iBuild America Podcast

Wendy Perry

Managing Director and Founder,

Workforce BluePrint (Australia)

Wendy Perry is an entrepreneur, innovator, leader, mentor, speaker, and writer on Workforce Planning and Development, Vocational Education and Training (VET) and TVET, International Capability Development, Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Wendy's extensive experience includes management roles within private and public Registered Training Organisations, employm...

Danica Huber

Retired U.S. Marine Corps

Military Transition Liaison, Workforce Training Academy (Arizona)

Danica is a retired United States Marine Corps officer who served her country for more than a decade. On the program, Danica discusses her journey from Arizona to serving in the military. Similar to so many service members, the military provided stability and growth opportunities. While in the service, she was responsible for ...

In this special Independence Day episode of the iBuild America Podcast, we sit down with Representative Tom Barrett of Michigan’s 7th Congressional District—a U.S. Army veteran, helicopter pilot, and relentless advocate for those who’ve served.

Tom shares his powerful journey from military service across Iraq and the Korean DMZ to helping veterans transition into meaningful civilian careers. We also highlight our Aviation Sheet Meta...

Besa PinchottiChief Executive Officer, National Military Family AssociationBesa Pinchotti is Chief Executive Officer of the National Military Family Association (NMFA), which works with families to identify and solve the unique challenges of military life. Besa was drawn to NMFA’s mission to support the families who serve alongside those in uniform and has held leadership positions at the Association since 2013.Besa is an award-win...

Mary Lamparter

Community Volunteer, Entrepreneur, and Investor

Founder, Defense Corridor Center for Collaboration and Synergy (DC3S) (Michigan)

Mary Lamparter is a dedicated community volunteer with a lifelong commitment to supporting military service members and their families. Throughout her career, she has held a variety of impactful roles, including serving as Vice President of Family Programs for the Association of the Unite...

David HunnPresident and CEO The SkillSource Group

David Hunn is a focused and seasoned executive who is intent on delivering local public services in an efficient and cost effective manner. He is an optimistic, dedicated, persistent, entrepreneurial and value getting things done.

David concurrently serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the SkillSource Group, Inc. a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, located in Vien...

Michael MacDonald

Former Senator Michigan State Senate (Michigan)

Michael MacDonald served as a member of the Michigan Senate, representing the 10th district from January 1, 2019, to January 1, 2023. While in the Michigan Senate, he served on several committees including Appropriations, Health Policy and Human Services, Appropriations Subcommittee on Community Health/Human Services, Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government, ...

Johnny Taylor - Vice President of Job Corps Operations Serrato Corporation (Kansas)

Johnny is a team player with the ability to motivate others and build strong teams that collaborate to achieve desired outcomes. With nearly 30 years of experience in Job Corps, he is an established leader who spent his career helping and coaching young people. He began his career in teaching before making the transition to Job Corps.

Johnny d...

Ron Lamparter, Entrepreneur, Inventor, and Investor Founder, Defense Corridor Center for Collaboration and Synergy (DC3S) (Michigan)

Ron Lamparter is a Native Detroiter born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. He attended Detroit Public Schools before graduating from Wayne University with a degree in Engineering.

Ron is a Serial Entrepreneur having Founded and served as Chairman and CEO for over 20 different companies. He has also been a...

Robert M. Dyer, Mayor, Virginia Beach (Virginia)

Mayor Bobby Dyer was sworn in on Nov. 20, 2018, and is the first veteran to be directly elected as mayor in Virginia Beach history. Prior to that, he represented the Centerville District on the City Council for 14 years.

Dyer is a physical therapist. Positions he's held in the past include healthcare executive, business consultant, and assistant professor in the School of Gover...

Dr. Francis Cole, Former Regional Director, Office of Job Corps, U.S. Department of Labor (Washington DC)Dr. Francis Cole is an Executive Chef by training who learned about the U.S. Job Corps program through his employer. He volunteered through his company to help build a Culinary Arts program at Job Corps and was hooked on the idea of assisting young people to learn the culinary industry at a high level.

Throughout his career, Dr. Co...

Robin Lovewell, Workforce Administrator, City of Colorado Springs (Colorado)

Robin Lovewell is a Certified Workforce Development Professional (CWDP) with 15+ years of experience in workforce development (businesses and job seekers), human resources, and military relations.

She is known and trusted by the business, human resources, and military communities in the Pikes Peak region and beyond and currently serves as the Mayor of Color...

William Houston, Vice President of Job Corps Operations Serrato Corporation (Ohio)

William is an expert professional and business leader with several decades of management experience. He is a former high school football standout who also played football at The Ohio State University football team. He began his career as an educator and has committed his professional career to helping young adults become better prepared through workf...

Dr. Michael Hinojosa Former Superintendent - Dallas Independent School District (Texas)

Dr. Michael Hinojosa served more than 27 years as a superintendent/CEO of six public education systems, including two of the 25 largest school systems in America: Dallas ISD in Texas and the Cobb County School District in suburban Atlanta, Georgia. His career in public education, from teacher and coach to superintendent/CEO, spans more than four...

Greg TaylorRetired Army VeteranExecutive Director, Workforce Training Academy (WTA)(Arizona)

Greg is currently leading a national Workforce Training Academy (WTA).

Before WTA, Greg joined the United States Marines following high school and later switched to the United States Army. He retired in 2018 from Military Service after more than 20 years.During his military career, Greg had several deployments that included Iraq and Afghanist...

Debbie partners with colleges and high school Hospitality programs that lead to an increased pool of knowledgeable and prepared potential employee candidates for Texas hotels.She is a former educator who works across the State of Texas helping people understand the Hotel Industry, while also helping organizations prepare and train employees to enter the Hotel Industry. She has proven success in project management and event planning...

Nicole Overley serves as the Commissioner of Virginia Works, the Commonwealth's dedicated workforce development agency. In this role, she leads a team committed to supporting both employers and job seekers across Virginia, coordinating a broad ecosystem of workforce programs and services.Before her appointment, Nicole spent over a decade at Deloitte Consulting in Northern Virginia, where she incubated and scaled the firm's Future o...

Dr. Glenell M. Lee-Pruitt

President Jarvis Christian University (Texas)

On this week’s iBuild America Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Glenell M. Lee-Pruitt, President of Jarvis Christian University.

From increasing enrollment to launching adult learning and graduate programs, Dr. Lee-Pruitt shares how she’s modernizing HBCU education while honoring legacy.

Jarvis Christian University Board of Trustees has selected Dr. Glenell M. Lee...

High school students with Michelin-level skills? YES. In this episode of iBuild America Podcast, Chef Devin Niederhauser shares how he turned a Texas high school culinary program into a launchpad for careers. His passion, creativity, and commitment to student success are changing lives.

This week on the iBuild America Podcast, we welcome Chef Devin Niederhauser, educator and culinary innovator at Richardson High School.Chef Devin sh...