Aim Hire 2024: Mentor Sessions

Katie Brennan serves as the Director of Development & Stakeholder Engagement at the Greater Cleveland Career Consortium (GCCC). In this role, she oversees the organization’s fundraising and external engagements. She also focuses on establishing continuous improvement processes, both within the GCCC and among partners in the implementation of the PACE (Planning and Career Exploration) initiative for 6-12th graders in 10 local school districts. Katie officially joined the GCCC team in February 2023 and has been working on PACE development and early implementation since 2019 through her previous roles as Program Officer for Education at the Cleveland Foundation and Program Manager on Loan at Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Katie holds an MA from Queen’s University Belfast in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice, and a BA from the University of Notre Dame in Sociology. She has experience teaching at both the high school and community college levels and serves on several education and social justice-focused boards and committees.

Lisa M. Chambers is the Chief Executive Officer of TECH CORPS, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that K-12 students have equitable access to technology programs. With over two decades of experience in building cross-sector strategic alliances, Lisa has expanded TECH CORPS’ reach, significantly increasing the number of students served, volunteers deployed, and revenue generated.

Paula Compton is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Articulation and Transfer at the Ohio Department of Higher Education. She plays a key role in developing statewide college-level curriculum for various technologies and works closely with the ODHE Workforce Development area and industry partners. Paula holds a wealth of knowledge in college credit pathways and transfer initiatives.

Kristy Fairfax is an independent consultant with over 15 years of experience in workforce development, focusing on talent pipeline and career pathways. She began her career as Director of the Corpus Christi Industry Outreach Program and later founded KMF Workforce Consulting. Kristy is currently working with Learn to Earn Dayton to design and pilot the PACCE program in the Dayton region. She resides in Dayton, Ohio, with her family.

Kayla Mack is dedicated to creating meaningful educational experiences that prepare students for success beyond the classroom. With a master’s degree in Educational Psychology, Kayla has spent over a decade in education, focusing on career advising and fostering partnerships that provide equitable opportunities for students.

Scot McLemore is the Executive in Residence at Columbus State Community College, where he leverages his experience as a workforce expert at American Honda Motor Company to cultivate relevant career pathways. Scot has over 30 years of experience in workforce development and has served on several advisory committees. He is passionate about connecting young people with career opportunities in manufacturing.

Joel Nelson is the Program Manager for Continuing Education with Ohio State Online, focusing on developing employer and community partnerships. With over 18 years of experience in higher education, Joel has managed statewide K12 engagement programming and digital success initiatives. He holds a BS and MS in Marketing from Franklin University and an MBA from the Fisher College of Business at OSU.

Cassie Palsgrove is the Director of K-12 Education Policy at Ohio Excels, where she focuses on public policy development, state advocacy, and research to improve educational outcomes for all K-12 Ohio students. With over 15 years of experience in education, Cassie previously led the Office of Graduate Success at the Ohio Department of Education, where she worked to engage stakeholders from higher education, business, industry, and state agencies to support systemic K-12 career advising and business-education partnerships. She began her career as an agriculture educator, promoting experiential learning and career exploration. Cassie holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from Ohio State University.

Dee Smith is the Executive Director of the Ohio Association for Career and Technical Education (Ohio ACTE), a position she has held since 2023. With over 20 years of experience in government relations, Dee’s passion for career-tech education stems from her own experiences as a career-tech student. She is dedicated to ensuring that all Ohio students have access to high-quality CTE programs. Dee lives in rural Fairfield County and enjoys working out, golfing, and spending time with her family.

Quentin Suffren is Senior Advisor at ExcelinEd, where he leads the organization’s policy and research efforts to strengthen education to career pathways in states. These efforts have included its policy framework Pathways Matter and the first-of-its-kind research into student credentialing, Credentials Matter. Quentin and the Pathways team engage with governor’s offices, system leaders and state partners to develop policy and programmatic solutions to support high-demand, high-skill and high-wage pathways for learners of all ages. Before joining ExcelinEd, Quentin was executive director of the college, career and military preparation division at the Texas Education Agency. Prior to that, he served as Executive Director of Amplify’s consulting services, working with state agencies and consortia on major technology and implementation contracts. He has also held roles at TNTP and The Learning Institute.

Travis Taylor is the Graduation and College in High School Administrator at the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Born and raised in Northwest Ohio, Travis has been with the Department for over three years, focusing on supporting Ohio’s Graduation Requirements and building pathways for students.

Emily Turner has three decades of experience in Ohio’s economic, community, and workforce development sectors. She began her career in economic development before moving to private consulting and then to nonprofit leadership. Emily is currently the Director of the Choose Ohio First program, a $200 million scholarship program aimed at increasing access to STEM education for Ohio residents. She holds a master’s degree in public administration and a bachelor’s degree in political science.

Shannon Vanderpool is a Senior Business Incentives Administrator at the Ohio Department of Development, where she manages workforce development programs such as TechCred and IMAP. With extensive experience in project management and workforce initiatives, Shannon serves as a liaison between state government, business leaders, and economic development groups. She holds an Associate’s Degree in Applied Business from Ohio University.

Tasha Werry is the Executive Director of Building Bridges to Careers (BB2C), an organization she helped found to connect students, teachers, and parents with business and community leaders. Tasha has a background in education and completed her Educational Doctorate in 2016, focusing on BB2C. Under her leadership, BB2C has expanded its community and career-connected learning initiatives across Southeast Ohio.

Dr. Lauri White joined the Ohio Department of Higher Education in September 2019 as Associate Vice Chancellor, Workforce Engagement. With over 30 years of experience in higher education, Dr. White is involved with several initiatives, including TechCred and the Great Minds Fellowship Program. She holds an Ed.D. in Higher Education and Organizational Change from Benedictine University and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Wyoming.