Local Board Members

The Phoenix Business and Workforce Development Board (PBWDB) a local workforce development board, approved by the State of Arizona and charged with providing strategic guidance and direction for federal, state, and local workforce development funds and programs. The PBWDB oversees a network of public and private partners, to coordinate a cohesive strategy for talent development within the city.

Daniel Barajas

Director, Industry Partnerships, Maricopa County Community Colleges

Daniel Barajas comes to the Maricopa County Community Colleges District from Arizona Western College in Yuma, Arizona where he was most recently the Dean of Career and Technical Education for his last seven years there - leading occupational academic programming, continuing education & workforce development, and academic support services. Daniel spent nearly fourteen years at AWC during which time he was also an Associate Dean for Community and Educational Partnership, marrying educational opportunity to business and workforce need. Daniel also spent nearly ten years in the Pima Community College system where he worked for the Center for Training and Development, along with other roles in the Student Services area. In total Daniel brings twenty four years of post-secondary experience to job, collaborating with secondary, university, business and industry partners - in addition to economic development and one-stop systems. Daniel's formal education consists of an undergraduate degree in Business Management and Master's degree in post-secondary Educational Administration. Daniel also brings State leadership experience through a diversity of roles, and has formerly served as the President of the Arizona Occupational Administrators Council (AOAC). Since joining the Maricopa County Community Colleges District as the District Director for Community Partnership and Workforce Development in April of 2016, he has enjoyed affiliation with regional education and business and industry partners, with a recent appointment as Board Member for the Phoenix Business and Workforce Development Board.

Nick Bielinski, Vice Chair

Senior Technical Sourcing Recruiter @Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Nick Bielinski currently serves as Senior Technical Sourcing Recruiter for AWS where he leads the efforts for Security Engineering recruitment for 230 security, compliance, governance services and features. Prior, Nick was at Google as the Channels Specialist w/ their Extended Workforce Program focused on Search, Google Maps, Pixel and Autonomous Vehicles. Nick has worked within Information Technology Services since 2012 in the Staffing Industry. Before a career in IT, Nick served in the United States Air Force as a Security Analyst within the National Security Agency. After his military service, he completed his Bachelor’s Degree from Indiana University, where he also served as the President of the Student Veterans Association. Nick has been serving on the PWDB since 2018 and as of 2021 Vice-Chair & Chairman of Arizona’s Military Family Relief Fund Program.

Latasha Causey, Chair

Vice President, Human Resources – Bell Bank

Latasha Causey is the Vice President of Human Resources for Bell Banks South Region markets, with oversight of human resources activities, including culture and diversity efforts, for Bell Bank and its divisions. Causey offices in Phoenix and works with Bell’s team members in Arizona, as well as its mortgage offices in New Mexico, Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Florida. Latasha has over 20 years’ experience in Recruiting and Human Resources leadership. Prior to joining Bell Bank Latasha worked for 12 years at USAA’s North Phoenix Campus. Holding various leadership roles, responsible for strengthening USAA's brand and culture in the Phoenix market. She was also responsible for leading the USAA local Foundation and employee volunteerism in the Phoenix community. During her tenure she was also part of the HR Talent Acquisition team, supporting and leading recruitment efforts across all USAA locations. Latasha has also worked for U-Haul, Charles Schwab and Wells Fargo in various Human Resource leadership roles, having a vast knowledge of the HR and Recruiting fields. Latasha holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Arizona State University, Master of Arts Degree with a concentration in Organizational Management and Professional Human Resources certification (PHR). Latasha is married to her wonderful husband Sullivan; they have two beautiful boys, Sullivan III and Maysn. Latasha is very active in the Phoenix community, being named a 2018 Outstanding Women in Business by Phoenix Business Journal. She is on the Teach for America of AZ, Valley of the Sun United Way, Arizona State University Alumni Association and Mayoral appointment by Mayor Kate Phoenix Workforce Commission Board of Directors.

