VIDEO: Seattle Southside Chamber’s Education & Workforce Summit brought together experts, leaders & students to discuss school-to-work pipeline

EDITOR’S NOTE: South King Media Founder/Publisher Scott Schaefer serves on the Board of Directors for the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce.

The Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 PNW Education & Workforce Summit – held on Thursday morning, April 25, 2023 – brought together experts, industry leaders, business owners, students and community members to provide insight into the status of the school-to-work pipeline in our region.

The breakfast event was held at the accesso ShoWare Center in Kent, and included speakers and panel discussions.

Here’s a list of speakers and panel experts:

• Robert Livingston, Homestreet Bank and Success Foundation Chair
• Welcome Remarks by City of Kent Mayor, Dana Ralph
• Keynote by Chris Reykdal, Washington State Superintendent
• Panel discussion on the School-to-Work Pipeline, moderated by Arlen Harris, Legislative Director of WA State Board of Community and Technical Colleges, with:
• Highline Public Schools, Juan Lozano – Principal of PSSC
• Tukwila Public Schools, Dr. Concie Pedroza – Superintendent
• Highline College, Gabrielle Bachmeier, Dean of Workforce Partnerships and Extended Learning
• Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, Chris Reykdal, Washington State Superintendent

• Panel discussion on Planting Seeds for Success: Cultivating the Next Generation of Talent through Mentorship, moderated by Samantha Le, Executive Director of Success Foundation, with:
• VMFH, Deepak Devasthali, COO
• BECU, Rafael Saucedo, Philanthropy Program Manager
• Foster High School Student, Day’Lanie Miller
• Raisbeck High School Student Tram-Anh Troung

• Enhancing our Workforce panel discussion moderated by Annie McGrath, CEO of Seattle Southside Chamber:
• Port Of Seattle Leslie Horton, Aviation Workforce Development Program Manager
• Alaska Airlines, Makenzie Hertogs, Talent Acquisition Outreach Program Manager
• Comcast, Terry Davis, Senior Director of Government Affairs
• Career Connect Washington, Angie Mason-Smith, Program Director – Washington STEM

• Closing Remarks by Josh Gerstman, Vice President, Highline College Foundation.

Below is edited video shot by Scott Schaefer of the event (running time 1-hour, 45-minutes):