LANSING, MI – The Michigan AFL-CIO Workforce Development Institute (WDI) is proud to announce the hiring and promotion of a new leadership team, including Executive Director Chong-Anna Canfora and Deputy Executive Director Colleen Sullivan.
“We are very excited to have Chong-Anna joining our team and to have Colleen serve in her new role at WDI. Both leaders bring years of experience in the labor movement and workforce development sector and have a history of standing up for hard-working men and women in Michigan,” said Ron BIEBER, Chairman of the Board of the Michigan AFL-CIO Workforce Development Institute. “Chong-Anna and Colleen are excellent additions to our growing organization and will advocate for underserved and underrepresented Michiganders seeking a good-paying union career.”
Before being named Executive Director, Chong-Anna Canfora served as Executive Director of Michigan Community Action, representing a statewide network of anti-poverty non-profit organizations. She also served as the Director of Rapid Response for the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, leading the state’s Dislocated Worker Team, which assisted workers impacted by mass layoffs during the Great Recession.
“WDI is renowned for having an expert team committed to collaborating with communities to meet the challenges of emerging workforce issues and implementing innovative solutions that help bring people out of poverty, back into the workforce, and into the middle class,” said Chong-Anna CANFORA, Executive Director of the Michigan AFL-CIO Workforce Development Institute. “I am honored to be joining the team as the Executive Director and look forward to the amazing opportunities ahead for our organization!”
Colleen Sullivan served as WDI’s Development Director for two years before her promotion to Deputy Executive Director. In her new role, Colleen will focus on program expansion and performance on several federal, state, and local grants. She is excited to join the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s Registered Apprenticeship Advisory Board where she will work with partners across the State to continue to expand awareness and access to Registered Apprenticeships.
“In my time at WDI, I have committed to seeing all Michiganders have equitable access to thriving wage careers,” said Colleen SULLIVAN, Deputy Executive Director of the Michigan AFL-CIO Workforce Development Institute. “I am excited to bring that commitment to my new role as Deputy Executive Director and develop new components of the workforce development pipeline to remove barriers and reach more of our communities.”
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About Michigan AFL-CIO Workforce Development Institute
For nearly 40 years, the Michigan AFL-CIO Workforce Development Institute has provided services to job seekers and employers throughout Michigan. We have helped thousands of job seekers achieve self-sufficiency by providing training and placement assistance in high-demand occupations. Our demand-driving business services model has helped employers remain competitive by attracting and retaining highly-trained and skilled workers. For more information on the Michigan Workforce Development Institute, click here.
