Stacy brings her years of national workforce experience to the role of Director of the Workforce Field Building Hub
WPTI Hires Stacy Woodruff as founding Director of the Workforce Field Building Hub
Workforce Professionals Training Institute (WPTI) is establishing a New York City-wide resource to unite and strengthen key stakeholders in the diverse and wide reaching workforce development field.
New York, NY – WPTI is proud to welcome Stacy Woodruff as the newest addition to the staff effective immediately. Stacy joins WPTI to lead the newly formed Workforce Field Building Hub as the Director.
The Workforce Field Building Hub brings together key leaders from across the interdisciplinary and diverse New York City and national workforce community to identify common issues and solutions to strengthen the workforce ecosystem. Through its core purpose of field learning, innovation, and practice improvement, the Hub’s primary role is to function as a central place for community-based organizations, for-profit service delivery agencies, government, education institutions, workforce philanthropies, organized labor, private sector employers, public libraries, employer-based training programs, and others to collectively respond to local and national trends and policy changes that impact workforce development. This initiative expands upon WPTI’s commitment to build the capacity of practitioners, organizations, and workforce systems to train, educate, and prepare jobseekers for thriving careers, and at the same time, meet employers’ demand for skilled workers. This initiative is supported by the New York City Workforce Funders through the NYC Workforce Development Fund at The New York Community Trust, The New York Community Trust, Fund for the City of New York, The Pinkerton Foundation, Altman Foundation, Ira W. DeCamp Foundation, and The Clark Foundation.
Stacy Woodruff brings to WPTI more than a decade of experience in workforce policy development, research and evaluation, most recently as a program advisor for the NYC Mayor's Office of Workforce Development. Stacy was previously a researcher for Public/Private Ventures, managing multiple workforce development-focused evaluation and demonstration projects across the nation – including the Workforce Benchmarking Network, now administered by WPTI in partnership with Corporation for a Skilled Workforce and Chicago Jobs Council – and authoring multiple reports on workforce issues. She has also served as a consultant on projects for numerous workforce development organizations nationwide.
“WPTI is fortunate to welcome someone with Stacy’s knowledge, skills, and experience to lead the Workforce Field Building Hub,” said WPTI’s executive director Sharon Sewell-Fairman. “We have ambitious goals for the Hub, and Stacy has the vision, commitment and in-depth understanding of the workforce community to bring this initiative to fruition. She is a real asset to the team.”
“The Workforce Field Building Hub represents an important piece of WPTI’s ongoing mission to become the premier resource for staff training and organizational development,” adds WPTI board chair Blake Foote. “Stacy’s extensive familiarity with workforce development systems, policies and practices in New York and beyond will enable the Hub to make a significant contribution to the field.”
“I am excited to join WPTI,” said Stacy Woodruff. “As a field, we’ve learned a lot on how to serve job seekers and employers, but haven’t had a centralized place to translate knowledge into practice. It’s a real culmination of my own experience working with stakeholders and data to drive program improvements.”
An advisory committee of workforce development executives that represents the inclusive ideal of the Hub and the diversity of our field will help shape, strengthen, and demonstrate the results of the Workforce Field Building Hub. Confirmed members to date include:
- David Bolotsky, Founder & CEO, Uncommon Goods
- Mary Ellen Clark, Executive Director, NYCETC
- Diane Edelson, Executive Vice President, Grant Associates
- Blake Foote, Independent Workforce Development Consultant (WPTI Board Chair)
- Suzanne Foran, Chief of Program Services, Eckerd Youth Alternatives (WPTI Board Member)
- Lowell Herschberger, Director of Career and Education Programs, Cypress Hills LDC
- Lesley Hirsch, Director, New York City Labor Market Information Service
- Faiza Issa, Director, SKILLFUL, Markle Foundation
- Melinda Mack, Executive Director, NYATEP
- Paul Ortega, National Director of Training and Organizational Development, Swiss Post Solutions (WPTI Board Vice Chair)
- Marjorie Parker, Deputy Executive Director, JobsFirstNYC
- Lauren Rasnake, Head of People Operations, Uncommon Goods
- Syrine Reese, Head of Talent Acquisition, Healthfirst
- Kelly Richardson, Managing Director, New York, Per Scholas
- Linda Rodriguez, Head of The Fellowship Initiative, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
- Jennie Sparandara, Vice President, Global Philanthropy, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
- Valerie Westphal, University Director of Continuing Education and Workforce Programs, CUNY
- Faith Wiggins, Director, Homecare Education Fund, 1199 SEIU Training and Employment Funds
- Ira Yankwitt, Executive Director, Literacy Assistance Center