Alejandro (Ale’) Mendoza is the Director of Human Resources at Optimax Systems Inc, a precision optics manufacturer, located in Ontario, New York. In this role, he is part of the Board of Directors at Optimax and focuses on aligning the company’s strategic goals and culture with a growing workforce. Before joining Optimax in 2006, Ale’ was a member of the United States Air Force, where he served in a variety of specialized roles. His military career included assignments with Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Space Surveillance, and Aircrew Life Support systems and training. In addition to his current role at Optimax, Ale’ has a passion for collaborating and building relationships with workforce development organizations. Ale’ serves the local community as a member of the Finger Lakes Community College foundation board, YMCA HR advisory committee, Veterans Employment Strategy Team and the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce HR Executive forum while regionally, he’s a member of the NY state workforce strategy group – Invest in skills NY coalition and nationally, he serves as a board member of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions and partners with the National Skills Coalition and Business Leaders United, including a member of their Manufacturing Industry Recovery Panel. He holds an associate degree from Monroe Community College (MCC), a bachelor’s degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), and a master’s degree from St. John Fisher College.

As the president of CAEL, Earl Buford oversees the national nonprofit organization's work to promote sustainable and equitable economic growth for adult learners in collaboration with workforce and economic developers, post-secondary educators, employers, industry groups, foundations, and other mission-aligned groups. Before CAEL, Buford was the Chief Executive Officer of Partner4Work, the leader of the public workforce system for Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, as well as Employ Milwaukee, where he was nationally recognized for implementing and integrating a sector-based approach to workforce development. Buford was also the leader of one of the first intermediaries in the country, WRTP/BIG-STEP. Buford is an active board member with several organizations, including the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, Apprenticeships for America, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Catalyst Connection, Bridgeway Capital, Cleveland Federal Reserve (Pittsburgh Chapter), and Strada Education Network's National Strategic Advisory Group. He is a former member of Vice President Joe Biden’s Task Force on Effective Workforce Strategies, the National Network of Sector Partners, the Wisconsin Governor’s Task Force on Minority Unemployment, and the National Skills Coalition Advisory Board, among many others.

Bethia Burke is the president of the Fund for Our Economic Future, a nonprofit organization working to advance a more equitable economy in Northeast Ohio. As president, Bethia brings critical leadership to Northeast Ohio’s most pressing challenges—working with diverse stakeholders to find common ground while advancing real solutions to drive a more equitable, growing economy. Bethia leads the Fund’s governing body—a board representing cross-sector, regional perspectives from the Fund’s 18-county footprint—and team of staff and consulting partners in advancing the organization’s strategic priorities to drive systems change that reduce racial inequities and set the course for a more prosperous, resilient Northeast Ohio economy.  Bethia is consistently recognized across Northeast Ohio for her leadership and influence in philanthropy and economic development, for example as a Crain’s Cleveland Business Women of Note (2022), on Ohio Business Magazine’s ‘Ohio 500’ list of Ohio's most powerful and influential people (2022, 2023), with a Medical Mutual’s Pillar Award for Community Service as a Nonprofit Executive Director of the Year Award (2022) and with a Progressive Woman Award from Smart Business Northeast Ohio (2024). Bethia attended Case Western Reserve University where she earned dual undergraduate degrees in economics and English. She spent her early career in the greater Washington, D.C., area conducting cost risk reviews of major defense programs while earning her master’s degree in applied economics at Johns Hopkins University.

Ayeola Fortune is the Vice President of the Impact Team at United Way Worldwide (UWW). She provides oversight, strategic guidance, and support to team members managing key initiatives in youth opportunity, financial security, and health. She leads UWW’s efforts to support local United Ways to advance equitable community impact by developing frameworks, strategies, peer learning and training opportunities, and developing resources and tools.  She also leads UWW’s efforts to collect and aggregate data from local United Ways to demonstrate collective impact across communities. Before joining UWW, Ayeola served as the director of extended learning opportunities and development Project at the Council of Chief State School Officers from 2001-2009. In this role, she developed proposals to support Council activities based on identified state education agency needs relative to implementing federal policy initiatives. Preceding this role, Ayeola was a high school teacher at The Ellis School in Pittsburgh, PA. Ayeola earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Government from Lehigh University, as well as a Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh.

