Philadelphia, November 22, 2010 – Today, Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced the appointment of Mark Edwards as President and CEO of the Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation (PWDC).
Mr. Edwards will direct 170 employees and oversee an annual budget in excess of $100 million for workforce development activities in Philadelphia. PWDC is the fiscal agent for the City for federal and state employment and training funds and it is the largest single entity in the City’s workforce development system.
“Over the past 12 years, Ernie Jones has demonstrated his tremendous commitment to Philadelphia and public service through his leadership at PWDC,” said Mayor Nutter. “During his tenure, Ernie worked diligently to connect Philadelphians to work while overseeing the organization through tremendous periods of change. I want to congratulate Ernie on his years of service and wish him well. I also want to welcome Mark Edwards to this position. Mark will lead this organization at a critical point in its history and a vital time in Philadelphia’s economy.”
“I am pleased with Mayor Nutter’s decision to appoint Mark into this role,” said Ernest E. Jones who last week retired from his post as President and CEO of PWDC. “There will be significant changes to the City’s workforce development system in the months to come. I am confident that Mark will ensure positive investments in job training and employment activities that will lead to a larger goal of restoring our regional economy.”
“I am honored to have been entrusted with this leadership role during this difficult time in our economy,” said Mark Edwards. “Workforce development is rapidly changing and I look forward to implementing strategies to align the city’s workforce development system to benefit employers and job seekers alike.”
Jones served as PWDC President and CEO for 12 years. During his tenure, he spearheaded the implementation of the new workforce development system mandated under the Workforce Investment Act. This federal legislation called for drastic changes to the system which resulted in the creation of nine CareerLink Centers in Philadelphia. Jones also led the redesign of the City’s welfare-to-work system, which created neighborhood-based EARN Centers to provide service to more than 25,000 people on public assistance.
Earlier this year, the Nutter Administration began a strategic assessment of the City’s various workforce agencies, a process that will continue into 2011. One of the first steps in this process was the appointment of an interim board at PWDC tasked with conducting a thorough review of PWDC’s operations and its role in the city’s larger workforce system. In his new role, Mr. Edwards will carry out plans set forth by the Board and oversee system reforms by updating the organizational structure, operating processes and fiscal procedures to improve service to job seekers and employers.
Mr. Edwards comes to PWDC after serving five years as the Executive Director of Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Philadelphia. LISC is one of the largest nonprofit, philanthropic and financial investment community development intermediaries in the nation. Mr. Edwards managed $42 million in investments that leveraged more than $600 million in Philadelphia. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Morehouse College and serves on the boards of the Pennsylvania Housing Alliance, Ivy Legacy Foundation, Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations and PNC Bank Community Advisory Board.
About the Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation
The Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation (PWDC) is a private non-profit organization that has been providing quality employment services to the residents of Philadelphia for over thirty-five years. As the fiscal agent for federal and state employment and training dollars, PWDC invests resources in hundreds of job training providers and employers in the region to provide services to unemployed and underemployed individuals.
Media Contact:
Sonia De Van-Lake, Director of Community Affairs
215-963-2109
sdevan@pwdc.org
