WIOA Summit 2024

Welcome & Keynote Address

Breakout Session One 

  • Strategies & Structures for Individuals with Disabilities in the Workplace
    • Presented by: John Michel (Social Kitchen) & LeeReese (Workforce Development Program Coordinator, St. Clair County Intergovernmental Grants Department)
  • The Voice of the Apprentice: A Panel on Illinois’ Apprentice Ambassadors
    • Presented by: Sheryl Morris (Executive Director UNITE HERE Chicago Hospitality Institute)
  • Certifications and AI: The Winning Combo for Future-Proofing the Workforce (this session was only offered live)
    • Presented by: Tony Fuhrmann (Madison County Employment & Training), Emily Hemingway (Executive Director, TechSTL St. Louis Development Corporation), Dan Connors (Senior Manager: Workforce Development CompTIA), Jason Mangold Director (Training Solutions Architecture & Workforce – CompTIA).
  • We are Youth Passion and Purpose of Lake County (this session was only offered live)
    • Presented by: Jennifer Everett (Program Manager Lake County Workforce Development), Daniel Newport (Board Coordinator Lake County Workforce Development), and Marcus Jordan (DEI Outreach Coordinator, Indiana-Illinois-Iowa Foundation for Fair Contracting and Operating).
  • What We’ve Learned: Career Foundations/ Intersecting Barriers “Pilot” (this session was only offered live)
    • Presented by: Tara Driver (Sr. Career Pathways Manager Women Employer) & Efrata Sasahulih (Program and Research Coordinator Women Employed)
  • Using Motivational Interviewing Techniques in Initial Assessment to Build Long-Term Relationships, Engagement, and Participation (this session was only offered live)
    • Presented by: Jodie Sue Kelly (President, Cygnet Associates)
  • How to Provide Technical Assistance to Employers in Completing Apprenticeship Registration (this session was only offered live)
    • Presented by: Taylor Black (Champaign County RPC)

Breakout Session Two:

  • CEJA Workforce Program Update
    • Presented by: Michelle Cerutti (CEJA Southern Regional Administrator, Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity Office of Employment & Training)  & Diana Fuller (CEJA Division Manager, Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity Office of Employment & Training)
  • Expanding Equity through Allyship
    • Presented by: Jason Rebello (Managing Partner, Firefly Inclusion Solutions, LLC)  & Julio Rodriguez (Deputy Director, Office of Employment and Training -Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity)
  • Empowering Futures: Navigating and Replicating a Successful Special Education Apprenticeship Program(this session was only offered live)
    • Presented by: Tony Fuhrmann (Director, Madison County Employment and Training), Darlene Ladd (Assistant Director, Madison County Employment and Training), and Paula Bradford (S.T.E.P Coordinator Madison County ROE)
  • The Benefits of Building & Sustaining Professional Relationships (this session was only offered live)
    • Presented by: Cassandra Dunham  (Talent Development Specialist-CCRPC) and Taylor Black (Champaign County RPC)
  • Mythbusting: AEL and Effective Partnerships (this session was only offered live)
      • Presented by: Dena Giacometti (Director, English Language Acquisition, Illinois Community College Board) & Kathy Olesen-Tracey (Senior Director for Adult Education and Literacy, Illinois Community College Board)
  • Transforming Industries Together: Strategies for Attracting Employers to Sector-Based Partnerships (this session was only offered live)
      • Presented by: Kim Kuchenbrod, TPM Fellow (WBL and Talent Management Administrator, Apprenticeship Illinois), Lee Reese (Workforce Development Program Coordinator, St. Clair County Intergovernmental Grants Department), Kraig Kistinger (Director of Human Resources, National Tube Supply), and Antonio Garcia (Director, CEJA Program Administrator, Lake County Workforce Development)
  • Unlocking Effective WIOA Referrals: Empowering Illinois Communities to Share and Improve Outcomes (this session was only offered live)
      • Presented by: Kelly Lapetino (Regional Manager, Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity) & Ema Mailhot-Beutel  (OSO Manager, scaleLIT)
  • The Neuropsychology of Resilience (this session was only offered live)
    • Presented by: Paloma Medina (Leadership Coach & Trainer, Paloma Medicine)
  • Plenary Session- The Future of Workforce Panel (this session was only offered live)

Breakout Session Three:

  • Hospitality United: Strengthening the Industry through Partnerships
      • Presented by: Tony Fuhrman (Director Madison County Employment and Training), David Faro (Sr. Manager of Workforce and Business Development National Restaurant Association), Joe McGinnis (Director CAVC), and Beth Bear (Economic Development Specialist Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau)
  • It Takes a Village: Advancing DEIA Through Partnerships and Grassroots Advocacy
      • Presented by: Carlotta Roman (Founder and Senior Business Psychologist Collective Career Consulting, LLC), Marcus Jordan (

        DEI Outreach Coordinator Indiana-Illinois-Iowa Foundation for Fair Contracting and Operating Engineers Local 150), and Jennifer Serino (Executive Director Lake County Workforce Development)

  • Operationalizing Equity: The Impact of Equity of Access, Assessment, and Opportunity on Outcomes (this session was only offered live)
      • Presented by: Yolanda Clark (Northern Illinois University)
  • Creating Robust Career Pathways: A Conversation with Major Industry Associations (this session was only offered live)
    • Presented by: Mitch Dickey (Government Engagement Manager TRANSFR Inc.) and Sarah Hartwick (Vice President of Education & Workforce Policy
      Illinois Manufacturers’ Association).
  • Building Employer Partnerships That Work (this session was only offered live)
  • Using Data to Drive Business Engagement (this session was only offered live)
    • Presented by: Marty Johnson (Manager, Workforce Analysis and Dissemination Illinois Department of Employment Security), Dee Reinhardt (Project Manager Illinois workNet), and Eric Makela (Labor Economist Illinois Department of Employment Security)
  • Career Planning (this session was only offered live)
    • Presented by: Annamarie Dorr (Regional Manager Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity)
  • Unlocking Potential: Navigating Workforce Development Resources for Inclusive Hiring (this session was only offered live)
    • Presented by: Biswa Phuyal (Business Consultant – IDHS), John Hall (Business Services & Special Projects Supervisor Workforce Services Division of Will County), Michelle Stiff (Director Workforce Services Division of Will County), Kraig Kistinger (Director of Human Resources National Tube Supply), Beth Gonzalez (Community Relations Representative Pace Suburban Bus), and Caroline Portlock (Director Workforce Investment Board of Will County)

Breakout Session Four

  • Paraprofessional+: Illinois’ First Teacher Apprenticeship Program
    • Presented by: Rebecca Ryan (Apprenticeship Grant Manager Madison County Employment and Training) and Elizabeth Ketchum (Academic Advisor/Grant Administrative Coordinator McKendree University)
  • Clean Energy Workforce Needs
    • Presented by: Linda Larsen (Associate Director of Research, University of Illinois Climate Jobs Institute)
  • Engaging Business and Employers (this session was only offered live)
    • Presented by: Andrew Warrington (Chief Executive Officer UCC Environmental), Lee Reese (Workforce Development Program Coordinator St. Clair County Intergovernmental Grants Department), David Gallagher (Center for Governmental Studies – Northern Illinois University), Antonio Garcia (Director, CEJA Program Administrator Lake County Workforce Development), and Tory Davis (Business Services Manager Illinois Department of Employment Security).
  • Workforce Readiness for ELLs: Designing Effective, Holistic, and Student-Centered Approaches (this session was only offered live)
    • Presented by: Sarah Taylor (Director of Adult Education World Relief | DuPage & Aurora) and Heather Davis (Job and Career Readiness Manager World Relief Chicagoland)
  • Collaborative Excellence: Strategic Alliances and Actionable Insights in Apprenticeship Programs (this session was only offered live)
    • Presented by: Bonnie Moore (Director to the Center for Business & Industry Lake Land College), Corey Young (Executive Director of Apprenticeship & Workforce Solutions City Colleges of Chicago), and Danielle Kuglin Seago (Manager Project Hire-Ed College of DuPage)
  • Follow-Up (this session was only offered live)
  • Southern Region Re-Entry Virtual Job Fair (this session was only offered live)
    • Presented by: Freddie Buckingham (Southern Region Business Services and Veteran Outreach Manager Department of Employment Security) and Scott Cohoon (Business Service Coordinator Illinois Department of Employment Security)
Breakout Session Five

  • West Star Aviation Apprenticeship Academy – Rethinking the Apprenticeship Model
    • Presented by: Tony Fuhrman (Director Madison County Employment and Training), Katie Johnson (West Star Aviation), Michael Conley (Director of Workforce Development and Career Pathways Southwestern Illinois College)
  • Strategies and Resources for Equitable Workforce Development in Illinois
    • Presented by: Gina Wells (Senior TA Consultant American Institutes for Research) and Lisa Bly-Jones (Chicago Jobs Council)
  • Revive Lake County and the Justice Impacted Network (this session was only offered live)
    • Presented by: Ashannti Ross (Training Manager Lake County Workforce Development (LWIA 1)) and Claudia Uribe (Youth Career Specialist Lake County Workforce Development- LWIA 1)
  • RESEA – A Gateway to the Illinois Workforce System (this session was only offered live)
  • Why Illinois? A Look Into Illinois’ Toolbox That Helped The State Become Number One In The Midwest For Workforce Development (this session was only offered live)
    • Presented by: Tracey Glenn (Senior Regional Economic Development Manager Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity)
  • Using the Statistical Adjustment Model for PY2024 Negotiations (this session was only offered live)
    • Presented by: Andy Blanke (Research Specialist Center for Governmental Studies – Northern Illinois University)
  • State Directors Panel