Texas Workforce Commission Workforce Forum May 1-2, 2023

Breakout Sessions 8:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.

Phoenix North
Better Together: AEL and Local Workforce Development Boards Serving Out-of-School Youth
Mahalia Baldini, Director, Adult Education and Literacy, Texas Workforce Commission
Jauneen Maldonado, Director, Adult Education and Literacy, Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County
Linda Ross, Program Specialist, Adult Education and Literacy, Texas Workforce Commission

Phoenix South
Registered Apprenticeships—A Key Strategy for Workforce Sustainability
Brandi Harrison Trotter, Industry & Workforce Development Specialist, Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas
Desiree Holmes, Apprenticeship Director, Texas Workforce Commission
Kim D. Moore, Apprenticeship Navigator, South Texas College

Phoenix Central
Maximizing Workforce Services and Enhancing Postsecondary Outcomes for Students
Deborah Dobis, Student HireAbility Navigator Mentor, Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas
Aubrey McKenzie Jones, PhD, Student HireAbility Navigator Mentor, Workforce Solutions Deep East Texas
Imelda Trevino, Student HireAbility Navigator Mentor, Workforce Solutions Coastal Bend
Sonia White, Student HireAbility Navigator Mentor, Workforce Solutions East Texas

Austin Room
Jobs in the Oil Patch: A New Dawning
Gabriel “Mike” Guzman, Manager, LMI Dissemination and Outreach, Texas Workforce Commission
William Lutz, Economist, Texas Workforce Commission

Dovers Room
Improving Texas Outcomes: Evidence-Based Grant Making
Ryan Clinton, Manager, Special Initiatives and Grants, Texas Workforce Commission
Diane Tackett, Chief Operations Officer, Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area
Sandra Williams, Director, Workforce Grants and Initiatives, Texas Workforce Commission

Breakout Sessions 10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Phoenix North
Implementing Flexible and Innovative Programs and Practices for Transitioning Foster Youth
Chris Caballero, CTCM, CTCD, Foster Youth Liaison/Program Specialist, Strategic Workforce Initiatives and Federal Grants, Texas Workforce Commission
Breanna Haile, MS, Deputy Director of the HAY Center, Harris County Resources for Children and Adults
Kathy Martinez, CTCM, CTCD, Program Specialist, Special Initiatives, Texas Workforce Commission
Wayne Salter, Deputy Executive Commissioner Access & Eligibility Services, Texas Health and Human Services

Phoenix South
Want to Create a Megaregion? Ask us How!
Janie Bates, Executive Director, Workforce Solutions Texoma
Eric Batten, Workforce Development Director, Texas Instruments
Kristie Caviness, Employer Engagement and Community Outreach Manager, Outreach & Employer Initiatives, Texas Workforce Commission
Dr. Veronique Tran, Vice Provost, School of Manufacturing and Industrial Technology, Dallas College
Mary York, Director, Outreach and Employer Initiatives, Texas Workforce Commission

Phoenix Central
Effective Partnerships for a Greater Impact
Jasmine Hernandez, Student HireAbility Navigator, Community Engagement, Workforce Solutions Lower Rio Grande Valley
Elzie Martinez, Student HireAbility Navigator, Community Engagement, Workforce Solutions Lower Rio Grande Valley
Gabriela Martinez, MS, LPC, CRC, Program Specialist for Transition, Texas Workforce Solutions-Vocational Rehabilitation Services, State Office Transition and Pre-ETS Program
Art Vega, II, MS, LPC, CRC, Vocational Rehabilitation Supervisor, Texas Workforce Solutions-Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Lower Rio Grande Valley Management Unit 6-3

Austin Room
Data Modernization in Support of Texas Workforce Solutions
Beth Durham, Director, Analytics Infrastructure Department, Texas Workforce Commission
Adam Leonard, Chief Analytics Officer and Director of Information Innovation & Insight, Texas Workforce Commission
Jennifer Palmer-Lee, Tableau Administrator and Data Visualization Manager, Texas Workforce Commission

