AEC Industry Roundtable #2

AEC Industry Roundtable #2

This is an in-person event. 

LAEDC: Building Equitable Pathways in Los Angeles County

RAND Corp: What You Need to Know About DEI & the Infrastructure Act

As a follow up to the June 29th AEC Industry Roundtable, we are delighted to invite you to join us for the 2nd roundtable in our series of opportunities to bring together representatives of all of the architecture, engineering, and construction organizations in the Los Angeles area.

In addition to networking opportunities to further establish multi-disciplinary partnerships and collaborations amongst the 40+ AEC industry organizations, this 2nd roundtable will serve as a forum to learn more about the workforce development programs and initiatives of the LAEDC, as well as, an opportunity to learn more about the DEI provisions in the Infrastructure Act as researched by Dr. Rhianna Rogers with the RAND Center to Advance Racial Equity Policy.

Click Here to read a summary of the notes from the June 29th AEC Roundtable and feel free to add your thoughts and resources to the list.

LAEDC: Building Equitable Pathways in Los Angeles County

This presentation will give a high-level overview of the work LAEDC facilitates throughout the L.A. region. In addition, this presentation will provide some insight on challenges and gaps within the regional workforce and economy and how LAEDC is combating those challenges.

Jermaine Hampton – Director of Workforce Development, Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation
Jose Pelayo – Program Manager of Workforce Development, Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation

RAND Corp: What You Need to Know About DEI & the Infrastructure Act

The $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) includes $550 billion in new investments for roads and bridges, water infrastructure, resilience, internet, and more. It also represents an opportunity for the sector to innovate its approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). With the Infrastructure Act and relevant DEI provisions as the backdrop, Dr. Rhianna C. Rogers – inaugural director of the Center to Advance Racial Equity Policy at the RAND Corporation – will discuss ways to truly incorporate and advance DEI ideals and outcomes across Act projects and beyond.

Rhianna C. Rogers, Ph.D. – Director, RAND Center to Advance Racial Equity Policy, RAND Corporation

SPEAKER BIOS

Rhianna C. Rogers, Ph.D. – Director, RAND Center to Advance Racial Equity Policy, RAND Corporation

Dr. Rhianna C. Rogers is the inaugural Director of the Center to Advance Racial Equity Policy at the RAND Corporation. