This week on That Michigan Show, we're starting the first of a two-part series focusing on Michigan's talent! For this week's episode, we're exploring resources for Michigan's career shifters and job seekers.
FIRST - We learn about the Michigan Shifting Gears Program. Michigan Shifting Gears is a career-transition program for seasoned corporate professionals who want to use their business knowledge and experiences in new opportunities!
THEN - We explore a cutting-edge, accessible, and FREE resource available to Michigan job seekers and small businesses. What is it? Tune in this weekend to find out!
To listen to the episode, click here
Guests
Amy Cell
Amy Cell serves as senior vice president of talent enhancement for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). She directs talent programs to support attraction and retention, economic gardening and entrepreneurship.
Cell previously was vice president, talent enhancement and entrepreneurial education for Ann Arbor SPARK where she created the talent function for SPARK and launched a number of innovative programs to help support growing innovation based companies and start-ups.
Cell also worked as a CPA for Plante & Moran and launched an Office of Student Life for the Ross School of Business. She spent 10 years in a variety of human resources roles at Ford Motor Company, the Stanford Research Institute, Applied Biosystems and co-founded the consulting partnership HR Drivers, based in Silicon Valley, where she helped develop outsourcing models and programs for HR service delivery to start-up organizations.
For more information on Shifting Gears, check here
Amanda Avila
With a background in manufacturing, Amanda currently serves as the Director of Talent Initiatives & Business Enhancement for PCF. In this role she focuses on connecting talent including K-12 students, post-secondary students, emerging talent and dislocated workers, to employers and opportunities.
For more on Amanda, click here
Lynn Hildebrandt
Lynn is an intern at Prima Civitas Foundation, working with the Talent Initiatives and Business Enhancement group on the Michigan Shifting Gears program. Michigan Shifting Gears is the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s initiative to help professionals transition from the corporate world to that of small business; Prima Civitas Foundation is the Mid-Michigan regional partner with MEDC.
For most of her career, Lynn has been in the publishing business. She is now actively seeking new opportunities that will capitalize on her abilities to develop strong relationships, as well as her experience in sales and marketing. After three years at Michigan State University, Lynn is completing her undergraduate degree at Siena Heights University.
In her spare time Lynn enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, bicycling, and continual learning.
Deb Biggs Thomas
Deb Biggs Thomas began her career as an archivist working with labor union and local government records. After making the transition to the library side of the house, she has for many years, been fortunate to have had a wide variety of positions that have stretched and challenged her. From academic, to special, to public libraries to working for a bibliographic database management software company, to directing a national clearinghouse for librarians working in information literacy, Deb has developed an eclectic sense of what libraries do and what they mean to those who use them. She began work with the Library of Michigan as Coordinator of the Michigan eLibrary (www.mel.org) in late January 2008 and is committed to sharing this wonderful resource with every Michigan resident. When not spreading the word about MeL, Deb can be found with her family, friends, and traveling the world!
Randy Riley
Responsible for oversight of the Michigan eLibrary (MeL) and promoting its resources to libraries and government agencies statewide. Coordinates outreach to state employees and libraries to ensure that their information needs are met. Has worked as a reference librarian, Michigan Selector, Michigan and Genealogy Special Collections Coordinator and as Special Collections Supervisor at the Library of Michigan. Also serves as the Library of Michigan’s Michigan Notable Books Program Coordinator.