claudia Jones, West Angeles, Community Development Corporation

Davi Dancy, State of California Employment Development Department

Dean Jones, Southland Business Partnership

Deidra Vandiegriff, New Directions, Inc.

Denise Hollis, Los Angeles Urban League-West Adams

Diana Ramirez, Los Angeles Urban League

Dinah White, State of California Employment Development Department

Dwight Johnson

Dwight Radcliff, US Vets

Eileen Arthur, Southeast Los Angeles WorkSource Center

Elainea Robbins, Los Angeles Urban League

Gayle Collins, Los Angeles South/Compton Juvenile Service

Gloria Smith, State of California Employment Development Department

Gloria Zuurveen, PACE News

Gregory Burks, City of Los Angeles, Youth Opportunity

Jackie Jones, West Angeles, Community Development Corporation

James Jones, Gangsters for Christ

Jane McCarthy, Goodwill Industries

Janneise Brooks, Goodwill Industries

Jean Franklin, United Job Creation Initiative

Jeff Henderson, PV Jobs

Joe Rouzan, City of Los Angeles, Community Development Department

Jonathan Jones, Los Angeles Urban League

Joyce Sloss, Los Angeles World Airports

June Wilson, Social Security Administration

Karen Robinson, GMCR Leveling

Kuliema Blueford, Los Angeles Urban League

Kyron Christian

Larry Denman, Weingart Center

LaVerne Daniels, State of California Employment Development Department

LaVonté Jackson, Goodwill Serving the People of Southern L.A. County

Makar Magdy, United Insurance

Maria Mills, Los Angeles County DPSS Gain, Region IV

Maria Trejo, Los Angeles County DPSS Gain, Region VI

Marian Mickler

Maryd Miller, City of Los Angeles, Youth Opportunity

Maurice Kane, US Veterans Initiative

Melanie Franks

Mereta Papu, Southeast Crenshaw WorkSource (UAW-LETC)

Michael Bejarano, Los Angeles Unified School District

Michael Bennett, Los Angeles Urban League

Michael Collins, Los Angeles World Airports

Michael Kane, State of California Employment Development Department

Michael Richardson, Los Angeles Unified School District ‘We Build’

Mindy Owes, RAFT, Inc.

Moses McCutchson, School-to-Success

Portia Smith, State of California Employment Development Department

Ralph Hollins, The Hollins Concept

Richard Guiss, Goodwill

Rick Conroy, Customer Service Learning Center at Fox Hills

Rosaicela Becerra, Los Angeles County DPSS Gain, Region III

Rose Cote, Los Angeles World Airports

Sharon Rochelle, County of Los Angeles DPSS, GROW

Shirley Lockridge, Los Angeles Southwest College

Stephen Thompson, Los Angeles Opportunities Industrialization Center

Sukari Christian, Phonics Mouth Position Plus

Tiffany Hooker, Los Angeles Southwest College

Vernell Taylor, Union Bank of California

Veronica Soto, Los Angeles Unified School District ‘We Build’

Victoria Rivera, State of California Employment Development Department

Viola Biclon

Yolanda Dodd-Lyons, State of California Employment Development Department

PCN started in January 2001, focused on job coordination for community residents, assisting them with 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.