2023 Workforce Innovation Awards
Welcome Brian Bozeman
Vice Chairperson, NKWIB
Vice President - Skanska
Keynote Senator Chris McDaniel President/CEO, McD Concrete
Awards Brian Bozeman and Correy Eimer
Good Jobs Principles
Deputy Commissioner Michelle DeJohn Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet Department for Workforce Development (DWD)
Implementing Good Jobs Principles in NKY
Correy Eimer Director, NKWIB and Associate Director-Workforce, NKADD
Conclusion Correy Eimer
2023 Workforce Innovation Award Nominees
Perennial Champion
Lisa Blank, St. Elizabeth Healthcare
Tom Kelly, Close the Loop
Workforce Root Builder
Catrena Bowman, NKCAC
Tara Halpin, Steinhauser, Inc
Seed Sower
Katie Jo Berkshire Kirkpatrick, NKADD/NKWIB
Steven Peed, Brighton Center
Debby Shipp, Thomas More University
Mike Sipple, Talent Magnet Institute
Aaron Williams, Commonwealth of Kentucky / Education and Labor Cabinet / Career Development Office
Workforce Cultivator
EC LEARN
FEAM Aero
Housing Authority of Covington
St. Elizabeth Healthcare
Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission
Talent Magnet Institute
Speakers
Senator Chris McDaniel was born in Covington, Kentucky, and grew up in Taylor Mill. He attended Taylor Mill Elementary and Woodland Middle School prior to attending Covington Latin School for high school. Upon graduation from Covington Latin School, Sen. McDaniel attended The Citadel graduating in 1997, and was commissioned an Infantry Officer in the United States Army.
Senator McDaniel served four years as an Infantry Officer in the Army and after being honorably discharged, he returned home to work in the family business, McD Concrete. He earned his MBA from NKU in 2004 and has served his community in numerous capacities. He has served as a guest lecturer at NKU, taught in the City of Cincinnati’s construction club, served as the President of the Greater Miami Valley Chapter of the American Concrete Institute, on the Board of Directors of the Associated Builders and Contractors, on the Finance Committee and Workforce Development Committee of the American Society of Concrete Contractors, was the President of the Leadership Northern Kentucky Class of 2010, served on the Site Based Decision Making Council at Ryland Elementary, and served on the school board at Covington Latin School. He has also coached t-ball, baseball, basketball, and soccer in numerous leagues around Northern Kentucky.
Senator McDaniel is an active member at Hickory Grove Baptist Church. He and his wife, Renee live with their children in Ryland Heights.
Michelle DeJohn, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Workforce Development in the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet, has over twenty years of experience in workforce development leadership. She is a State University of New York graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and education who worked for ten years in the private sector as a Human Resources and Training Department Manager before beginning her career in the public sector. Her relevant skills in public service include holding positions and duties in business and career services such as Executive Director, Executive Staff Advisor, Manager, Analyst, and Program Coordinator.
In her current role, DeJohn is a leader for the Department of Workforce Development, which provides various programs and services to the Kentucky Career Center system. Under Michelle’s guidance, the Offices of Career Development, Vocational Rehabilitation, Adult Education, Employer and Apprenticeship Services, and Unemployment Insurance work together to spark innovative approaches to assisting career seekers and businesses. The objective is to produce a resilient, motivated, and future-oriented workforce while serving as an access point and one-stop shop for the workforce system.
As Deputy Commissioner, DeJohn leads the state’s efforts, providing services statewide to help businesses with recruiting, training, upskilling, and hiring incentives. In addition, career seekers can receive assistance with resume building, interviewing skills, and training opportunities such as Registered Apprenticeship and soft skills development.