Steven Cramer

Vice President of Operations and Client Services, Newbridge Technology Solutions, LLC

Steven has been a leader in the contact center industry for over 25 years, leading both domestic and international sites increasing productivity and quality through streamlined processes, procedures, and technology. His ability to successfully lead and manage a customer-centric organization reflects his comprehensive understanding of the Contact Center industry including Workforce Management, Billing Services, Client Retentions, Account Management, IT Support Services and Global Site Management. Through his organizations and industry leadership, he advocates for the advanced development of the contact center industry through effective training and education within local communities. These efforts reflect in his leadership in national, state, and local organizations. Steven’s leadership positions include: Sr. VP Global Operations: Newbridge Technology Solutions President: North American Customer Service Management Assn. (NACSMA) Board Member: International Customer Service Association (ICSA) Board Member: Phoenix Business and Workforce Development Board Advisory Board Member: Gateway Community College Co-Chair: City of Phoenix Advanced Business Service Committee (ABS) Mentor, Business Professional: W.P. Carey School of Business Advisory Board Member: Maricopa Community College Committee Member: Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED)

Kaaren-Lyn Graves

Senior Business Consultant, Phoenix MBDA Business Center

Kaaren-Lyn Graves, is a Senior Business Consultant with the Phoenix MBDA Business Center, and also serves as a technical/proposal writer for the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Kaaren has proudly served the public and private sectors for twenty five (25) years. During this time, she held leadership positions which leveraged her technical and business writing expertise, project management skills, and overall operations management. Kaaren has numerous achievements and career highlights. While working for the Phoenix MBDA Business Center, she was a contributor to the office being named one of the top performing offices in the United States out of 44 centers nationwide. She has also been able to work on a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure and expansion project in California which will impact multiple communities. While working for the State of Arizona (Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS)), she developed financial forecasting documents resulting in awarded grants, general funds, and monetary awards ranging from $935 thousand dollars to $4 million dollars. She has also created numerous documents consisting of resumes, capability statements, business plans, and marketing documents for her clients worldwide. Kaaren has earned degrees in research and development (“R&D”) and communications with an emphasis in technical writing. She was also certified in biomedical research investigators, Native American research, and social & behavioral research investigations.

Jesus Love

Executive Director, Literacy Volunteers of Maricopa

Jesús Love is the Executive Director of Literacy Volunteers of Maricopa County, a community based 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization that provides free educational services to adults who desire to learn to read, obtain the High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma, or communicate in English. Upon graduating from Georgetown University, Jesús returned to Mexico where he worked for two large commercial banks, supervising emerging markets and managing international operations. At the advent of the .com boom, Jesús moved to Tucson where he co-founded an e-investment firm servicing foreign national clientele desiring to trade in the U.S. financial markets. He left this successful venture and moved to Phoenix and joined US Bank helping with the expansion from four to sixty-seven branches during his thirteen-year tenure. He lives in Phoenix with his wife Andrea and their teenagers Isabel and Ian. Jesús has always held a deep sense of community and has been involved in educational and philanthropic organizations which currently include Ss. Simon & Jude Cathedral, Phoenix Conservatory of Music, St. Mary’s High School, the Phoenix Business and Workforce Development Board, and the Georgetown University Alumni Admissions.

Meghan McGilvra

Director of Enrollment and Community Partnerships, Year Up Arizona

Meghan currently serves as the Director of Enrollment and Community Partnerships at Year Up Arizona where she works to close the Opportunity Divide by creating pathways to opportunity through partnerships and recruitment of young talent. Meghan has spent over 20 years in nonprofits focused on workforce development in the youth sector. Meghan is committed to moving the needle on inequities in education and hiring practices that disproportionally affect opportunity youth. Her experience in Department of Labor contracts, recruitment, social work, pipeline management, and community partnerships has allowed her to have a unique perspective in doing this work. Meghan is a Masters Level Social Worker, serves as Chair of Opportunities for Youth Leadership Council, Co-Chair of Reengagement Center Action Teams, and has had the pleasure of serving on many councils and taskforces focused on Workforce, Youth Development, and Educational Access. Meghan is the mother of two girls, and enjoys a quieter pace with her husband and family when “offline”.

