Lisa Linnen, who is 49 and married with no children, had worked for more than 13 years in the lumber business as an operator of a Strapper, a machine that applies bands around stacks of lumber to hold them together. However, on her last job she was laid off after only 2 months, due to lack of work. Lisa, who was dreaming of a rather drastic career change, enrolled in the KRA/SCWorks Dislocated Workers Program, and was assigned to Sherell Robinson, KRA Career Agent, for case management and career guidance. Together, they developed her long-range Individual Employment Plan, exploring and assessing her aptitudes and interests. Robinson reported, “Lisa told me that working with children is something she has always had a genuine love for, and I could tell by her enthusiasm that she was serious. So, we began planning to get her enrolled at Horry- Georgetown Technical College for an Associate Degree in Early Care and Education [ECE]. Lisa was accepted, and with an approved voucher to cover the cost of tuition and books, began 2 years of study in August 2008.” In May 2008, three months before she graduated, Lisa received a coveted honor. Georgetown-Horry awarded her a Graduate Scholar Certificate, recognizing her outstanding academic achievement and dedication in the pursuit of excellence.
After graduation, Robinson worked with Lisa to identify job opportunities in the ECE field. Lisa also worked with Jeff Ward, KRA Business Services Representative, and attended job-search workshops to learn how to expand her own efforts in this area. However, there was one employer in particular that Lisa had an interest in working for: a local community learning center. Ward contacted the owner, discovered there was a part-time opening for a Childcare Provider, and arranged an interview for Lisa, who was hired as of January 11, 2012. Robinson concluded, “Lisa has earned an Associate Degree, has found employment in a field she loves, and recently told me that starting this month, Bibleway has offered her a full-time position! Jeff and I, in fact the whole KRA team, could not be happier for Lisa’s career transition and success.”
Dr. Boone’s 20+ years’ experience in the industry is extensive and her expertise in private-, public-, and non-profit sector workforce-services organizations is unparalleled, particularly in the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan area.
