We officially welcomed a new member, but a familiar face, to our club at this week's meeting. Welcome Cindy Huston! Cindy is the wife of club member Dave Huston and a past Rotarian. We're excited to have Cindy return to Rotary as a member of our club!
We also celebrated club member Kristin Johnson, who is now a Paul Harris Fellow! Kristin has been with our club for over 6 years and has served as President, Membership Chair, and more! Kristin's positive energy and Service Above Self attitude are just a couple of reasons why she is very deserving of this recognition! Congratulations Kristin!
After a few announcements of upcoming events and service projects, which include preparing lunch at the Ronald McDonald House and our annual Music Bingo Fundraiser (more info to come on that soon!), we welcomed our guest speaker Keely Schneider, Executive Director at Workforce Partnership. Workforce Partnership supports workforce development programs for adults and youth in Johnson, Wyandotte, and Leavenworth counties. Ms. Schneider shared trends happening in the labor force, both pre- and post-pandemic, that are influencing challenges in our current job market. The good news is Kansas is doing well when compared to the national averages but there's still work to do! Workforce Partnership provides workers with employment workshops, skill assessments, in-depth counseling, funding for job training/education, and MUCH MORE! They also support employers with services like recruitment assistance, work-based learning at a reduced cost to the employer, retention assistance, and more. If you'd like to learn more about how they can help you, check out their website at workforcepartnership.com!