Honoring Clark’s Workforce Champions

Inaugural event recognizes the impact workforce partnerships have on students, Clark community

By Malena Goerl

September is National Workforce Development Month, and on September 28, Clark College celebrated by honoring our many workforce partners. These partnerships play an important part in how the college creates opportunities and builds a better future for our students. Every organization at the event had been nominated by someone at Clark for the work they do with our students or the college.

Our partners support workforce education in a variety of ways. In addition to hiring Clark graduates, they provide internships and clinical opportunities, serve on advisory boards to keep our curriculum up to date, mentor students, provide scholarships, donate equipment, and bring real-world experiences into our classrooms.

“Education, workforce development organizations, and employers make a powerful triad of what we need to drive economic growth and align talent,” Dr. Edwards said. “Two of the primary purposes of community colleges are to promote economic mobility for individuals and to provide talent for our employers. The success of our efforts depends on the strength of our partnerships.”

Three crystal awards sit on a table. They say "Clark College Workforce Champions"

The nominees and partners who were honored at the event included: 

A committee selected three organizations from the nominees to receive the inaugural Workforce Champion Awards. The award recognizes partners who stood out for their commitment to Clark College and our students. Congratulations to this year’s recipients:

TigerStop LLC is a global leader in automated stop gauge and pusher systems, producing products that support multiple manufacturing industries. As a local employer with Clark alumni throughout its organization — including in leadership — TigerStop recognizes the value of Clark’s graduates and the role they play in strengthening Southwest Washington’s workforce. In addition to a generous $25,000 donation, the partnership allows students to learn from industry leaders and better understand the careers available to them in the community. As the Advanced Manufacturing program grows, TigerStop's local workforce and strong Clark connections will continue to bring meaningful value to students and the college.

“Always near and dear to our mission and to our family’s hearts has been education,” TigerStop Vice President Nathaniel Dick said. “It’s a keystone of our communities, as is manufacturing, so it’s been important for us to support education.”

Nathaniel Dick smiles and holds the award at a podium. Melissa O'Dea smiles behind him.

TigerStop CEO Nathaniel Dick

MacKay is a civil engineering, infrastructure, and environmental services firm and has been a steadfast champion of Clark College's Surveying and Geomatics program for more than two decades. Since 2001, MacKay has provided generous financial support while also investing its expertise, talent, and time in the success of Clark students. Through the Surveying and Geomatics Advisory Committee, staff mentorship, curriculum guidance, and service as adjunct faculty, MacKay helps ensure students are prepared for careers in the field. The company also invests in its own employees by supporting professional certifications and continues to hire Clark graduates.

“I nominated MacKay for this award because, in an industry full of incredibly generous companies that directly support the success of the surveying and geomatics program, MacKay continually sets the bar,” said Tommy Beyea, Clark College Foundation Associate Director of Development and Partner Giving.

Derrick Smith and Tony Chenier stand with Dr. Karin Edwards and smile at the camera.

From left: Land Survey Manager Tony Chenier, MacKay CEO Derrick Smith, and Dr. Edwards

Vancouver Public Schools (VPS), participating in the Vancouver Rising Educators (VRE) alliance, has helped strengthen pathways from high school to careers in education through Clark College's Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Bachelor of Applied Science in Teacher Education programs. The partnership supports diverse, bilingual, and first-generation students as they pursue teaching careers while gaining valuable experience as paraprofessionals in the VPS district. This fall, the first VRE scholars advanced to Clark's BASTE program after completing their ECE studies — an important milestone in building a more diverse and representative education workforce.

“Vancouver Public Schools is expanding access and deepening diverse children’s learning in culturally responsive ways,” said Dr. Don Romesburg, Clark College Dean of Social Sciences and Fine Arts, who nominated VPS for the award. “Students in our area schools are going to see educators who look like them, who sound like them, who know the families and experiences that they come from.”

VPS Assistant Director of Career and Technical Education Katie Siewert, Lisa Kong, and Senior Human Resources Specialist Rudi Bersani stand with Dr. Karin Edwards and Don Romesburg, all are smiling and Katie holds the award.

From left: Don Romesburg, Senior Human Resources Specialist Rudi Bersani, VPS Assistant Director of Career and Technical Education Katie Siewert, Lisa Kong, Dr. Karin Edwards

See more photos from the event on Clark’s flickr.

Learn more about career-connected learning at Clark College on the Career Hub webpage.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Story by Malena Goerl, Staff Writer, Communications and Marketing