STATE OF COLORADO - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Board Liaison and Operations Assistant
Abigail is a Board Liaison and Operations Assistant with the Colorado Workforce Development Council Office with a deep passion for the Centennial State, Abigail finds solace and inspiration in its great outdoors. When not at work, Abigail can often be found exploring Colorado's majestic landscapes with her loyal companion and best friend, Cheese, a four-legged adventurer.
Together, they embrace the thrill of rock climbing, the serenity of hiking, and casting lines while fly fishing. Abigail believes that the natural beauty of Colorado mirrors the commitment to excellence and harmony she brings to her role as a Board Liaison.
With a background rooted in customer service, recruiting, operations, and event planning and a knack for building meaningful connections, Abigail thrives in the dynamic environment of state governance. She is dedicated to facilitating seamless collaboration between boards, ensuring the smooth functioning of essential operations, and leveraging her expertise to support Colorado's continued growth and prosperity.
In both her professional and personal pursuits, Abigail is driven by a desire to create lasting connections and make a positive impact. With the spirit of Colorado as her guide, she is dedicated to achieving excellence in every endeavor.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Government
- Department of Higher
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Treasurer of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Senior Consultant - Stimulus
As a Senior Consultant for the Colorado Workforce Development Council office, Bob and his team are tasked with ensuring that the WorkForce Innovation Act funds are utilized quickly and effectively to support and enhance talent development efforts statewide. During his long career in the private sector, Bob held leadership roles within large and small companies in the manufacturing and service sectors. He also worked as a consultant providing strategic and tactical plans for start-ups and mid-sized companies. Bob holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and a master's degree in business from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. You can often find him hiking, cooking, reading, and supporting his beloved Badgers.
Job Titles:
- Senior Consultant - Sector Partnerships & Industry
- Senior Consultant for Sector Partnerships & Industry for the Colorado Workforce Development Council Office
Bobbie is the senior consultant for sector partnerships & industry for the Colorado Workforce Development Council Office. In this role, Bobbie is responsible for implementing the guidance of the Sectors Steering Committee and ensuring that deep and meaningful industry engagement is occurring through regional sector partnerships and industry-led talent development efforts across Colorado. She joined the CWDC Office Staff in 2019 and has worked on the Stimulus funding for Regional Sector Staffing, working alongside Trade Association's implementing innovative workforce training, and project managing the Lives Empowered initiative. She is passionate about listening to the needs of Colorado communities and testing solutions together. Bobbie graduated from Colorado State University with a BS in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and a minor in Business Administration and grew her interest in collaboration between individuals, education, workforce, and business as a Workforce Vitality Specialist with the Boulder Chamber. Outside of work, Bobbie can be found running around local trail systems, snowboarding, and exploring Colorado's many local breweries.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director - Communications
- Assistant Director of Communications & Collaboration
- Communications and Collaboration Teams
Britta serves as the assistant director - communications and collaboration for the Colorado Workforce Development Council Office where she develops strategy, builds relationships, and convenes collaborative groups. She and her team design strategic communications to drive awareness of and engagement with the resources of the talent development network. She joined the Colorado Workforce Development Council in 2016 and has more than 15 years of communications and strategy experience working with government, nonprofits, and collaborative groups. In her free time, Britta enjoys baseball on the radio, music involving stringed instruments, and well-told stories.
Job Titles:
- Marketing Coordinator - Apprentic
Daisy is a CareerWise apprentice at the Colorado Workforce Development Council and assists the CWDC's business communications in her role as a marketing coordinator. Daisy aspires to have a better grasp of business and marketing through her three-year apprenticeship program and pick up new talents she may use in the future. Daisy recently obtained her high school diploma from Abraham Lincoln and studies full-time at the University of Colorado Denver. In addition to her apprenticeship, in her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and friends.
Dale is the Salesforce administrator for the Colorado Workforce Development Council and the Office of the Future of Work. He had an extensive career as a software developer in the private sector, including working for Siemens in Munich, Germany for ten years. He has a deep passion for technology. His expertise spans across different programming languages, software development tools, and technologies. He began working for the state of Colorado at CDLE in 2013 with the Unemployment Insurance division. He then moved to HR and was the system administrator for the performance management EQEP system. He became a Salesforce administrator in 2022. Dale is committed to providing exceptional service and being an asset to the CDLE team. Apart from his work, Dale loves to read, hike, be in the mountains, fish, and cycle. He enjoys spending time with his family and exploring new adventures.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Workforce
- Pueblo Electrical Joint Apprenticeship & Training Trust
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Workforce
- Secretary / the Sims - Fayola Foundation
Erin Young is the Employer Coach for the Colorado Workforce Development Council. Erin is a passionate small business owner and advocate who has actively worked to improve job quality in small businesses. She has experienced the challenges and opportunities faced when considering improvements to wages, benefits, safety, transparent opportunities for advancement and professional development, and each of the other features that contribute to high-quality jobs. In addition to being a business owner, Erin is an active community leader who has served on the Summit County Chamber of Commerce, the Silverthorne Town Council, the Summit School District Board of Education, the Colorado Association of School Boards, and the Early Childhood Options Board of Directors. Erin holds a master's degree in public administration from the University of Colorado Denver, School of Public Affairs.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Government
Job Titles:
- Quality Assurance & Compliance Manager
In the Quality Assurance and Compliance role, Jack is the primary staff point of contact for all compliance components of State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) received by the CWDC through HB21-1264.
