Q&A with Laura Ross

QAND A

LAURA RUSS

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES COORDINATOR FOR THE ALBANY AREA CHAMBER FOUNDATION

Can you tell us about the experience you’re bringing to this role?

I’ve got experience in higher education, economic development, program development and management and I think these intersect nicely to move the Foundation initiatives forward. My background uniquely positions me to contribute to talent development. My experience in higher education preparing teachers is an example of talent development which transfers nicely to the foundation and what we see in the workforce development strategic plan. I also have experience engaging youth populations. The Foundation is working on a program called Propel at 4C which is taking the Chamber's women at work program and tailoring it to engage young women. I think my background positions me to contribute to fostering entrepreneurship as well. We are working on the FLEX ABY program, and I have entrepreneurial experience. Of course, working in economic development helps as well. I think I have a variety of pieces in my background that provide this nice package to the initiatives at the Chamber Foundation.

Can you give us a snapshot of the goals of the Foundation?

The Foundation is really focused on leading workforce, economic and entrepreneurial initiatives that really provide impact beyond the normal reach of the business community. For example, we’re connecting business partners with local high school student entrepreneurs through the FLEX ABY program. We have business partners reviewing student business plans, and they are coming into the school and providing workshops on a variety of content from business finances to marketing to customer service. By being able to connect business partners with the high school students through the Foundation’s role in the implementation of FLEX, we’re able to provide an impact beyond the normal reach of the business community. As an entrepreneur myself, I absolutely love engaging with the students in the FLEX ABY program.

Another example is the communitywide workforce strategy. We’re currently working with a consultant team from the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia to bring together local business partners and employers to discuss the progress of work from the phase one plan and then revisit and revise the targets and tactics for phase two. In that program, we’re serving as a convener. We’re bringing together the business community across sectors to collaborate on solutions for our community’s greatest needs and common workforce challenges.

What excites you about working with the Foundation?

I’m really excited about working with the Foundation. I love that the Foundation's program of work aligns with the Chamber’s goals. It aligns with the needs and opportunities in the community and really serves as a catalyst to move the chamber’s program of work forward. There’s a need in our community for employees to have certain job-related and employability skills, and through the workforce strategic planning process, we’re helping employers identify and target solutions for the most urgent workforce needs. To me, that is huge, and I love getting to be a part of that.

I’m going through an academy called TPM (Talent Pipeline Management) with the U.S. Chamber Foundation and I’m excited about bringing those resources and strategies to our community to really target our workforce strategic plan.

I’m excited about working directly with the business community and partners. I love learning how they’re innovating and adapting to challenges and what their most urgent needs are. I think just reiterating the Foundation as being a connector — how best do we connect our business community with solutions for those needs or even being a catalyst to initiate greater collaboration among business partners, not just to meet those needs but to be leaders in our region. I think that’s what’s really exciting to me.