August 21, 2024
Championing Craft Professionals
Program
6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
Pledge of Allegiance & Invocation
6:45 p.m. Welcome, Introductions & Partner Recognition
7:00 p.m. Opening Remarks
7:15 p.m. Awards Overview
7:20 p.m. Education Awards
7:45 p.m. Championing Craft Professionals
Susana Schowen, Secretary, Louisiana Workforce Commission
Emily DiPalma, Director of Research and Economic Analysis, Louisiana Workforce Commission
Tim Harris, President and CEO, RES Contractors
Moderator: Doug Knittig, Director –Operations, Geismar and Digital, Westlake
8:15 p.m. Contractor Awards
8:45 p.m. Honorary Awards
8:55 p.m. Closing Remarks
Nominating Companies
Platinum Annual Event Partners
Susana (Susie) Schowen Panelist
Susana (Susie) Schowen serves as the Secretary of the Louisiana Workforce Commission. She was appointed by Governor Jeff Landry in January of 2024. In this role and through prior roles at the Louisiana Community and Technical College System and Louisiana Economic Development, she focuses on collaborative efforts to align education with the needs of employers and the economy. She also works across agencies and with regional partners to identify inefficiencies in the workforce system, and better align the delivery of social services with workforce development programs.
Gold Annual Event Partners
Emily DiPalma Panelist
Emily DiPalma is the Director of Research and Economic
Analysis for the Louisiana Workforce Commission. She previously served as the Chief Economist and has worked for the state of Louisiana since December of 2020. She focuses on providing the state of Louisiana with the most reliable Labor Market Information and is passionate about sharing information that can help connect people with sustainable employment opportunities. Her primary research interests include employment forecast models and evaluating challenges within the economy and labor force to better inform decision makers.
Silver Annual Event Partners
Tim Harris Panelist
Tim is a native of Louisiana but grew up in Little Rock, AR. He returned to Louisiana to attend Tulane University where he earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He then joined the Navy where he became a nuclear trained submarine officer. After 7 ½ years he left the Navy, earned an MBA from Washington University in St Louis and began a career in manufacturing.
His career in manufacturing includes roles of increasing responsibility manufacturing semiconductors, plastics, glass, custom machining, smelting and chemicals. Tim moved back to SE Louisiana over 20 years ago and for the last 12 years he was the Site Director at Eastman Chemical in St Gabriel. He served as the Chairman of the Louisiana Chemical Industry Alliance for 5 years and on a corporate board. He is the Vice Chair of the Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance and serves on the LSU Department of Chemical Engineering Industry Advisory Board. Tim has been named as one of the 500 Most Influential People in the Baton Rouge area by the Baton Rouge Industry Report and is member of the Committee of 100 for Economic Development. Tim is currently the President and CEO of RES Contractors.
Bronze Annual Event Partners
Doug Knittig Moderator
Doug has over 35 years of manufacturing experience leading sites in Mississippi, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Ontario, Canada. Doug is currently on the GBRIA Board of Directors. Doug has a Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Arkansas, an MBA from Mississippi State University and is a registered Professional Engineer.
Let’s carry the torch forward!
