CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas Launches to Serve Tampa Bay Region Workforce Development Needs

CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas Launches to Serve Tampa Bay Region Workforce Development Needs

(Tampa, FL – July 1, 2024) – The workforce development boards in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties are merging effective Monday, July 1, forming CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas and bringing a united focus to serve businesses and job seekers across Tampa Bay.

The new agency is led by interim co-CEOs Sheila Doyle and Steven Meier, who led the predecessor organizations and were jointly appointed by the CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas Board until the Board completes its search for a permanent candidate.

Job seekers and business leaders interested in engaging CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas’ services can continue reaching Career Centers and Business Services staff using the same contact information and locations.

Last month CareerSource Florida President and CEO Adrienne Johnston toured CareerSource partners in Hillsborough and Pinellas, gaining a firsthand perspective of the work local CareerSource affiliates are doing to strengthen career education and business services in the region.

“The team at CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas works alongside business and training partners to make invaluable contributions to our state’s growing economy and robust future workforce. As they turn the page to launch a new local workforce development board providing unified services to both counties, I commend them for forging such a strong united front to increase prosperity for workers and businesses in their communities,” said Johnston.

“Tampa Bay is experiencing rapid growth in both population and business activity, making it one of the nation’s most dynamic economies. Our board and staff are dedicated to connecting businesses with our skilled local workforce and training programs to support their success,” said Sean Butler, board chair of CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas and Chief People Officer at Titan Technologies, LLC.

The members of the first CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas board were drawn from CareerSource Tampa Bay’s and CareerSource Pinellas’ Board of Directors and are required by federal law to represent a cross-section of the business, workforce development, education, and government/economic and community development sectors.

CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas also has a new main landing page which can be found at www.CareerSourceHillsboroughPinellas.com

Business Sector

Mitchell Allen, Tampa Bay Economic Development Corporation

Sean Butler, Titan Technologies (Chair)

David Fetkenher, Crown Automotive Group

Benjamin Friedman, Duke Energy

Barclay Harless, Valley Bank (Vice Chair)

Gary Hartfield, Serenity Village Company (Treasurer)

Nikisha Lezama, CoreRx

Esther Matthews, All Enterprise Solutions

April Neumann, Ultimate Medical Academy

Jeremy Robinson, Choice Hotels

Elizabeth Siplin, Empact Solutions

Roy Sweatman, Southern Manufacturing Technologies

Thayne Swenson, Swenson Construction

Scott Thomas, ProMedica Senior Care

Sophia West, C.S. West and Associates, PA

Russell Williams, Power Design

Mercedes Young, Vivid Consulting Group

Workforce Sector

Robert Blount, Abe Brown Ministries

Joseph Eletto, Veterans Council of Hillsborough

Elizabeth Gutierrez, Enterprising Latinas, Inc.

Michael Jalazo, PERC

Jim Junecko, IUOE Local 487

Shawn McDonnell, IBEW

Kenneth Williams, Teamster Local Union No. 7

Education Sector

Belinthia Berry, St. Petersburg College

Warren “Scott” Brooks, Hillsborough County Schools

William “Mark” Hunt, Pinellas County Schools

Dr. Brian Mann, Hillsborough Community College

Dr. Rebecca Sarlo, Evara Health (Secretary)

Government, Economic/Community Development Sector

John Howell, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

Commissioner Chris Latvala, Pinellas County (2^nd Vice Chair)

Commissioner Joshua Wostal, Hillsborough County

Ocea Wynn, City of Tampa

A consortium of Chief Local Elected Officials (CLEOs) from each county commission is responsible for oversight and board appointments. The current consortium members are:

Hillsborough County Commissioner Gwen Myers (Chair)

Pinellas County Commissioner René Flowers (Vice Chair)

Pinellas County Commissioner Chris Latvala

Hillsborough County Commissioner Joshua Wostal

About CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas

Effective July 1, 2024, CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas is the designated local workforce development board serving Hillsborough County and Pinellas County. CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas is governed by a board of directors whose members are appointed by a consortium of Chief Local Elected Officials (CLEOs) from each county commission.

CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. All voice telephone numbers listed may be reached by persons using TTY/TDD equipment via the Florida Relay Service at 711.

CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas is funded entirely by federal grants. Accordingly, 100% of the cost of its programs will be financed with federal funding from the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Agriculture as part of awards totaling approximately $35,554,000.

• Tags: