ROI Career Coaching Fellowship Launching with Inaugural Cohort of 19 Participants

​Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI) has selected the first cohort of its Career Coaching Fellowship. Nineteen individuals serving across the Indiana Uplands as school counselors, career coaches, work-based and internship coordinators, teachers, adult educators, and an HR administrator have been selected. The ROI Career Coaching Fellows will begin a 10-month fellowship focused on growing leadership and expertise while developing regionally relevant career connections that will equip Fellows to provide guidance and support to individuals preparing for high opportunity and high wage jobs.
 
“The Career Coaching Fellowship was developed as the next essential step in a maturing strategy for supporting both individuals and industry through focused talent pathways and workforce pipeline strategies,” said ROI President & CEO, Tina Peterson.
 
“Response to this opportunity exceeded our expectations and serves to affirm the significance of focused career coaching strategies,” added Peterson. “ROI’s inaugural cohort represents an impressive group of educators and career development professionals within our region. We are pleased that participants will bring diversity of experience to the cohort and feel confident that this   group of professionals will grow their capacity to positively impact thousands of K-12 students and adult learners in the Indiana Uplands region.”

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ROI Career Coaching Fellowship – Cohort 1

Name	Organization	Position	Counties
Jeri Brown	Mitchell Community Schools	Preparing for College & Careers Teacher	Lawrence
Shelley Christmas	Loogootee Community Schools	Director of Curriculum & Technology	Martin
Ryan Crenshaw	Brown County Schools	Business Teacher	Brown
Amy Eslinger	Linton-Stockton School Corporation	Career Connections Coach	Greene
Erica Fair	Loogootee Community Schools	High School Counselor	Martin
Dennis Faust	Richland-Bean Blossom Community School Corporation	High School Counselor	Monroe
Raychel Geiser	Vincennes University Adult Education	Career Coach	Daviess, Dubois, Lawrence, Martin, & Orange
Andrea Huff	Barr-Reeve Community Schools	Career/STEM Academy Director	Daviess
Apryl Kidd	Collaboration of Shoals, Mitchell, Orleans Schools	Director of Initiatives	Lawrence, Martin & Orange
Dana Kunz	Hub 19 & Greater Jasper Schools	Leader of Dubois County Career Coaches & Greater Jasper Career Coach	Dubois
Jennifer Martin	Salem Community Schools	Director of Counseling	Washington
Jaime Miller	Richland-Bean Blossom Community School Corporation	Ready Schools Coordinator	Monroe
Jay Myers	Brown County Schools	Career Connected Learning Teacher	Brown
Stacia Myers	Richland-Bean Blossom Community School Corporation	Business Teacher	Monroe
Joann Novak	Monroe County Community School Corporation / Academy of Science & Entrepreneurship	Business Teacher	Monroe
Mary Priester-Hanks	Monroe County Community School Corporation	Postsecondary Readiness Coordinator	Monroe
Andrea Smith	Monroe County Community School Corporation / Hoosier Hills Career Center	Pathways and Remediation Coordinator	Monroe, Greene, & Owen
Courtney Uland	Artisan Electronics	Human Resources Administrator	Daviess & Greene
Brad Zellner	Orleans Community Schools	Internship Coordinator	Orange

ROI’s most recent Occupational Needs Assessment indicates that key sector employers in the Indiana Uplands region will add thousands of new jobs in the coming years. Many, if not most, of these jobs will require some form of postsecondary degree or credential. Under the current trajectory, the region will need skilled talent with the credentials necessary to keep up with employer demand in the advanced manufacturing, life sciences, and defense sectors.
 
ROI’s Career Coaching Fellowship will strengthen the skills of individuals serving in career coaching roles throughout the Indiana Uplands and complement recently developed career pathways in all schools.
 
“The need for meaningful career connections and articulated pathways towards high opportunity and high wage jobs is now more important than ever,” added Peterson. “Our region’s long-term growth and prosperity will depend on a skilled workforce ready to meet the future demands of employers. There is no better time than now to build a new network of career coaches that can incorporate research-based innovative practices within their organizations. We are excited by the possibility of this program and its potential to increase the number of students/adults pursuing and completing relevant pathways that lead to successful postsecondary opportunities, continued education, or high opportunity employment.”
 
ROI’s Career Coaching Fellows will participate in monthly professional development programs and connect with regional and state-wide career partners and resources.  The inaugural cohort will form an active regional career coaching network, build relationships with employer and community partners, and model delivery of successful evidence-based career coaching within their organizations.
 
Read more about ROI’s Career Coaching Fellowship:
https://regionalopportunityinc.org/career-coaching-fellowship/
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