Andrea Glispie is a Senior Manager of Community Development at Charles Schwab Bank where she helps to ensure the bank fulfills its obligations under the Community Reinvestment Act. In this role, she facilitates philanthropic contributions from the bank to nonprofit organizations and creates skilled volunteer opportunities so that Charles Schwab colleagues can leverage their expertise in support of community organizations. Prior to this, Andrea served as the site director of the Dallas workforce funding collaborative Pathways to Work. The collaborative invested in career pathways for adult workers and industry partners in the healthcare and information technology sectors, advanced workforce equity, and piloted job quality strategies. She has over 20 years of professional experience, especially in the areas of organizing, advocacy, grantmaking, and community engagement. Andrea holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Social Work degree from Washington University – St. Louis. She resides in Plano, Texas and is the proud (and often tired) mom of a nine year old boy and is an obnoxious Peloton enthusiast.

Todd Greene is a vice president of the Work, Education, and Labor Division (WELD) at the Urban Institute.  He leads a team of experts who shape education and training that leads to lifelong success and a labor market that delivers economic security, dignity, and voice.  He also serves as the executive director of WorkRise- a research-to-action network focused on jobs, workers, and mobility hosted by the Urban Institute. WorkRise funds research on promising practices, policies, and programs and undertakes foundational research on labor market trends to strengthen employers, inform policymaking and practices, and provide genuine economic mobility and security for workers. For more than 10 years, Greene was a vice president in the research department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, where he led research, policy, and outreach initiatives to promote inclusive economic growth. Greene founded and led the Federal Reserve System’s human capital/workforce development working group and launched the Federal Reserve Center for Workforce and Economic Opportunity. Greene, a certified economic developer, earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and master’s degrees from Washington University and Georgia State University. He has completed executive education programs at Stanford University and Universidad ESAN.

Michael Gritton has served as the Executive Director of KentuckianaWorks, the Workforce Development Board for Louisville and its 6 regional counties, for 20 years. KentuckianaWorks leverages federal, state, and local government dollars as well as private philanthropic grants to engage employers, educators and job seekers with resources to build a stronger community through the dignity of work. Gritton is a Louisville native who spent 20 years living in New York, Boston, and elsewhere before returning to his hometown in 2000. He is a graduate of Pleasure Ridge Park High School, Duke University and Columbia Law School.

Mark Kessenich is Chief Executive Officer of the Associated General Contractors of Greater Milwaukee (AGC-GM) – a construction contractor trade association representing over 300 members in southeastern Wisconsin.  Prior to AGC-GM, Mr. Kessenich worked as President & CEO of the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership / BIGSTEP, a critical partner to recruiting and preparing individuals for opportunities in the skilled trades in the construction, manufacturing, and energy sectors. In his tenure at WRTP/BIGSTEP Mr. Kessenich served as a consultant on a number workforce development initiatives throughout the country. Prior to WRTP/BIGSTEP, he worked for over deade.in various leadership and strategic planning capacities at the Milwaukee workforce investment board. Mr. Kessenich currently serves an appointed member of the State of WI Council on Workforce Investment, the Board of Directors of WRTP/BIGSTEP and the Board of Directors of Employ Milwaukee – Milwaukee’s local workforce investment board.  In addition, he serves as trustee to the Milwaukee United Building Trades Pension Trust Fund and several other Health & Welfare funds and Labor Management committees. Mr. Kessenich serves on the Engineering Advisory Councils at both Marquette University and UW-Milwaukee. Mr. Kessenich is an active member of the Rotary Club, the Wisconsin Policy Forum and numerous business and civic organizations the greater Milwaukee area.

Seung Kim is Senior Vice President at LISC and leads the National Programs unit including Health, Economic Development, Child Care & Early Learning, Safety & Justice, and Sports & Recreation. She guides these programs in delivering technical and financial resources, thought leadership, program innovation and scaling, and external partnerships with an aim to enhance LISC’s impact in communities. Seung has led the strategic expansion of LISC’s national workforce and asset building initiatives, through its network of Financial Opportunity Centers, and its Bridges to Career Opportunities initiative. She was also instrumental to successful program development for LISC’s growing network of business development partners focused on serving small businesses owned by people of color and women. She has championed community-focused and data-driven approaches to pilot, test, and scale promising program strategies.