WDC/EDD Tour for Assistant Secretary of VETS Mike Michaud

Heidi Marshall, Executive Director, welcomed Congressman Mark Takano and Assistant Secretary of VETS, Mike Michaud to the Riverside County Workforce Development Center.

Congressman Mark Takano introduced Mike Michaud who was nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the Senate to be the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans' Employment and Training. He was sworn in on December 2, 2015.

Riverside Mayor, Rusty Bailey, spoke about partnerships within the County of Riverside for veterans, and also the Riverside County One-Stop’s role in piloting new programs. We’re a hub of innovation!

Heidi Marshall shared the vision and plan for the Homeless Veterans Initiative as well.

Wendell Crawford, Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Specialist, shared his success story as a Veteran and how he got to where he is today through the help of various veteran programs.

Keith Torrance, a customer of Talia Wesley, WDC Career Coach, tearfully shared his story of how the Workforce Development Center has enabled him with the confidence and tools to get back into the workforce, giving him a new hope.

Steve Main, Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Specialist, spoke about the importance of outreach to the veteran community , as well as challenges they face in the job market.

Paul Kullas, Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Specialist, shared with the group how crucial the County and EDD integration structure is regarding ITA’s.

Sergio de la Garza, Local Veterans Employment Representative, brought to the table a discussion about employers and creating better job opportunities for out of work veterans.

A special award was given to Nancy Ise, Assistant State Director of VETS, for 25 years of service. Congratulations Nancy!

A tour of the Riverside Workforce Development Center was given to the Congressman and ASVET by Lenny Pimentel, Acting Economic Development Manager.

Sylvia Angel, Center Activities Team Lead, gave us the opportunity to hear from customers who have successfully gained employment through the Networking Unlimited class and the benefits of boot camp training at the center. Assistant Secretary Michaud shared how important he believes networking is.

The tour continued to our Computer Resource Area where Lenny shared about the centers use of advanced technology to benefit our customers.

The tour ended with a walk through of the Mobile One-Stop given by Juan Shephard, Support Services Technician. Juan talked about the multiple benefits of the Mobile One-stop including its use in disaster relief.

Many ideas and visions regarding initiatives and work that is being pursued to increase and support the hiring and training of veterans were discussed today. Thank you to everyone who participated in todays tour.

And a very special thank you to each one of you for doing your part and helping lead the effort to have the best workforce system around!