| One Southern Indiana Announces Hiring of Director of Talent Development |
NEW ALBANY, IND. (January 20, 2017) – One Southern Indiana (1si), the chamber of commerce and economic development organization for Clark and Floyd counties, announced today Paul Holba would be joining the 1si staff in the role of Director of Talent Development and Skill UP Partnerships. This is a new position that will involve developing, building and maintaining workforce talent development coordination services for 1si, the Region 10 Partners in the Skill UP grant, and the OSI Foundation. Working with educators, manufacturers, resource and service providers, the new Director of Talent Development & Skill UP Partnerships will be responsible for successful implementation, reporting and close out of the Skill UP grant, as well as a variety of talent development activities.
For the past year, Holba has been employed as a senior training consultant with NIKE in Memphis, Tenn., where he was the training development team lead responsible for developing current and new hire training content for all levels of employees located in the Memphis market distribution centers.
Paul Perkins, Chairman of the 1si Board of Directors and President of Amatrol, Inc., said, “1si is very pleased that Paul has accepted this position. Talent development is a major concern among many employers in the region and 1si and its board of directors have dedicated themselves to addressing the need for a more skilled and work ready labor force. We are confident that Paul is the right person to help us launch this initiative and will work to make it successful.”
A large part of Holba’s new responsibilities will be heading the 1si Talent Development Initiative that will focus on the needs of the business community with regards to the increasing need for skilled labor. Bob Owings, chairman of the 1si Metro Manufacturing Alliance and owner of Owings Patterns Inc. in Sellersburg, said, “This position is the critical piece that will align the region's efforts with the increasing demand to develop and restore the skills required for the advanced manufacturing businesses in our region. Paul Holba will bring the focused attention and devotion needed to utilize the education and training programs in our region for the advancement of technical training as well as economic advancement of manufacturing in our area.”
Holba will also be coordinator of a grant received from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development’s Skill UP! Indiana program, which supports community partnerships in developing training and education programs that align to employer needs.
Dr. Andrew Melin, the superintendent of Greater Clark County Schools, which is acting as the fiscal agent of the Skill Up Partners grant was “was impressed with Paul.” Dr. Melin continued, “The $1.4 million Region 10 Skill UP Partners grant that Paul will be directing is an opportunity for Greater Clark County Schools, West Clark Community Schools, the New Albany/Floyd County Consolidated School District, and the South Harrison Community School Corporation to bring Conexus/Hire Tech advanced manufacturing curriculum to more high schools, connect more students to the Prosser Career Center, expand the partnership between WorkOne and Ivy Tech to identify and train more adults for careers in advanced manufacturing, and provide an industry recognized work and learn federal apprenticeship to directly benefit our advanced manufacturing partners. It is a great deal of responsibility with far reaching positive effects for our community. I am confident that Paul is the right man for this important endeavor and look forward to working with him.”
Paul begins his new position on Monday, January 23rd . President and CEO of 1si, Wendy Dant Chesser commented, “The team at 1si is thrilled to welcome Paul to his new position. Paul’s success in a number of previous positions for companies like NIKE, PPG Industries, Humana, Thornton’s and BP placed him in the top tier of candidates that applied for this demanding leadership role. Once our selection panel met Paul, we were sure his extensive experience in cross-functional collaborative efforts regarding the development and implementation of new policies, procedures, and program offerings would be indispensable to 1si as we attack the workforce shortage with talent development solutions.”
About One Southern Indiana
One Southern Indiana (1si) was formed in July of 2006 from the Economic Development organization serving Clark and Floyd counties and the Chamber of Commerce. 1si’s mission is to provide the connections, resources and services that help businesses innovate and thrive in the Southern Indiana / Louisville metro area.
Since its inception, the organization has evolved to include a three prong approach to serve its members and investors. Business Resources, as the chamber side of the organization, encompasses membership, signature events and programs which support and encourage business growth; Economic Development works to grow the regional economy through the attraction of new commerce and assists with retention and expansion of existing businesses; Advocacy supports businesses at the government level by engaging in the initiatives to preserve, protect and promote a business friendly environment free of obstacles to growth and development of commerce. More information on One Southern Indiana is available at: www.1si.org
Media Contacts:
One Southern Indiana — Suzanne Ruark, (812) 945-0266, SuzanneR@1si.org