Adam Hawkins

President, Global External Relations

Adam is one of the leading practitioners in social license to operate – the support needed from the community to develop and sustain large-scale projects. He lectures frequently on the subject and has helped clients across the globe develop successful community engagement plans. Adam’s knowledge has proved invaluable for clients seeking to more effectively position their projects with the public. He understands the importance of working with the community, identifying key stakeholders and forging partnerships, including with critical non-government organizations. A fixture in the public affairs, communications, and lobbying community for over a decade, Adam's insight is sought after and trusted by clients across the globe. Adam started his career as a staffer in the United States Senate. Prior to launching Global, Adam worked within two leading public policy firms, assisting clients on issues that included environment; water, natural resources, taxation, HR, commerce, transportation, and public lands. Additionally, Adam spent six years with Rio Tinto, an international mining company with projects on five continents. All this experience has made Adam adept at working with key regulators such as the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mining Safety and Health Administration, and Army Corps of Engineers. Adam graduated with honors from Thunderbird School of Global Management with an International Master of Business Administration and holds a BA/ BS from Arizona State University.

Jeff Clark

President, Arizona State Association of Letter Carriers

Jeff has been a member of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch #576 since April 14, 1984, and currently serving as President of the Arizona State Association of Letter Carriers/N.A.L.C./AFL-CIO. He was elected to four terms by the delegates representing the 5000 women and men who deliver mail in Arizona. As State President of the NALC, Jeff is responsible for representing & organizing all Arizona Letter Carriers at Biennial Conventions, seminars, trainings, and to guide and direct all activities relating to legislation, PAC funds, community service. NALC is the chief organizer of the nation’s largest one day food drive in the nation. It is held annually on the second Saturday in May in 10,000 cities across America and Arizona. Besides being described as a “Life Long Letter Carrier”, Jeff has had numerous titles and accolades in Arizona. Currently, he also is an Arizona AFL-CIO Executive Board VP helping organizing, mobilizing, representing its Union affiliates with over 185,000 members. Prior elected positions include Arizona Democratic Party Sergeant-At-Arms, Arizona Legislative District 26 Chairman, Arcadia Precinct Committeemen. In all those positions in life, Jeff always had a history of mentoring those younger and newer in the workplace, as well as in the various political arenas of Arizona.

Luke Tate

as Managing Director, Office of Applied Innovation at Arizona State University

Luke Tate serves as Managing Director of the Office of Applied Innovation at Arizona State University. His team leverages emerging scientific, technological, design, and policy innovations to expand access to educational and economic opportunity. He is also Professor of Practice in ASU’s School for the Future of Innovation in Society, the executive director of the ASU-Helios Decision Center for Educational Excellence, and a non-resident fellow at the Urban Institute. He recently served on the Biden Presidential Transition Team. Prior to joining ASU, Luke served as Special Assistant to the President for Economic Mobility on President Obama’s White House Domestic Policy Council, where he ran a team working on economic mobility, urban policy, poverty, technology and access to opportunity, open data, housing, homelessness, and long-term disaster recovery. He previously served at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as senior advisor for urban policy, and as special assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Luke was a member of the Obama Presidential Transition Team. Prior to joining the Obama Administration, he did community development and educational work in Nicaragua, and worked on community policy in the Office of the Governor of Arizona. He grew up in central Phoenix, Arizona and is a graduate of Harvard University.

