Meet our Results for America State and Local Workforce Fellows
In the fall of 2019, RFA launched a State and Local Workforce Fellowship to help data- and evidence-driven state and local government leaders make tangible progress in improving employment outcomes for residents. Despite tremendous pressure and unprecedented need, Fellows made incredible progress in 2020, and the need for an equitable recovery, driven by data and evidence is more pressing than ever.
This page provides a detailed overview of the Fellowship. Below you'll see our distinguished Fellows, the diverse jurisdictions they represent, the goals of each phase of the Fellowship, and the wins they've achieved to improve outcomes for the residents they serve.
STATE AND LOCAL WORKFORCE FELLOWS
Thomas Flournoy
California
Workforce Fellow
Division Chief of the Southern Office Workforce Services Division, Employment Development Department
Thomas Flournoy
California
Workforce Fellow
Jaime Gutierrez
California
Workforce Fellow
Division Chief of the Central Office Workforce Services Division, Employment Development Department
Jaime Gutierrez
California
Workforce Fellow
Brooke Valle
California
Workforce Fellow
Vice President of Strategy, San Diego Workforce Partnership
Brooke Valle
California
Workforce Fellow
Lisa Salazar
California
Workforce Fellow
Policy Director, Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles
Lisa Salazar
California
Workforce Fellow
Erin Jones
Colorado
Workforce Fellow
Director, Workforce Boulder County
Erin Jones
Colorado
Workforce Fellow
Lee Wheeler-Berliner
Colorado
Workforce Fellow
Managing Director, Colorado Workforce Development Council
Lee Wheeler-Berliner
Colorado
Workforce Fellow
Aurora Steinle
District of Columbia
Workforce Fellow
Director, Performance and Strategic Initiatives, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education
Aurora Steinle
District of Columbia
Workforce Fellow
Jasmine Illa
District of Columbia
Workforce Fellow
Chief of Staff, DC Workforce Investment Council
Jasmine Illa
District of Columbia
Workforce Fellow
Ta-Tanisha Wallace
District of Columbia
Workforce Fellow
Chief Strategy Officer, DC Department of Employment Services
Ta-Tanisha Wallace
District of Columbia
Workforce Fellow
Ashley Williams
District of Columbia
Workforce Fellow
Senior Program Officer, DC Department of Employment Services
Ashley Williams
District of Columbia
Workforce Fellow
Julie Wirt
Ohio
Workforce Fellow
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
Julie Wirt
Ohio
Workforce Fellow
Lisa Patt-McDaniel
Ohio
Workforce Fellow
CEO, Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio
Lisa Patt-McDaniel
Ohio
Workforce Fellow
Allison Jones
Pennsylvania
Workforce Fellow
Deputy Secretary of Policy and Planning, Office of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf
Allison Jones
Pennsylvania
Workforce Fellow
James Martini
Pennsylvania
Workforce Fellow
Director, Pennsylvania Workforce Development
James Martini
Pennsylvania
Workforce Fellow
Erica Mulberger
Pennsylvania
Workforce Fellow
Executive Director, Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Corporation
Erica Mulberger
Pennsylvania
Workforce Fellow
Dillon Moore
Pennsylvania
Workforce Fellow
Director of Policy, Partner4Work
Dillon Moore
Pennsylvania
Workforce Fellow
Charles Miller
Texas
Workforce Fellow
Workforce Policy Advisor, Office of Governor Greg Abbott
Charles Miller
Texas
Workforce Fellow
Courtney Arbour
Texas
Workforce Fellow
Director, Workforce Division, Texas Workforce Commission
Courtney Arbour
Texas
Workforce Fellow
Jennifer Troke
Texas
Workforce Fellow
Director of Grants and Contracts, Texas Workforce Commision
Jennifer Troke
Texas
Workforce Fellow
Lee Rector
Texas
Workforce Fellow
Director, Texas Workforce Investment Council
Lee Rector
Texas
Workforce Fellow
Paul Fletcher
Texas
Workforce Fellow
Chief Executive Officer, Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area
Paul Fletcher
Texas
Workforce Fellow
2021 State and Local Workforce Fellowship Wins
- California’s San Diego Workforce Partnership released two evidence-based RFPs for youth jobs services in October of 2020 which also leverage job quality and equity metrics.
- Colorado developed evidence of effectiveness definitions (p 25) and required local areas to provide an evidence inventory in their local workforce plans.
- D.C. developed performance-based contracting and evaluation guidance.
- Ohio Jobs and Family Services supported Central Ohio in piloting two outcomes-based contracts with the intent of spreading the contracting strategy across the state.
- Pennsylvania defined evidence of effectiveness for the workforce system and conducted a field survey to learn how to support local areas in building evidence. The Governor’s Office developed a grant template leveraging these definitions.
- Partner4Work, our Pittsburg Fellow, issued a performance-based RFP for training programs leading to industry-recognized credentials and employment.
- Texas Workforce Commission defined and prioritized evidence for the first time, and the first grant announcement under this system will be issued in March 2021.
- Virginia developed and launched a workforce data trust, connecting data across six agencies, a referral portal offering a single point of entry to all workforce customers, and performance dashboards to inform both the public and workforce officials. We also gained DOL approval for N. VA’s use of WIOA Pay-for-Performance, the first in the nation.