FutureMakers Talent Talk

In this episode of Talent Talk we hear from Whitney Rhyne, the Director of Strategic Initiatives at Florida Southwestern State College. Whitney begins by telling us about FSW and the diverse and unique student population they serve in Southwest Florida’s five-county region, ranging from students who just graduated high school and full-time professionals looking to attend night classes to further t...

In recent years, the student population has become much more diverse in terms of race, socioeconomic status, and age, meaning that the term “traditional student” no longer applies to the majority of the student population. Adrian Surratt is one member of the student population that has led to the diversification of this group. He is an adult learner who will soon be attending Florida Gulf Coast Un...

Building a skilled workforce has been an important focus for not only FutureMakers Coalition, but businesses and organizations across the country, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Talented workforce is just one of the topics our guest Dakota Pawlicki discusses in this episode of Talent Talk. Dakota was the Strategy Officer for Community Mobilization at Lumina Foundation at the time of this...

Mike Boose is the Senior Director of Human Resources and Organization Development at Arthrex, a company based in Naples, Florida. In this Talent Talk episode, Mike shares his professional background in manufacturing and leadership, leading him to his career in Human Resources at Arthrex. He also explains what Arthrex is, the work they do, and how manufacturing relates to healthcare, specifically m...

Around 20% of the working-age adults in Southwest Florida who do not have a credential beyond a high school diploma started college but did not complete their degree. Many of these students stop-out of college because of financial barriers or other responsibilities that prohibit them from dedicating the necessary time to school to be successful. One of these adults is Megan Overmyer, an adult lear...

In this episode of the FutureMakers Coalition Talent Talk we hear from Kristen Vanselow, the Director of Operations for FGCU Complete. Kristen describes what the FGCU Complete program is and their goal of welcoming back adult-learners, removing barriers to degree completion, being more inclusive for this student population, and personalizing the experience for adult-learners. She discusses the dif...

Meet Paul Volperian, an adult learner at Florida Gulf Coast University. After many years of dedication and hard work, Paul will be graduating in the fall with a degree in Integrated Studies and a minor in Education! In this episode of the FutureMakers Coalition Talent Talk, he shares his educational journey, the barriers that prohibited him from finishing his degree his first time at FGCU, and wha...

Southwest Florida has seen sustainable growth and measurable impact in recent years despite barriers pertaining to the environment, equality, and COVID-19. In this session, Colleen DePasquale tells us about The Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce, of which she is the President and CEO, and how it is addressing these problems and working to make the region a better place. She discusses with us n...

In this episode of the FutureMakers Coalition Talent Talk we hear from Alissa Perry, an adult learner at Florida Gulf Coast University. Alissa describes her journey as a part-time student at a community college, while simultaneously juggling the responsibilities of being a single parent, taking care of her ill mother, and struggling with a disability. She also tells us about her experience as an a...

Our guest this episode is Dr. Nicole King-Smith, a certified culture consultant who works with organizations in the private and public sectors on ways to improve equity and cultural competence on internal and external fronts. Dr. King-Smith shares her passion for generational change and the qualities we are seeing in our region’s future skilled workers, and how organizations must establish inclusi...

In this episode of the FutureMakers Coalition Talent Talk we chat with the president of Hodges University, Dr. John Meyer. John shared his postsecondary experience as an adult learner and how it has helped him in his current position and allowed him to support his students. He also shares common barriers adults face that prohibit them from getting a higher education, and how the education system s...

Rural communities face many economic barriers and there are many challenges to finding solutions to address poverty, both of which have been heightened since the onset of COVID-19. At the time of recording, Mike Swindle was Hendry County Commissioner and Director of Workforce Development for Hendry County Schools. He has since been elected to Superintendent of Hendry County District School. Mike e...

Conversations that dive deep into the ever-changing world of talent and economic development from the perspectives of those designing, working in, and experiencing these systems. Given the economic impacts of COVID-19, changing perspectives on the value of a college education, and the way and speed at which work is evolving, there is no shortage of perspectives to explore.