Your Trusted Workforce Leader

Celebrating 20 Years

About

Center of Workforce Innovations is a multi-management nonprofit workforce development organization with its finger on the pulse of employment, education, and economic development. They are a catalyst for community and business investment in workforce, education, and economic development building and enhancing collective capacity to succeed in a new global economy.

Understanding challenges associated with aligning workforce skills to meet the needs of employers, and elevating talent for emerging next generation jobs, CWI is poised and ready to provide solutions and implementation processes.

Consider this.  As an organization CWI has a dual purpose.

They serve as an intermediary which is known for its convening community and industry groups to facilitate solutions, providing data and labor market information, offering information about resources, and seeding best practices that help in formulating the solutions. They also directly deliver services such as career advising, provide credit recovery programming, have community learning centers for adult education services while overseeing a network of adult education providers, and they provide oversight for the American Job Centers, known as WorkOne in Indiana.

Commonly known for identifying and implementing best practices, CWI has administered more than 40 public and private ventures intended to improve the quality of the workforce, enhance the business climate, and ensure the realization of a higher quality of life.

While remaining a driver of workforce development in NW Indiana, CWI strategic priorities are on empowering its regional workforce through high quality career advising, skill building and efforts to increase post-secondary credential attainment.

Our Board

Michael Suggs
CHAIR

City of Gary

Glen Todd
VICE CHAIR

New York Blower (Retired)

Dana Rifai
TREASURER

Rifai Law Group, PC

Louie Gonzalez
Secretary

Ivy Tech Community College – Lake County (Retired)

Jim Jorgensen

Hoeppner, Wagner & Evans

Our Core Leadership Team

Lisa
Daugherty

President + CEO P: 219-462-2940 ext. 1020
ldaugherty@cwicorp.comRead BioExpand

Prior to coming to CWI, Lisa served as President and CEO for Lake Area United Way (LAUW), leading the organization through a significant transition to a new community impact model, focused on strengthening low-income working families by helping them access financial education resources, child care, and better-paying jobs. While in that role, she earned NIPSCO’s Luminary Award for Outstanding Community Leadership.

Before LAUW, Lisa entered the nonprofit sector as the Director of Marketing & Development for TradeWinds Services, Inc., an organization serving children and adults with disabilities. She also managed the Employment Services Department which connected clients with job opportunities and provided supportive services to retain employment.

Before her roles in nonprofits, Lisa enjoyed a diverse career in media with The TIMES Media Company serving lastly as the Advertising Director and General Manager. Throughout her career at The TIMES, she held various sales, management, and director-level positions in circulation, marketing, human resources, and advertising.

Lisa earned a Bachelor of Arts as well as a Master of Arts in Communication and Creative Arts from Purdue Northwest.

Outside of her work priorities, Lisa works really hard to pamper her four rescues.

Erin
Sizemore

Chief Fiscal Officer P: 219-462-2940 ext. 1036
esizemore@cwicorp.comRead BioExpand

Spent the past 25 years of her career in the finance/accounting field in various roles including 10 years at a non-profit community mental health center where she served as the Controller leading the accounting department in all 10 years to zero audit findings or compliance issues. As Chief Fiscal Officer for Center of Workforce Innovations, she is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the multi-faceted finance and accounting department that includes fund management, human resource management, fiscal accountability, and various monitoring and auditing functions, while adhering to all acceptable Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), OMB circulars, and government fund compliance or regulatory constraints. Erin has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Southern Indiana. Outside of work, she keeps busy with her children and has volunteered over the years as Girl Scout Leader, Boy Scouts volunteer, softball coach, and religious education teacher.

Kathy
Neary

Strategic Innovation Officer P: (219) 248-7849
kneary@cwicorp.comRead BioExpand

Kathy Neary serves as Strategic Innovation Officer at Center of Workforce Innovations.  She is responsible for guiding innovation in CWI’s community-driven, client-centered, and cross-sector workforce development strategies. In this position she leads the strategic solutions division, garnering support and participation from business, economic development, education, and municipal stakeholders, to grow investment in Northwest Indiana’s employers and workforce.

Ms. Neary has over 20 years of extensive experience in Workforce and Economic Development, Business, and Education, and is a native of Northwest Indiana. Prior to her position with Center of Workforce Innovations, Kathy served as Assistant Vice President of Employer Connections for Ivy Tech Community College leading workforce training, talent pipelines, and employer resources support contributing to economic growth in communities statewide.  She was the Founder and CEO of Root Strategy, LLC serving the Chicagoland market.

Previously, she oversaw national partnerships and sponsorships in for the second largest mall developer in the country.  In 2016, she was named Northwest Indiana Most Influential Woman of the Year in Business.  Her commitment to training and education for those she serves is exemplified with credentials as a certified job profiler, leadership facilitator, Change Agent and Certified Six Sigma Yellow Belt (CSSYB).  With over eighteen years of combined experience in Workforce Development and Consulting, Kathy emphasizes passion toward the mission of a better quality of life for all.