Sue Lacy to depart role as President at ConxusNEO
Following seven years of leadership working to improve Summit County’s workforce ecosystem, Sue Lacy has announced plans for her departure from her role as President of ConxusNEO, a key Summit County workforce intermediary and ecosystem facilitator.
“My full-time leadership role at ConxusNEO was preceded by a short-term consulting assignment to serve its predecessor organization. After redesigning that organization and leading ConxusNEO for the last seven years to help our community build new partnerships to drive workforce solutions, it feels like the right time for me to return to my consulting practice,” Lacy said. “Over the last year, a new plan was developed, a significant research project to better understand working age adult priorities and behaviors was launched, and new board leadership was established to set the stage for the organization to continue its important work.”
ConxusNEO connects workforce system partners to build a thriving, diverse workforce. At present, Conxus and its strategic partners are focused on (1) Increasing the number of workers with in-demand credentials to close the skills gaps; (2) Reducing barriers to work; and (3) Improving connectivity between employers & jobseekers.
In her role with ConxusNEO, Sue led efforts in the region to establish the workforce industry sector partnership model in the manufacturing, healthcare, and tech sectors. These partnerships bring together employers, training and education providers, workforce programs and community-based organizations to address employment barriers and create innovative solutions to support the needs of employers, workers and developing talent in Summit County. From driving manufacturing apprenticeship opportunities to unique training and job quality work in the health care sector, Sue has worked to position ConxusNEO to address critical workforce barriers. Sue played a leadership role partnering with former Akron Public Schools’ Superintendent David James to convene key stakeholders in a year-long master planning process to establish the successful College and Career Academies of Akron model.
Para Jones, President of Stark State College and Board Chair of ConxusNEO, noted “Sue’s work to drive progress in workforce development among distinct partners with common goals provides a foundation from which ConxusNEO will continue to grow its impact. The Board of ConxusNEO appreciates Sue’s commitment to this work in our community and her contribution to our efforts. We are pleased that we were able to retain Sue to work in a limited consulting role for ConxusNEO and we value the ongoing contribution she can make to the organization’s workforce development efforts.”
Lacy will work to transition her responsibilities during the month of May, transitioning out of her full-time role with ConxusNEO effective May 31st.
“I’m proud of the work we’ve done at ConxusNEO to support employers, job seekers and Summit County’s broader workforce ecosystem to innovate equitable solutions that address talent recruitment and retention challenges,” said Lacy. “The foundation we’ve built will continue to provide support and opportunity for Summit County’s employers, students, and working age adults as our community continues to respond to emerging priorities influenced by the pandemic.”
As one of the core partners of ConxusNEO, the ConxusNEO Board has asked the Greater Akron Chamber to work closely in support of the ConxusNEO staff, which will be led by Michelle Collins, ConxusNEO Vice President, during the transition. For more information, please contact Michelle Collins (mcollins@conxusneo.jobs; (330) 206-5864) or Steve Millard, President and CEO of the Greater Akron Chamber (smillard@greaterakronchamber.org; (330) 237-1212).