Bend woman named to new ‘Oregon Talent Council’
Oregon Employment Department Director Lisa Nisenfeld announced Wednesday the appointment of the first nine industry members of the Oregon Talent Council. established by the Oregon Legislature earlier this year.
Lawmakers also established an Oregon Talent Council Fund of $6.1 million to seed investments in talent development programs.
The Talent Council will work with industry, workforce and the Oregon higher education community to help fill high-wage, high-demand occupations in the state.
The council will make strategic investments through competitive grants to public and private institutions of higher education and workforce organizations which propose projects that meet the urgent talent needs identified by the council.
Nisenfeld also commissioned the development of the statistical and trending analysis that comprises the Oregon Talent Plan.
The Talent Council is required to develop a Talent Plan each biennium that includes identification of talent issues and trends related to selected Oregon traded sector and high growth industries that are in strategic alignment with state and local workforce and economic priorities.
Talent Council members are charged with immediately prioritizing the state’s urgent talent gaps based on this plan’s findings. The Oregon Talent Plan will be published and updated regularly to account for changes in the economy.
“In all of its work, the Council intends to collaborate closely with industry associations, state agencies, higher education, state and local workforce boards and other entities concerned with the development of quality talent in Oregon companies,” Nisenfeld added.
David Childers, whose previous roles include Chair of the Technology Association of Oregon (TAO), Vice Chair of the Engineering and Technology Industry Council (ETIC), and Chief Executive Officer of Compli and Ethics Point, has agreed to serve as the acting Chair of the new Talent Council.
“Oregon has a unique opportunity to develop world class talent infrastructure with the establishment of the Council,” says Childers. “The Council will focus its statewide industry-directed lens on Oregon’s urgent talent development needs, deploy strategic investments from its own fund, and leverage investments and strategies with all partners interested in a strong talent pool in our state’s high growth, traded sector economy.”
The Council will appoint the Chair at their first official meeting on November 12.
Initial Council members have been drawn from industry sectors including advanced manufacturing, bioscience, energy, healthcare and high tech. Newly appointed members of the Council include:
* David Childers
Consultant and Open Compliance and Ethics Group Fellow
* Eileen Boerger
Chief Executive Officer and Director, CorSource Technology, Portland
* Josh Bratt
Vice President, Morgan Stanley, Portland
* Mike Donnelly
Materials Manager, Care Stream Inc., White City
* Don Hendrickson
Senior Manager, Boeing, Gresham
* Soundharya Nagasubramanian
Director, SW and Systems Architecture, Welch Allyn, Beaverton
* Becky Pape
Chief Operating Officer, Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, Corvallis
* Matt Smits
Strategic Programs, Micro Systems Engineering, Lake Oswego
* Cheryl Stewart
Director, Human Resources, Bend Memorial Clinic, Bend
The Oregon Talent Council will meet on November 12, 2015 in the Portland Metro area from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., specific location to be determined. More information on the upcoming meeting, the Council, and the Oregon Talent Plan can be found at the Council’s website: oregontalentcouncil.org.