Dovers Room
Tools and Strategies for Reentry
Tom Harris, Owner, New Horizons Employment Solutions
Stephanie Huerta, Manager, WIOA/ES/RESEA and Fidelity Bonding Coordinator, Texas Workforce Commission
Russell Hunter, Manager, Work Opportunity Tax Credit Program, Texas Workforce Commission Shunta Williams, Deputy Director, Board Support and Agency Administered Programs, Texas Workforce Commission

Breakout Sessions 12:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Phoenix North
Workforce Case Management System—TWIST Replacement
Debbie Carlson, Project Manager, Workforce Development Division, Texas Workforce Commission
Linda Hernandez, Senior Quality Assurance Specialist, Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas
Sandy Landers, Project Manager/Test Lead, Workforce Case Management System, Texas Workforce Commission
Richard Woessner, Director, Workforce Automation and Technical Support, Texas Workforce Commission

Phoenix South
Regional Board Collaboration: Raising the Bar for K–12 Students into Exciting Careers
Jessica Dersen, Director of Career Awareness and K–12 Partnerships, Workforce Solutions Capital Area
Kelly Moreno, Chief Solutions Officer, Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area

Phoenix Central
Performance and Partnership Solutions that Restore Dignity—The Mastercard Case Study
Leila Melendez, CEO, Workforce Solutions Borderplex
Vanessa Preston, Executive Vice President, Grant Associates

Austin Room
Partnering with Military Transition Programs
Bob Gear Jr., Director, Texas Veterans Leadership Program, Texas Workforce Commission; Gabriel Lopez, Assistant Director, Texas Veterans Leadership Program, Workforce Solutions for South Texas
Mark Phillips, DHR, Division Chief of TAP, Fort Hood TAP Center (Copeland)

Dovers Room
Strategies for Developing Self Sufficiency Fund and Skills Development Fund Grants
Reba Bacon, MBA, Program Specialist, Texas Workforce Commission
Kristie Caviness, Employer Engagement and Community Outreach Manager, Outreach and Employer Initiatives, Texas Workforce Commission

Breakout Sessions 2:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Phoenix North
Building Bridges—Connecting Youth to the Workforce
LaToya Casimere, Program Administrator, Workforce Solutions Gulf Coast
Dawn Cronin, Deputy Division Director, Workforce Programs and Board Service Strategies, Workforce Development Division, Texas Workforce Commission
Lorena “Lori” Knight, Education Outreach Manager, Texas Workforce Commission
Odette Flores-Ruiz, Youth Program Coordinator, Workforce Solutions Borderplex
Mariana Vega, Director for Labor Market Information, Texas Workforce Commission

Phoenix South
Infant/Toddler Child Development and Support
Elise Cohen, MA, Coordinator, Education Outreach, Children’s Learning Institute at UT Health Houston Texas Infant Toddler Specialist Network
Lindsay Hill, Manager, Quality Initiatives, Child Care & Early Learning Division, Texas Workforce Commission
Madelynn Martinez, Quality Initiatives Program Specialist, Child Care & Early Learning Division, Texas Workforce Commission

Phoenix Central
Using Innovative Networking and Outreach Strategies to Amplify Employer Relationships and Career Opportunities
Kandolite Carson, Creative Media Manager, Workforce Solutions Borderplex
Bianca Cervantes, Communications Director, Workforce Solutions Borderplex

Austin Room
Employee Training and Placing Texans in High-Paying Jobs
Cledia Hernandez, Associate Vice Chancellor, External Relations and Workforce Development, Texas State Technical College
Kyle Smith, Associate Vice Chancellor, Special Projects, Texas State Technical College

Dovers Room
What’s New in Cybersecurity and Information Technology?
Chris Bunton, IT Infrastructure Director, Texas Workforce Commission
Lance Leatherwood, Chief Information Security Officer, Texas Workforce Commission 

3:30 p.m.

Adjourn Workforce Forum