Talia Frye Workforce Investment Champion Award
The Departments of Commerce and Labor have partnered to identify what comprises a good job. Good jobs are the foundation of an equitable economy that lifts up workers and families and makes businesses more competitive globally. They allow everyone to share in prosperity and support local communities and the entire U.S. economy. Workers know the value of a good job that provides stability and security for them and their families. All work is important and deserving of dignity. In Northern Kentucky, Talia Frye championed a similar holistic wrap around service approach to all aspects of her work at Brighton Center and throughout the community. Her work and dedication across the region was widely recognized, broadened our workforce system, and was evident in so much of the Kentucky Career Center programming. In her nearly 20 years with Brighton Center, Talia led Workforce Development, Family Development, Community Development, and Youth Development programs. Talia provided workforce leadership at Brighton Center as Workforce Development Director, Brighton's Center for Employment Training, Workforce Innovation Director, and Vice President. She has enhanced our regional ecosystem for years with significant contributions to the workforce ecosystem. Talia played a significant role in the creation and advancement of many programs and initiatives, including but not limited to GROW NKY, NKY Chamber Women's Initiative, Opportunity Youth Cohort, The Talent Collaborative of Greater Cincinnati, Trades to Success, and Two Generational Family Approach programming. She won the NKWIB Workforce Innovation Outstanding Workforce Employee of the Year in 2020.
To honor her spirit of dedication and inclusion, the NKWIB has created the Talia Frye Workforce Investment Champion Award in her honor. The inaugural award will be awarded in 2024 to a community partner who exhibits similar dedication, thoughtfulness, and tenacity.
2023 Workforce Innovation Award Nominees
Perennial Champion
A Perennial Champion utilizes Northern Kentucky Workforce partners to gather and leverage local resources to meet their employment needs. This employer and its staff work directly with workforce development partners to receive employment services while using these partners as a liaison with other community partners.
"Alone, we can do so little. Together we can do so much." – Helen
KellerAs the region's leading community convenor on all workforce-related issues for healthcare pipelines, St. Elizabeth Healthcare has developed relationships with educational partners to increase and support the number of students interested in a healthcare career. St. Elizabeth’s Office of Workforce Development, led by Lisa Blank, System Director, has developed clear pathways for support exploring different curriculums with educational partners. The collaborative programs are innovative and crea-
tive internal cohorts that are outside the typical pipelines for programs such as nursing, sonography, respiratory therapy, radiology technology and surgical technology. They have created the Patient Care Assistant program, a work-based learning program where individuals seeking a career in healthcare can learn how to support acute care across the St. Elizabeth system. To enhance a student nurses’ career pathway, St. Elizabeth is developing critical thinking and confidence in the healthcare role prior to graduation through healthcare and nursing camp support, virtual surgeries, job shadowing opportunities, and hiring minors in healthcare roles. St. Elizabeth’s partnership and support of GROW NKY, the WIB, and other workforce initiatives make St. Elizabeth an employer of choice in Northern Kentucky and beyond, striving for real solutions in the commonwealth’s healthcare workforce pipeline.
Close The Loop has raised the standard for transformational employment in Northern Kentucky by providing employment opportunities for those with various barriers. Tom Kelly, Human Resources Manager, along with Michelle Hood, work with the Kentucky Career Center-Northern Kentucky (KCC) staff to fill their work-
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force needs by opening doors to new opportunities for populations that often face hurdles in finding employment. They have taken bold steps to expand their workforce by connecting with candidates that require adjustments to the traditional policies for most employers. Close The Loop's commitment to creating a quality workforce is evidenced in their willingness to interview and consider employment for most candidates referred by the KCC, including those who are justice-involved, in recovery, and with limited transportation resources. By considering these candidates, they can maintain a workforce, keep the existing staff from being overworked and maintain consistent production levels, creating better job quality for their employees. Close The Loop has created employment opportunities for non-English speakers who have had difficulty finding employment by hiring bilingual supervisors and creating non-English speaking work crews. In addition to involvement at the KCC through job fairs and hiring events, they engage with other partners, including FIESTA, to empower the Latinx community.
Workforce Root Builder
A Workforce Root Builder realizes that the traditional standards of operations must be reimagined to stay relevant, cultivate an innovative workplace, and attract and retain a skilled workforce. Companywide, this employer has dug deep to examine its workplace culture and has asked ‘the tough’ questions. By crushing the "status quo," they have made transformational changes and have become local and national examples.
this work over the last five years, the NKCAC has more than doubled the agency’s budget, has brought on six new large initiatives to serve the community better, and has established a presence for the agency in the community like never before. They have worked to create new partnerships throughout the community, including with other non-profits to serve their clients, media partnerships to better promote NKCAC, chamber groups and business councils to establish a presence in the community and work with other employers to make the community a better place to live, work and play.
