At the beginning of 2006, the Mid Michigan region was awarded a $15 million over a 3 year period grant from the US Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration to catalyze the economic transformation of the Mid Michigan region due to the decline in automobile manufacturing. Michigan State University is the fiduciary of the WIRED award. The Prima Civitas Foundation is under contract with the University to provide the overall administrative management of the WIRED initiative. On July 17, 2006 Irma Zuckerberg was hired by the Prima Civitas Foundation (PCF) as the Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) Project Director. The working title of her position for this WIRED project is the Director of the Mid Michigan Innovative Team (MMIT). The MMIT initiative includes the development of bio-based economy workforce development training related to alternate fuels, fuel cell initiatives, entrepreneurship, advanced manufacturing, healthcare and building construction. As director of MMIT, Irma is responsible to the Executive Director of the PCF for the fulfillment of several specific duties. Irma’s duties include the following: develop regional identity; identify sustainable resources and strategy; coordinate region-wide participation in USDOL training and coaching activities; develop and implement a communication strategy for external constituents and serve as the MMIT spokes person throughout the state; assist PCF in developing a public relations strategy for MMIT and the region it serves; and cooperate with Michigan State University’s grant management team in proper reporting and legal compliance in performance of duties through submittal of quarterly reports in addition to a final report due 45 days following the performance period.
Starting in February, 2006, Irma served as the Acting Deputy Director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth (DLEG). Prior to this role, she served as the Senior Executive Assistant to David Hollister, former Director, DLEG and Dennis Sykes, former Deputy Director from November, 2003 until January, 2006. In her capacity as Acting Deputy Director, Irma’s responsibilities included the supervision of the 13 Bureaus, Agencies, and Commissions including the Bureau of Workforce Programs, Michigan Rehabilitation Services, Michigan Commission for the Blind, Commission on Disability concerns, Liquor Control Commission, Michigan Broadband Authority, Michigan State Housing Development Authority, Bureau of Construction Codes and Fire Safety, Michigan Employment Relations and the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives. The common mission of these programs is to move Michigan to become the number one state in workforce and economic development, job creation, innovation, entrepreneurship, and urban revitalization programs. As the Department’s Workforce Development liaison to the Governor’s Office, Irma was instrumental in the implementation of the state’s workforce development, job placement and training strategy. She represented the Department on a number of workforce and economic Councils and Committees including the Michigan Food Policy Council, the Governor’s Cities of Promise initiative, the Early Childhood Investment Corporation, the Jobs, Education and Training (JET) Executive Committee, the Regional Skills Alliance Advisory Committee, the Physicians Blue Ribbon Task Force and the Healthcare Workforce Roundtable Task Force.
Prior to officially joining DLEG Executive Office in November, 2003, Irma worked over 22 years for the former Bureau of Family Services (now under the Michigan Department of Human Services) in a number of administrative and program management positions. As the Acting Bureau Director of the former Bureau of Family Services, her responsibilities included the administration and supervision of licensing and regulation of Michigan’s adult foster care facilities, homes for the aged, child day care and child welfare programs. As the Director of the Division of Adult Foster Care Licensing, she supervised 14 Area Managers for their licensing and regulation of over 4500 adult foster care facilities and 188 homes for the aged. Earlier work experience included roles as a vocational evaluator, head injury specialist, coordinator for residential programs for persons with a developmental disability, director of the City of Lansing’s recreational programs for persons with a disability and director of a private residential program for persons with a developmental disability.
Irma has a Masters of Arts in Rehabilitation Counseling and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science from Michigan State University.