Scott Holman

Head of Human Resources, TSMC Arizona

Scott Holman is current the Head of Human Resources at TSMC Arizona. At TSMC Az, Scott is responsible for all Human Resources functions, including: Talent Acquisition (attract, hire, onboard/integrate, develop and retain), Mobility, Compensation & Benefits, Employee Communications, Learning & Development, Employee experience/Site Services (café, gym, wellness, etc.). Scott has 34+ year experience, including 8 years in technical/manufacturing/operations roles at Honeywell, Philips Semiconductors and Intel and over 26 years of Corporate Human Resources Leadership/Managerial experience (with Intel, IM Flash and Micron). During his tenure in the semiconductor industry, Scott has traveled aboard and was an expatriate in China, Malaysia and Japan. He completed his under- graduate degree in Business Administration and earned his Masters degree in Management, with an emphasis in Human Resources Development. Further, Scott is also veteran and served in the United States Air Force. He is married to Connie for over 30+ years and has 4 adult children (3 Sons; Scott Jr, Aaron and Derek) and a Daughter, Jordan) and 3 grandsons (Colton, Oliver and Emmett)

Dean Scheinert

St. Joseph the Worker

Dean Scheinert is Chief Operating Officer at St. Joseph the Worker, a local non-profit whose mission is to connect our Valley’s disadvantaged, homeless, and transitioning individuals who are seeking jobs with employment and to create opportunities for success. Prior to his current role, Dean had executive fundraising responsibilities with the Musical Instrument Museum and Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West. Dean’s transition to non-profit leadership in 2016 came on the heels of his family’s move to Phoenix in 2012 and a 35-year career year as a senior banker, portfolio manager, and asset management entrepreneur in New York and Phoenix. Dean serves as a Trustee on the $17 billion Public Safety Personnel Retirement System Board where he chairs the Operations, Governance, and Audit Committee and is a member of the Investment Committee. Additional current community activities include Trustee at the Temple Solel Endowment Foundation and on the recently formed Board of the Museum of Arizona Artists. Dean earned his Chartered Financial Analyst designation from the CFA Institute, MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and BA from Tufts University.

Karen Hartson

Vice-President Human Resources & Communications, Aerospace, Honeywell

Karen Hartson is currently the Vice President for Human Resources & Communications at Honeywell Aerospace, based in Phoenix, Arizona. She is responsible for driving a culture of speed and innovation and to attract, develop and retain the highest potential talent which will help improve business performance and results. Prior to her current position, Karen was the Vice President for Human Resources in Aerospace supporting the Electronic Solutions Strategic Business Unit and Law & Contracts, Mergers & Acquisitions and she helped launch the Unmanned Aerial Systems Business. She has also held HR leadership roles in Engineering and Technology, Customer & Product Support, and Information Technology. She implemented a global talent management strategy that included the deployment of a global rewards and recognition program enabling leaders to provide tailored, meaningful R&R for employees. She joined Honeywell in 2006.   Karen brings HR experience from Motorola and Freescale Semiconductor where she held various leadership roles in HR including compensation, diversity and program management. She was the HR integration leader for an engineering design center in San Jose, CA. Karen was also a regional site HR Manager for Schneider National, a private logistics and transportation Company based in Farmington, MI assisting the business maintain their union free status in a challenging labor environment.   Karen holds a Bachelors Degree in International Relations from Michigan State University and a Masters Degree in Labor and Industrial Relations from Michigan State University. She is Six Sigma Green Belt Certified

Samuel Wolo

Regional Plant Leader, W. L. Gore & Associates

Samuel N. Wolo, Jr., M.A. is a career corporate human resources and diversity, equity, and inclusion leader who currently serves as Regional Plant Leader at W. L. Gore & Associates. Sam’s career spans multiple industries including aviation, healthcare, bottling, energy services, technology and material sciences. Sam has led diversity, equity and inclusion for multiple companies including U.S. Airways, Day & Zimmermann, Inc. and Avnet, Inc. Sam is a graduate of Dillard University, New Orleans, Louisiana where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in political science, and a graduate of Howard University, Washington, D.C. with a Master’s degree in International Relations. In 2018, Sam was named among the Top Executives in Corporate Diversity by Black Enterprise magazine and was featured in STEM Workforce Diversity magazine's 2018 Spring edition, "Leaders in STEM Diversity Initiatives". Sam is a 2013 alum of Valley Leadership Institute, Phoenix Arizona, and is also 2022 alum of the McKinsey Academy Black Executive Leadership Program. Sam is married to his wife Toya and together they have two daughters (Cydnie and Kyndal) and live in Laveen, Arizona.