VENTURA COUNTY — Over the past year, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors approved the recommendation from the Workforce Development Board (WDB) to appoint four new WDB board members. Each will serve a three-year term.
New member Shaffiq Rahim is president/owner of Hi-Tech Engineering in Camarillo. His focus as a board member is the growth and economic development of local small businesses. “I want to leverage my experience and expertise to help inform and expand the investments that businesses, non-profits, and government entities are making to ensure high productivity and economic growth for the market,” says Rahim. “We are at a critical time in California, especially in heavy manufacturing spaces like aerospace and engineering, which represent a significant portion of the Ventura County market. I want to be a part of how we continue to grow the businesses we have here and also attract new businesses into this market.”
Jeremey Shumaker is regional director of operations for American Medical Response in Moorpark and Gold Coast Ambulance in Oxnard. He is a U.S. Army veteran and business leader with more than 20 years of emergency medical services experience. He is responsible for ensuring his EMTs and Paramedics team are prepared to care for the community at a moment’s notice. “I am excited and honored to be part of the Workforce Development Board,” says Shumaker. “My focus will be to work diligently to ensure that we are meeting the workforce needs of all healthcare providers in Ventura County.”
Bill Werner is the owner of Leadership Made Clear in Simi Valley. He has over 15 years of experience in healthcare management. “As a WDB board member, I want to make sure that the Ventura County healthcare industry has the needed, trained staff to serve the community,” says Werner. “There is an ongoing shortage of professional healthcare staff that will only increase in the future. We have to be ready.”
Sandy Smith is a project manager of Sespe Consulting, Inc. in Ventura. He is responsible for providing strategic analysis and counseling in land use planning and project planning. He is a former mayor for the City of Ventura, past chair and current policy chair for the Ventura County Economic Development Association, and a senior adjunct instructor in the California Lutheran Universities Masters Program in Public Policy and Administration. “Huge sections of our workforce have been impacted by the coronavirus, especially in specific socio-demographic sectors,” says Smith. “The virus further compounded the divide between the haves and the have-nots. The workplace is changing, and we must find ways to retrain workers to help the county reemerge economically. I believe Ventura County is well-positioned. We have a history of working collaboratively across sectors, and we are a small enough county so that innovative programs can have an impact.”
“Our four new members represent a variety of technical backgrounds and expertise that will serve Ventura County workers and businesses well,” says Rebecca Evans, WDB Executive Director. “During these challenging times, WDB is committed to providing the necessary resources for workers and businesses to recover from the pandemic and keep our local economy and communities strong.”
The board also reelected Tracy Perez, market manager of Manpower, as WDB Chair, and Peter Zierhut, vice president, Motorsports Marketing at Haas Automation, as WDB Vice-Chair.
The board also reappointed current board members: Victor Dollar, senior vice president of sales, Brighton Management, Dona Toteva Lacayo, chief commercial and public affairs officer, The Port of Hueneme Oxnard Harbor District, Marilyn Jansen, delegate and membership department representative, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, Local 770,Vic Anselmo, CEO and owner, Applied Powdercoat, Inc., Gregory Liu, owner and CEO, Jaxx Manufacturing, Inc., Celina Zacarias, director of community and government relations, California State University, Channel Islands and Bruce Stenslie, president and CEO, Economic Development Collaborative-Ventura County.
Members of the WDB include leaders from business, economic development, education, labor, government, and community-based organizations.
About the Workforce Development Board — The Workforce Development Board of Ventura County administers federal funds that help to support America’s Job Center of California locations and other free job seeker, youth, and employer programs and services in Ventura County. The Workforce Development Board of Ventura County is a proud partner of America’s Job Center of California network. Equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. If you have limitations hearing or speaking, dial 711 to reach the California Relay Service (CRS). For more information, call 805-477-5306 or visit http://workforceventuracounty.org