iBuild America Podcast

Tommy Breedlove thought his HVAC days were over. After decades of climbing into hot Texas attics, he had moved on to driving trucks. Then his son, a plumbing instructor at North Texas Job Corps, called with an offer: "Dad, you taught me everything I know. Come teach them." In this episode of the iBuild America Podcast, host Damaris Casanova talks with Tommy about his unexpected move into teaching...

Scott Geer has spent about 40 years in the masonry trade. He started as a tile setter, went on to terrazzo and marble, and has spent the last 15 years in brick. Along the way he taught apprenticeship programs in Seattle and Las Vegas. Today he's the brick instructor at North Texas Job Corps, where he spends his days turning "I'm not sure this is for me" into "I built that.&q...

What if the biggest barrier between a young person and a stable career isn’t talent, or drive, or even opportunity — but simply not knowing a program like this exists? In this episode of the iBuild America Podcast, host Damaris Casanova sits down with Will Houston, Center Director of the North Texas Job Corps Center in Dallas, Texas, for a conversation that goes far beyond job training. After 27 y...

At 18 years old, Dr. Renatta Lindsey felt like she had nothing left — no car, no plan, no idea what came next. Then a Job Corps recruiter stopped her on the street and asked one simple question that changed the entire trajectory of her life. Within a week, she was enrolled. Twenty-six years later, Dr. Lindsey is a licensed professional counselor, a compliance leader in a public health system, and...

A music teacher and a former military corrections officer walk into the construction industry… and end up changing thousands of lives. Heather Luhn and Chris Tylutki didn't plan careers in workforce development — they fell into it. Heather left teaching during COVID and found herself running a carpentry program in Boston with zero construction background. Chris left the military and correction...

What does it actually take to bet on yourself after 25 years of betting on everyone else? In this episode of the iBuild America Podcast, host Lorraine Lane sits down with longtime friend Akil Bektemba — CEO and Founder of Vanguard Consulting Group LLC — for a conversation that's part reunion, part masterclass. Akil spent decades in the trenches of workforce development, including years with th...

She turned a $7,500 training program into a $60,000–$100,000+ career, and she's not stopping there. Dr. Belinthia Berry has spent 19 years bridging the gap between the classroom and the job site, and on this episode of the iBuild America Podcast, she pulls back the curtain on how St. Petersburg College is quietly building one of the most powerful workforce pipelines in the country. From linewo...

Two million. That's how many immigrants in the U.S. have a college degree — and are unemployed or underemployed anyway. Not because they lack talent. Because they lack the English skills to prove it. Dr. Katie Brown found that gap almost by accident. Thirty years ago, she signed up to volunteer teaching English to Mexican migrant workers and quickly realized she had no idea what she was doing...

Before Dr. Steve Brown was "Coach Brown," he was a kid in Washington, D.C. who dreamed of the Olympics but wasn't good enough — yet — to earn a track scholarship. So he walked onto the team instead. He played football on scholarship, went pro for a hot minute with the Chicago Bears and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and then came home to a truth a lot of us avoid: the dream doesn't alw...

Mario Gonzalez didn't apply for his job at the Home Builders Institute. He isn't entirely sure how his resume even got there. After 21 years in the Army and a plan for civilian life that "didn't really go to plan," Mario found himself working an entry-level job at a tire plant, wondering what was next — until a leaflet fell out of his military transition paperwork. On it, in...

Michael D. Smith started his career at 12 years old, running the coat room at his local Boys & Girls Club for two dollars an hour. Today, he's the President and CEO of Eckerd Connects — a nearly 60-year-old organization serving communities across 20 states and operating 12 Job Corps campuses nationwide. In this episode, host Lorraine Lane sits down with Michael to talk about the journey from a...

Everyone's got an opinion about Gen Z. Liza Ochsendorf has receipts instead — and she's using them to build one of the most creative workforce development programs in New York. As Director of Workforce Development for Warren County, Liza has turned the traditional school job fair into something teenagers actually want to attend — DJ included, businesses competing for votes, and prizes on t...

Success isn't built overnight—it starts with someone willing to listen. In this inspiring episode of the iBuild America Podcast, host Lorraine Lane sits down with Diane Roberts, Director of Youth Services at Employ Prince George's, to discuss what it really takes to prepare today's young adults for successful careers. From her own journey that began as a 14-year-old in a summer jobs pr...