Under the leadership of Catrena Bowman, Executive Director, the Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission (NKCAC) has led the organization through transformational growth and made improvements to advance the work of the organization. The agency has become a leader in the social justice movement in the region and the state by bringing together nonprofit leaders to create a public statement proclaiming that the nonprofits stand together against racism and denounce any acts that dehumanize people. Wanting to equip the agency better to serve a diverse range of clients, the NKCAC hiring practices have become more inclusive, and the staff demographics are more diverse. Through
Steinhauser Inc. is a model employer for initiating and instituting transformational workplace changes. Led by Tara Halpin, CEO, and owner, Steinhauser, Inc. has focused on developing and investing in their existing team members at all levels of this locally owned custom label printing company. The Steinhauser leadership team directly supports all employees by listening to their staff's feedback and has implemented fun learning and teambuilding activities. These intentional actions support what every employee needs to succeed in their jobs. From their board to their most recent hire, Steinhauser intentionally engages with their employees and stakeholders. These strategies have helped make Steinhauser an innovative employer by setting them apart in their industry. They are held in the highest regard locally and globally with industry partners. This culture of collaboration, learning, and pride in their work has helped them develop a brand for themselves, cultivating innovation, ideas, connections, and resources. One significant collaboration for Steinhauser is a partnership with the Talent Magnet Institute (TMI) to provide leadership training and development for all of their leaders. Tara and the Steinhauser leadership are putting what they say they will do into action by creating meaningful experiences for their workforce and helping with future talent attraction.
Seed Sower
A Seed Sower is an individual who cultivates connections with clients that create impactful outcomes. This workforce partner goes the extra mile to help their clients find the right career pathway, perfect training, or a quintessential new hire. This individual offers the best customer service while also becoming a role model from whom others can learn. Partners seek out this person to answer difficult workforce questions.
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"It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit."
–
Harry Truman
In FY2023, the KCC helped place over 670 job seekers with local employers
Over 123,770 Individuals make up the Northern Kentucky Workforce pipelines
2022-2023 Workforce Investment Board Members
John Baines, Insight Partners, LLC., Membership and Board Operations Chair*
Dr. Vicki Berling, Building Industry Association of NKY/Enzweiler Building Institute
Nick Birkenhauer, DBL Law#
Blank, Lisa, St. Elizabeth Healthcare
Natasha Bowsher, Abrapower, Inc.
Catrena Bowman, NKY Community Action Commission, DEI Chair *
Brian Bozeman, Skanska Building USA, Business Services Chair*
Cara Brooks, Duke Energy#
Joe Buerkley, Pendleton County Schools
Michelle Cestaric, Staffmark, WIB Chair/EXEC Chair*
Brent Cooper, NKY Chamber of Commerce
Dana Dobbs, Citi
Gina Douthat, TANK
Kate Doolittle, PNC Bank
Sherra Dunlap, Owen Electric
Dr. Fernando Figueroa, Gateway Community and Technical College
Mike Flannery, Amazon
Janet Harrah, Northern Kentucky University
Ryan Henson, KY Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
Colleen Kirkpatrick, Ethos Laboratories
Cristina Marsh, Jefferson Community and Technical College
Dean McKay, Skilcraft, WIB Vice Chair & Program Youth Chair*
Heather McClanahan, Five Machining Systems, Inc.
Summer Morgan, Kentucky Education & Labor Cabinet#
Ken Murt, Duke Energy
Dr. Randy Poe, NKY Education Council
Deborah Ramirez, Mubea NA#
Kimberly Rossetti, Be - NKY
Connie Schnell, KY Career Development Office
Dave Schroeder, Kenton County Public Library, WIB Treasurer*
Shannon Starkey-Taylor, Learning Grove / NAVIGO
Gina Stough, Kenton County Airport Board/CVG
Jarrod Tiemeier, Ironworkers Local 44
Matthew Turner, Boone County Schools
Michelle Tyson, Cummins, Inc.
