A number of regional industrial and workforce development experts will participate in a panel discussion entitled, “Going Green: Growing Our Workforce, Our Community & Our Economy” as part of Retool’23, a one-day climate technology conference for manufacturers, educators, workforce development experts, young professionals and students, scheduled for July 26 at Chautauqua Institution.

The panel discussion will be held in Smith-Wilkes Hall at Chautauqua Institution and will feature five panelists representing manufacturing and industrial organizations and six experts from regional workforce development organizations. These panelists will discuss opportunities and challenges in the training, recruitment and retention of employees. As the region’s manufacturing base expands with the emerging climate tech/clean tech sector opportunities, access to a trained workforce will become more critical.

Industry panelists include: Shawn Hricko, director of operations at Cummins Inc. Jamestown Engine Plant; Elizabeth Callahan, director, External Relations for Buffalo Manufacturing Works/EWI; Todd Tranum, executive director of the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier (MAST); Scott Rybarczyk, senior environmental engineer and principal at Wendel Companies; and Rob Leteste, business intelligence and workforce manager for Invest Buffalo Niagara.

In his position as Director of Operations at Cummins, Hricko is responsible for the assembly, testing and final parts mounting lines. He has fifteen years of experience in product engineering and a decade of experience in manufacturing operations and engineering.

Buffalo Manufacturing Works/EWI is focused on advanced manufacturing and training manufacturers on new and innovative technologies. Callahan, the director of external affairs and special projects for BMW/EWI, is responsible for supporting the executive team on external relations. She oversees special projects and initiatives, including partnerships with regional manufacturers participating in the Shift 2.0 grant program.

An advocate for manufacturing for more than 20 years in Western New York, Tranum is the executive director of the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier and president of Dream It, Do It WNY (DIDI). Both organizations are focused on the workforce development needs facing manufacturers today and tomorrow. Dream It, Do It is focused on developing a talent pipeline through programs available to middle and high school students in the region.

Rybarczyk works on Stormwater Modeling and Green Infrastructure for a number of clients and recently was the lead for Wendel Companies on the new Buffalo Bills Stadium. Wendel is an architecture, engineering, energy efficiency and construction management firm located in Buffalo.

Invest Buffalo Niagara is a nonprofit, privately-funded economic development organization representing the eight counties of Western New York. Leteste, its business intelligence and workforce manager, serves as a liaison between industry and education and assists the organization’s efforts to gain insight into future manufacturing opportunities and workforce pipelines. Leteste is currently a member of the Aspen Institute’s Workforce Leadership Academy.

Workforce development experts on the panel include: Jeffrey Conrad, executive director of GreenForce Training; Robert Kenney, EV tech instructor at Hudson Valley Community College; William Smock, principal of the Erie2 Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES P-TECH Academy; Bryan Boleratz, community outreach liaison for the Goodwill Goodskills Program; Dr. Carolyn Storms-Stoltman, vice president of enrollment and organizational advancement for Northland Workforce Training Center and Grant Umberger, workforce development director at Jamestown Community College.

Conrad, who heads GreenForce Training in Buffalo, has worked in workforce development for almost two decades. GreenForce currently manages recruitment, training, wrap-around services and retention services for Virdi Parente, a lithium-ion battery producer located on Buffalo’s east side.

Kenney has over thirty years of experience in the automotive industry, including owning and operating his own small auto repair facility. He is now developing a curriculum and is teaching in the Electric and Autonomous Vehicle Program at Hudson Valley Community College.

Smock’s technology-based career started at Buffalo State College with a position in Information Technology. He has taught technology at Amherst (NY) High School and at Dunkirk (NY) High School, before serving in administrative roles, including his current position as principal of the P-TECH Academy in Dunkirk. The P-TECH program works with students from grade nine through two years of college to train them for a full range of advanced manufacturing positions.

Bryan Boleratz has a long history of helping others reach their full potential through leadership positions in healthcare, retail and homelessness prevention. His current position as Community Outreach Liaison for Goodwill Goodskills Career Builder Program includes the recruitment of trainees for intensive training and potential positions in advanced manufacturing and technology in Western New York.

Dr. Carolyn Storms-Stoltman is an experienced higher education professional with over twenty years of experience in teaching, project management and administration. Her position at the Northland Workforce Training Center (NWTC) in Buffalo includes responsibility for planning, directing and executing activities for potential students as they move through the admissions, financial aid and training programs.

Grant Umberger has more than 15 years of experience at Jamestown Community College where he oversees all the workforce development programs at the Jamestown and North County locations. He is responsible for multiple grant awards in the workforce development area and acts as an advocate for workforce development needs in the community.

The Retool’23 Conference agenda includes a full day of learning and networking opportunities, beginning with Chautauqua Institution’s morning lecture at 10:45 a.m. featuring Dr. Leslie Dewan, a nuclear engineer, environmentalist and entrepreneur. Retool’23 Conference participants will attend a private lunch at the Athenaeum Hotel followed by the keynote address and panel discussion in Smith-Wilkes Hall.

The afternoon session will conclude with an informal networking event on the shores of Chautauqua Lake. Retool’23 attendees can take advantage of viewing the “Washed Ashore – Art to Save the Sea” exhibit that is set up on the grounds of Chautauqua Institution. Both indoor and outdoor life-size sculptures depicting sea creatures highlight the tragedy of plastic pollution and promote conservation efforts. All of the pieces are made from plastics recovered from Pacific Northwest beaches.

“This group of industry and workforce development experts will provide critical insights into both the opportunities and the challenges that face manufacturers and educators in our region as we train, recruit and retain a workforce to handle advanced manufacturing needs, particularly those targeted at climate tech/clean tech industries,” Ellen Ditonto, Jamestown Board of Public Utilities Business Development Coordinator, said.

Ditonto, who is the coordinator for the Retool’23 Conference, believes that many manufacturers are not aware of the innovative and creative programs that are currently available in the region.

“We hope that our regional manufacturers will learn how job-shadowing, internships, intensive job-training, and opportunities to gain stacked credentials can help improve the recruitment and retention of talent here in our region.”

Retool’23 is sponsored by the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities; Chautauqua Institution’s Climate Initiative; Shults Auto Group; USI Insurance Services; National Grid; Solar Liberty; Buffalo Manufacturing Works/EWI; NY-BEST and the Jamestown Community College Foundation.

Pre-registration is required for the conference. The registration site is located at Retool23.eventbrite.com. Attendees can select to attend the full day for $30 or the afternoon networking event for $15. The ticket includes access to the Chautauqua Institution grounds and a parking pass. More information is available by contacting the Jamestown BPU’s Business Development Coordinator Ellen Ditonto at 716-661-1686 or by email: businessdev@jamestownbpu.com.