Jack works with CWDC to ensure that all SLFRF federal and state requirements are followed in all aspects of fund administration, and provides support to sub-recipients if needed. Jack is also the primary contact with the Recovery Officers and the Office of the State Controller.
Jack comes from the manufacturing and brewing industry where he held positions such as Director Supply Chain, Product Quality and Innovation Sr Manager, as well as numerous Quality Assurance roles. He enjoys golf, the mountains, and brewing beer.
Job Titles:
- Consultant - Stimulus Public Partners
Job Titles:
- Member of the Workforce
- Colorado Building & Construction Trades Council
Job Titles:
- Innovative Financing Consultant
As the Innovative Financing Consultant for the Colorado Workforce Development Council office, Jessica leads the implementation of Colorado's Innovative Financing Roadmap. The Roadmap advances a collaborative approach to ensure that training and educational opportunities are affordable to all Coloradans, encourage service provider accountability, and advance sustainable funding streams through the use of financial tools like income share agreements, social impact bonds, and pay-for-success contracts. Prior to joining CWDC in 2022, Jessica worked for OPEIU, a union of office workers, negotiating contracts and encouraging employers' professional development systems. Jessica has supported programming focused on organizing garment workers in Bangladesh, recruited and developed employee training for businesses in Liberia, and implemented holistic programs aimed at increasing revenue for microenterprises in Ghana. Jessica holds a master's of industrial and labor relations. As a new Colorado resident, Jessica promises to learn to ski. You can find Jessica walking her dog or searching for the perfect cannoli.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Department of Labor
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Executive Committee
- Chairman / Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Executive Committee
- Sectors Committee Chair
Job Titles:
- Administrative Assistant III
As an Administrative Assistant, Katalina provides support to the operations of the Colorado Workforce Development Council. Katalina is bilingual and brings a wide range of experience with her. Previously, she worked in the non-profit sector serving the community as a community coordinator at Denver Metro Community Impact, facilitating community conversations to lead the backbone efforts with the collective impact framework to advance equity and generational success by elevating the voices of the systematically oppressed, through the facilitation of organizational collective action.
Just to name a few other previous roles, Katalina's experience includes legislative aid fellow to the office of Representative Herod, data entry clerk at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, temporary aid for the Colorado Workforce Development Council, legal office intern at the Denver District Attorney and Justice and Mercy Legal Aid Clinic, and affiliations with the State Youth Council, Young Invincibles, and CrossPurpose. Katalina holds a certificate in Legal office from Emily Griffith Technical College, an associate's Degree in Communications from Community College of Denver, and is pursuing a double major in Public Administration and Anthropology at the University of Colorado Denver. You can catch Katalina outdoors, exploring her native state of Colorado - discovering hot springs.
Job Titles:
- Senior Communications Strategist
- Senior Communications Strategist for the Colorado Workforce Development Council Office
Katie Ciaglo is a senior communications strategist for the Colorado Workforce Development Council Office. In her role, Katie designs and implements strategic communications initiatives and supports the CWDC's efforts to educate and engage our partners and the public through management of the CWDC's websites and social media. Katie holds a bachelor's degree from Carleton College and worked in journalism prior to joining the CWDC. Being born and raised in Colorado, Katie enjoys being a part of Colorado's approach to helping people of all backgrounds build the necessary skills to find meaningful employment in the state.
Job Titles:
- Senior Communications Strategist - Content Development
Keri Funkhouser helps share the story and impact of the work created by the Colorado Workforce Development Council (CWDC) and the partners of the TalentFound Network. In her role, she writes original content in support of projects, initiatives, and events that are being implemented with a specialized focus on communications related to stimulus efforts.
In addition to producing a variety of communications-including case studies, profiles, social media content, communications toolkits, eblasts, and thought leadership pieces-Keri oversees and manages updates to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) State Plan and creates the WIOA Annual Report.
Keri graduated with honors from Colorado State University and brings with her 15 years of experience in corporate public relations, advertising, digital marketing, and nonprofit communications. Highlights of her career include holding key leadership positions at Goodwill of Colorado, YMCA, Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC, and several terms as an elected officer of the Board of Directors for the Public Relations Society of America.
When she's not wordsmithing or correcting typos, you'll find her in the wilderness hiking, fly fishing, camping or painting her favorite landscape.