Alecia Webb-Edgington, Life Learning Center
William Weier, Mazak
Kristie Henry Willoby, Heritage Bank
*Denotes 2022/2023 Executive Committee Members
#Denotes Board Members who have stepped off the board
NKWIB Board Support Staff
Correy Eimer - Associate Director - Workforce
Melinda Ford - Quality Assurance and Data Specialist
Katie Jo Berkshire Kirkpatrick - Workforce Development and Outreach Specialist
Liberty Kordish - Workforce Senior Finance Specialist
Todd Kyper - Business Services Coordinator
Melissa Patchell - Employment Connection Supervisor
Tonia Slone - Workforce Project Manager
Dede Watt - Business Services Specialist
Katie Jo Berkshire Kirkpatrick, Strategic Initiatives Manager, Northern Kentucky Area Development District (NKADD), constantly seeks ways to improve service delivery and connect the dots between workforce team members. Katie Jo excels at taking our work to the next level, ultimately helping the entire team to serve individual clients, businesses, and partners better. She has written countless grants, reports and plans for the NKWIB, making significant contributions to the financial well-being and compliance of the NKWIB with state/ federal rules and regulations. Katie Jo creates tools to make our teams more effective. She digs deeply into problems to find not just band-aids but real solutions for issues from funding constraints to website calendars to event planning. With GROW NKY and NKWIB, Katie Jo listens to all sides and can immediately see where specific resources overlap or could be leveraged better. She has served in many roles, from writing a workforce newsletter to planning the annual workforce innovation awards event, ensuring that our stakeholders understand the important work occurring in the workforce space. Katie Jo thinks about who needs to know things and then makes sure to keep people in the loop. She sometimes sees gaps and fills them before others even know there is an issue. Katie Jo is the dot connector, as we say. She loves people and is constantly working to understand the roles, responsibilities, and interactions between all of the colleagues and partners who she meets.
to for "other duties as assigned." Because of his commitment to teamwork and his positive attitude, he willingly jumps in to support KCC Committee projects and facility situations that are not a part of his job description and shows a great understanding that all customers at the KCC are our collective customers and deserve a great experience!
More than
14,770 customer received services through the KCC in FY 2023
Onsite - 10,163
Offsite - 4,611
In the last year, 55 new participants enrolled in WIOA Adult, Dislocated Worker andYouth Programs
As a “go to” staffer at the Kentucky Career Center (KCC), Steven Peed, Business Services Representative (BSR), has built positive relationships with his peers across the KCC partners, and they routinely turn to him to connect job seekers they are working with to job opportunities. Employed by the WIOA Direct Service provider, Brighton Center, he evaluates employers' needs and connects them to other KCC partner's services, so employers' benefits are maximized. Steven has earned trust due to his integrity and excellent follow-through. He goes above and beyond to ensure the customer has the best experience possible. Steven has also been critical in GROW NKY Pillar 3's work to increase the number of individuals earning career-readiness certifications. He has worked off hours to ensure that employers could use KCC facility space to train and onboard their employees. Steven is also a go-
Led by Debby Shipp, Director of Cooperative Education & Corporate Engagement, Thomas More University's professional development series helps employers grow in the future. Debby has curated a series of professional development sessions utilizing Thomas More University’s faculty, who have realworld business experience. For employers, the series helps to empower the people who may manage their organizations in the future, making it possible for their teams to meet and exceed expectations by finding the right career pathway within the organization through innovative, relevant, and valuable training. With topics such as Managing A Remote Workforce, Supervision and Management, and Building Teams with Effective Management, employees leave the sessions able to immediately use the information learned. Employers that improve their employees’ skills through Thomas More University’s Professional Development sessions enhance their employee’s performance. By incorporating development sessions into employee training, employers are seeing employees gain more knowledge, excel in their positions, and feel more capable and confident in their roles. Employers are seeing increased retention rates since employees are feeling more fulfilled with their work.
Under the leadership of Mike Sipple, Jr., President/ CEO, Talent Magnet Institute (TMI) has created a unique approach to workforce development. Mike and the TMI team have created a unique platform and leadership development system that goes above and beyond to offer a wide array of services to help job seekers, incumbent workers and leadership development for companies looking to improve how they attract and retain talent. The system includes a digital, interactive platform that helps job seekers gain insights into their own leadership potential while also providing professional 1-1 coaching options and facilitated ongoing training in a professional setting. This customizable approach can be utilized in individual settings by people looking for new careers or by companies looking to train incumbent workers. Mike and his
"If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else." –Booker T. Washington
team have been incredibly active in making connections with the NKWIB, NKADD, Brighton Center and many, many others who impact workforce needs in not only the Northern Kentucky region but also with the Commonwealth. Seen as a leader in our region, he strives to work with others in impactful ways. With a passion for meaningful partnerships and fostering collaborative relationships, Mike’s energy when presenting and sharing with others is contagious and inspiring.
