Southern Arizona Leaders Advance Actionable Strategies to Strengthen Workforce Development
Over the past nine months, the Southern Arizona Workforce Leadership Academy (Academy) has united a diverse group of leaders from business, education, government, and community organizations to tackle urgent workforce challenges and identify opportunities to strengthen the regional economy.
Now, Fellows are sharing actionable recommendations — developed through deep collaboration and shared learning over the past year — that chart a path forward for Southern Arizona’s workforce. Their proposals offer practical strategies to:
- Enhancing workforce infrastructure and childcare
- Strengthening industry’s role in career exploration
- Connecting to Opportunity Youth
- Leveraging proven workforce development strategies
These recommendations are not theoretical. They represent real, cross-sector solutions ready for action — designed by and for regional partners committed to advancing opportunity and prosperity across Southern Arizona. Community, business, and education leaders are encouraged to engage directly with the Fellows, learn from their insights, and collaborate to bring these strategies to life.
“The Southern Arizona Workforce Leadership Academy brings leaders together to take action,” said Dr. Sybil Francis, Chair, President & CEO of Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA). “Through this collaboration, we’re seeing practical solutions that can strengthen workforce systems and create more opportunity for people and communities across the region.”
Offered by CFA in partnership with The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and in collaboration with Pima Community College, the Academy brought together 18 senior-level workforce development professionals representing Pima, Santa Cruz, Cochise, and Yuma counties. Through shared learning and collaboration, Fellows gained a deeper understanding of how their individual work fits into a larger regional ecosystem.
“I now understand how education, workforce, and industry partners can come together to address shared challenges instead of working in silos. I’ve learned to look beyond individual programs and think more intentionally about long-term, systems-level solutions that make opportunities more accessible and equitable,” said Mariana Martinez Reynoso, CTE Director of Work-Based Learning at Yuma Union High School District in Yuma County.
Building on that shared perspective, Fellows examined persistent challenges — from workforce retention to alignment between education and employer needs — and developed recommendations grounded in data, community insights, and local expertise.
“The Academy showed me that leveraging what’s already working in our ecosystem — and ensuring everyone has a seat at the table — is the path forward,” said Amber Folkman, Director of Education Implementation at Pipeline Connect in Pima County. “My network expanded from a handful of organizations to genuine partnerships across Southern Arizona, and those connections are already strengthening how my organization serves students and educators.”
The Fellows’ reflections underscore one of the Academy’s central goals: bringing partners together across sectors to drive meaningful, lasting change.
“We’re deeply appreciative of the Southern Arizona Fellows for dedicating their time, expertise, and creativity to advancing workforce development across the region,” said Dee Wallace, Senior Fellow with The Aspen Institute. “Their recommendations reflect a shared commitment to expanding opportunity and economic mobility for all, and we look forward to seeing these ideas move from discussion to action in communities across Arizona.”
“We’re proud to partner in this effort to strengthen workforce development across Southern Arizona,” said Dr. Ian Roark, Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs & Workforce Development, Academic Affairs/Workforce Development & Innovation at Pima Community College. “This work demonstrates what’s possible when education, industry, and community leaders come together around shared goals. Together, we’re building the systems and partnerships needed to expand opportunity for working learners and employers alike.”
The Academy’s work also reflects priorities identified through CFA’s Gallup Arizona Survey, which shows that Arizonans across backgrounds overwhelmingly want access to good-paying jobs and education that leads to opportunity. The recommendations developed by the Fellows directly advance those shared public values — ensuring that workforce systems across the region work in concert to deliver results.
The Southern Arizona Workforce Leadership Academy is made possible in part by the Thomas R. Brown Family Private Foundation, South32, Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, and APS.