Job Titles:
- Consultant - Stimulus Programs
As a Consultant for the Stimulus Programs - Business & Industry, Kim Fleming supports the Trade Association Training, Regional Sector Partnerships, and Small Business Apprenticeship Support grants. Before joining the CWDC, Kim worked as a program coordinator for a refugee resettlement agency in Denver. She also spent several years as a financial analyst for a large healthcare company. Kim earned her Finance degree from the University of Illinois. Outside of work, you can find Kim traveling, trying new foods, volunteering, and enjoying shows at the DCPA.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Managing Director of the Colorado Workforce Development Council Office
As the Managing Director of the Colorado Workforce Development Council Office, Lee manages the execution of strategies to develop and sustain an industry-led talent development system in Colorado. By forging relationships with industry and public partners at the local and state level, Lee helps to ensure the alignment of talent development efforts statewide. Lee has been with the CWDC since 2014 and brings extensive project management and leadership experience to this role. He previously worked as an independent consultant for mission-driven for-profit and nonprofit entities, as well as holding senior leadership positions with Hunger Free Colorado and Colorado Court Appointed Special Advocates. Lee holds an MBA with a concentration in social entrepreneurship from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and is an active coffee drinker at his local Edgewater coffee shop.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Workforce
- the Weld Trust
As the Grant/Contract Coordinator, Mary is the primary staff point-of-contact for funding contracts, grants, and inter-agency agreements issued through the CWDC. Mary's career leading up to her position at the CWDC centered on positive youth development, mentoring, and education at various Denver metro nonprofit organizations. Mary is excited to join the CWDC team to provide support to the people and programs making a lasting impact on workforce development in this beautiful state of Colorado. She was born and raised in Colorado. She earned her BA in education at the University of Northern Colorado. Mary enjoys cooking, singing in her church's chancel choir, and spending time with her family exploring Colorado state parks and awesome playgrounds in the community.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Business
- Advocacy Committee Chair
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Business
- BEL Commission Chair
Job Titles:
- Member of the Business
- Consulting - Digital Marketing Dude
Job Titles:
- Project Coordinator - Stimulus
As the Education Consultant in a shared role with the Colorado Workforce Development Council and the Colorado Department of Education, Sami works to align workforce priorities in the education system with industry demand. She supports schools in being responsive to the needs of the labor market and believes that if the next generation can start their career pathways early on, they will be ready for the future of work and experience meaningful careers in tune with their interests and strengths.
Previous to joining the CWDC, Sami worked directly with the industry in the Pikes Peak region on building effective talent development strategies and workforce initiatives including skill-based hiring and job quality. Sami holds a master's degree in organizational leadership and strategic communication from CU Boulder and is a proud alumni of the Next Generation Service Corps at Arizona State University. Outside of work, you can find Sami exploring trails across the state with her two chihuahuas, planting wildflowers for the bees in her garden, and spending time advancing civic and community engagement in her home, Colorado Springs.
Job Titles:
- Energy & Industry Consultant
As an Energy & Industry Consultant shared between the Colorado Workforce Development Council and the Colorado Rural Workforce Consortium, Susan works to connect Colorado's energy employers with the State's Career Pathways system, and to support community resilience through the creation of Sector Partnerships. Susan's early career in the rural electrification system led her to economic development during the Romer administration. She is a Certified Economic Developer and MBA who consulted nationally, helping clients engage leaders to build their base of support and tell their story in a more compelling way. She is passionate about making economic opportunities available to everyone and moving toward the sustainability of Colorado's natural and built environment. In her spare time, Susan is actively engaged in birding, habitat, and wildlife conservation through her leadership role with Denver Field Ornithologists. She enjoys the outdoors, hiking, and travel with family/friends from her home base in Golden.
Job Titles:
- Consultant - Digital Tools
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Government
- Department of Education
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Executive Committee
- Education & Training Chair / Climax Molybdenum Company
Job Titles:
- Senior Consultant - Career Pathways
As a Senior Consultant, Thomas is the senior authority for the development and deployment of career pathways in in-demand industries. Additionally, Thomas works as a senior authority with other agencies and external partners to create and manage project plans for CWDC initiatives and Career Pathways Tools and Resources. Thomas represents CWDC in stakeholder meetings relevant to career pathway development, equity, or supply-side strategies including, the facilitation of the Education and Training Steering Committee and its subcommittees. Thomas also serves as a liaison between CWDC and assigned local Workforce Development Boards. Thomas is passionate about the democratization of education and training opportunities for all Coloradans. Before joining the CWDC in 2016, Thomas served as a college and university administrator, instructor, and curriculum designer. Thomas holds a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Northern Colorado and is a Certified Project Management Professional. In his free time, Thomas enjoys hiking, snow-shoeing, and cooking for family and friends.
Job Titles:
- Senior Consultant - Innovation and Effectiveness
As a Senior Consultant for innovation and effectiveness, Tony plays a critical role in the implementation of CWDC's initiatives by providing oversight to the division's project management functions and delivering high-quality technical assistance opportunities to external partners. As Project Officer, Tony serves as an internal coordinator and hub of information and resource generation who works to strengthen the team's capacity to effectively manage projects and ensures project teams have what they need to reach deliverables on time and in accordance with CWDC's strategic vision. Before joining CWDC in 2022, Tony served as a higher education and career development administrator for 20 years, provided workforce research and consulting to the US Department of Energy at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion consulting for Colorado Inclusive Economy. Tony holds a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Northern Colorado. In his free time, Tony enjoys spending time with family & friends, reading, cooking, and Denver's restaurant scene.