As the Disabled Veterans' Outreach Specialist (DVOP) at the Kentucky Career Center, Aaron Williams, Jobs For Veterans State Grants (JVSG) - Disabled Veteran Outreach Program - Veteran Talent Counselor, has been instrumental in making a positive impact on many veterans’ lives in our community. He provides intensive services to meet the employment needs of disabled veterans and other eligible veterans, with the maximum emphasis directed toward serving those who are economically or educationally disadvantaged, including homeless veterans and veterans who face hurdles when securing employment. Aaron provides case management to veterans with barriers to employment and unique training needs through Kentucky’s Education and Labor Cabinet – Career Development Office. He collaborates closely with the Local Veteran’s Employment Specialist (LVER) and KCC's Business Services Team (BST) to ensure veterans in Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) programs, also known as Chapter 31 programs, who are 'job ready' receive priority in their job search. Aaron conducts outreach in the Northern Kentucky Region to locate veterans who may be in need of services. In addition, Aaron lends support to fellow JVSG staff members in the Bluegrass Region when needed – making sure the veterans in that area are receiving applicable and timely services. By guiding, empowering, and inspiring our customers, we will continue our mission to create success stories across the Commonwealth.
Workforce Cultivator
A Workforce Cultivator nourishes meaningful collaborations, leverages community resources, and exemplifies the importance of breaking down silos. This partner and its staff work tirelessly to understand the regional workforce ecosystem, recognize potential impactful collaborations, and champion workforce initiatives
that will "move the needle."
"Great things in business are never done by one person; they're done by a team of people." – Steve Jobs.
EC Learn uses its voice and resources at regional and state levels to influence early childhood education. EC Learn’s Executive Director/CEO Sandra Woodall and her team are leading efforts to elevate awareness of childcare’s essential role as “the workforce behind the workforce.” EC LEARN approaches challenges with innovation and out-of-the-box strategies. By recognizing childcare’s systemic role in our workforce structures, EC LEARN identifies unique and sustainable long-term solutions for employers, early childhood professionals, and the families they serve. By amplifying employer and employee voices through local, state, and federal advocacy, we can effectively share the stories that matter mostthose that illustrate the invaluable importance of quality childcare and its effects on a productive workforce. By chairing the Early Childhood Education Pillar of Growing Regional Outcomes Through Workforce (GROW NKY), Woodall and her EC LEARN team have cultivated supportive relationships with businesses to increase responsive, family-friendly policies that support employee childcare needs, including promoting the Employer Childcare Assistance Partnership Program (ECCAP). The ECCAP has resulted in local businesses activating this benefit for their employees, making childcare more affordable for families, and concretely demonstrating an employer’s commitment to their workforce. At the end of the day, EC LEARN’s team is proud that their work has a lifelong impact on the children, families, early childhood professionals, businesses they serve, and the future of the entire Northern Kentucky region. While the work is extensive, the impact is more significant.
Currently, there is a shortage of aircraft mechanics in the aviation industry, and the local demand for these positions continues to grow, as CVG has become the seventh-largest cargo airport in North America and serves more than seven million passengers per year. To address this need, FEAM Aero and its president, Cam Murphy, partnered with Epic Flight Academy to build a new aircraft mechanic training facility on the Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) campus. In less than a decade, FEAM Aero’s footprint in the Northern Kentucky region has grown from a few technicians at CVG to one 100,000 sq. ft. hangar with 300 employees and a second 150,000 sq. ft. hangar under construction that will employ at least 250 people at full capacity. FEAM Aero
Through the KCC in FY2023, over 1,370 Unique Employers received Services.
Covington Works has served over 40 Covington Residents through skills and employe based training.
Jennifer Adkins
Lauren Allhands
Ellen Bates
Douglas Beard
Angela Becker
Christine Billiter
Darene Bradford
Kimberly Bunch
Robin Campbell
Rhonda Chisenhall
Cyndi Clifton
Kail Clifton
Chelsea Cobb
Michelle Cobb
Dawn Combs
Brad Dansberry
Jad Davis
Lesley DeMarcus
Gina DeWard
Correy Eimer
Lisa Elliott
Mary Fennell
Melinda Ford
John Franzen
Tammy Freeman