What does it take to go from the streets to the front office? For Corey Davis, Center Director at the Gadsden Job Corps Center in Gadsden, Alabama, the answer is equal parts hustle, humility, and an unshakeable belief that every young person deserves a shot. Corey didn’t grow up on a clear path. He was a former gang member, made mistakes, stayed in trouble — his words, not ours. But a praying mama...

Ever heard someone say, “The dream is free, but the hustle is sold separately?” That’s not a quote from a motivational poster — that’s the lived philosophy of Walter L. Simmons, the Secretary of the newly-created Maryland Department of Social and Economic Mobility (DOSM) — the first cabinet-level agency in America dedicated to social equity and economic mobility. Walter didn’t start in a boardroom...

What happens when two women who've spent careers in the trenches of workforce development sit down and just… tell the truth? Host Lorraine Lane is joined by Meghan Burke, Director of School Employment Programs for Metro South/West Workforce Board, and Apryl Simmons, Consultant for Workforce Development, Healthy Homes Repair Manager, Sussex County Habitat for Humanity. What starts as a conversation...

What happens when someone believes in you before you believe in yourself? What started as a role helping students at Job Corps became a lifelong mission. Korey Adams reflects on his journey from Job Corps counselor to CEO of Distinction, LLC—and the purpose that guided him every step of the way. But this conversation goes deeper than business. It’s about risk. Resilience. Purpose. And the power of...

What if the life you want is waiting—just outside of what you’ve always known? At the Talking Leaves Job Corps Center , located in the heart of the Cherokee Nation , that’s exactly what’s happening. In this episode, Jill Zimmer shares how this unique center is helping young people—many from rural and tribal communities—step into new opportunities while staying connected to their culture, identity,...

Sometimes, all it takes is one person to see something in you. Lorraine Lane sits down with Rodney Butler, Executive Director at Adams and Associates, to talk about a 25-year journey shaped by leadership, growth, and opportunity through Job Corps. Rodney didn’t start where you might expect—from bowling alleys to finance, and eventually into leadership—his path is proof that careers aren’t always l...

Job Corps has always been about opportunity—and its future is full of even greater potential. In this episode of the iBuild America podcast, Dr. Francis Cole is joined by Korey Adams (CEO, Distinction LLC), Ramon Serrato (CEO, Serrato Corporation), and Brian Fox (CEO, Education & Training Resources) for a powerful panel discussion on what’s next for one of the nation’s most impactful workforce...

What does it take to dedicate over 30 years to changing lives? In this episode of the iBuild America podcast, Lorraine Lane sits down with Roxanne Chin, Vice President at Bizzell Corporation , a global organization committed to transformation and impact. Roxanne’s journey started with a simple newspaper ad in 1992: “An exciting job to change lives.” She answered—and never looked back. This convers...

What started as a $17,000-a-year counseling job turned into a 30+ year mission to change lives. In this episode of the iBuild America podcast, Lorraine Lane sits down with Jeff Barton, Senior Vice President at Management Training Corporation (MTC)—one of the most influential leaders in Job Corps. Jeff shares how he stumbled into the program straight out of college… and never left. But this isn’t j...

Workforce development is more than training programs and job placements — it’s about creating real opportunities for people to transform their lives. In this episode, we hear from Quasandria “Q” Curry, Director of Westside Works in Atlanta, whose work focuses on helping individuals gain the skills, support, and confidence they need to enter meaningful careers. Raised on Atlanta’s west side, Q unde...

What happens when someone spends more than three decades helping young people rewrite their futures? In this episode, we sit down with Peni Webster-Lewis, a respected workforce development leader who recently concluded an extraordinary career with the Job Corps program. From her beginnings as an orientation specialist to serving as Acting Deputy Administrator for the national program, Peni’s work...

Some people cook meals. Others build movements. Chef Simone Byron is doing both. In this powerful episode, we explore how one woman turned her culinary legacy into a national workforce initiative that’s changing the trajectory of hundreds of young lives each year. Inspired by her great-grandfather — the Bronx’s first African American caterer and head chef for Marcus Garvey’s Black Star Line — Chef...