Lincoln Trail Workforce Development Board members announced

The work of the newly formed Lincoln Trail Workforce Development Board (LTWDB) is underway and the board held its first meeting this week.

LTWDB is a transition from the Lincoln Trail Workforce Investment Board per the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014. WIOA aims to streamline membership of workforce development boards and emphasize the role of boards in coordinating workforce programs to meet worker and employer needs.

The 23 members of the board represent private sector business, labor, education, economic development and workforce programs. The eight counties of the Lincoln Trail region also are represented.

The board acts as a convener in improving the region’s workforce development system and oversees the local implementation of WIOA. Members are committed to developing a pipeline of skilled workers who meet the needs of local employers, giving the Lincoln Trail region a globally competitive advantage that attracts new business investment.

“Our workforce is a key factor in our region’s ability to attract jobs and ensure our quality of life,” said board chairman Mo Miller. “The Workforce Development Board, bringing together all stakeholders, aligns our education and training programs and workforce programs with the needs of our region’s in-demand industries and prepares workers for self-sustaining jobs.”

The solutions and decisions of the LTWDB are employer-driven, with representatives of businesses and business organizations comprising 51 percent of the board.

LaRue County Judge-Executive Tommy Turner, who as the chief elected official of the Lincoln Trail Area Development District appointed the members, said the board’s collective expertise will serve the region well.

“I am extremely pleased with the quality of individuals we have serving on the Lincoln Trail Workforce Development Board,” Turner said. “Each member has extensive experience and knowledge of the workforce and talent needs of the Lincoln Trail region.”

Lincoln Trail Workforce Development Board

• LTWDB members, with officers noted, include:
• Eddie Allen, Tower International (Bardstown)
• LTWDB Second Vice Chairwoman Trish Niles, Mid-Park, Inc. (Leitchfield)
• LTWDB Chairman Mo Miller, Stone Works, Inc. (Elizabethtown)
• Krista Levee, LaRue County Chamber of Commerce
• Kim Huston, Nelson County Economic Development Agency
• LTWDB Vice Chairman Gary Chapman, The Cecilian Bank (Brandenburg)
• Laura LaRue, The LaRue Group (Elizabethtown)
• Stan Carton, NELCO, Inc. (Bardstown)
• Tom Renfrow, Central Kentucky Realtors (Elizabethtown)
• LTWDB Secretary and Treasurer Mary Cambron, Joy Global (Lebanon)
• Dean Schamore, Digital Connections Plus (Hardinsburg)
• Lisa Williams, Kentucky Innovation Network
• Kenneth Ritchie Jr., IBB Local 40 (Elizabethtown)
• Renard Duvall, UAW Local 3047 Metalsa (Elizabethtown)
• Michael Embry, IVOE Local 181 J.A.T.C. (Boston)
• Daniel Carney, Springfield-Washington County Economic Development Agency
• Al Rider, Central Kentucky Community Foundation
• Ryan Henson, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
• Tommy Wheatley, Office of Employment and Training
• Dr. Thelma White, Elizabethtown Community and Technical College
• Dr. Evelyn Ellis, Western Kentucky University
• Billy Crabtree, Kentucky Adult Education
• Patricia Krausman, University of Kentucky Small Business Development Center