State Workforce Training Board Head Joins ELW Advisory Board

I am pleased to announce that Eleni Papadakis, the executive director of the Washington State Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, has become the latest member of the Chapter's Employee Learning Week Advisory Board.

The Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board is a partnership of labor, business and government dedicated to helping Washington state residents obtain and succeed in family-wage jobs, while meeting employers' needs for skilled workers. As a state agency, the Workforce Board oversees a workforce development system that includes 18 education and training programs receiving almost $1 billion annually in state and federal funds.

Eleni Papadakis was appointed by Governor Gregoire as the Executive Director of the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board in March 2007. Eleni came to Washington with more than 25 years of experience in the workforce development arena. She most recently served as a Vice President with Commonwealth Corporation, a Massachusetts quasi-public corporation, where she established the Center for Workforce Innovation, a research and demonstration arm of the state’s workforce development system.  Leading up to that role, Eleni oversaw the development and implementation of numerous state-wide and regional economic development and workforce development initiatives, including programs to help manufacturers increase their exporting potential and biotechnology companies to enhance their research and development capabilities; and numerous industry-responsive initiatives that improved the pipeline of skilled workers in sectors including biotechnology, fiber optics, manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, telecommunications and software. 

Eleni has also worked in business--including operating her own small business, a bistro-entertainment venue--and lead a multi-service community-based organization for 9 years.  Eleni holds a Masters in Counseling Psychology from Assumption College and Bachelors in Psychology from Clark University, both in Worcester, Massachusetts.

In a statement, Ms. Papadakis said, "A culture of lifelong learning is the best route to a strong economic recovery for our state, competitive viability for our businesses, and economic prosperity for our citizens.  Employers, workers, communities and government must be joint stakeholders in cultivating such a culture.  We are pleased to partner with ASTD to advance this important goal."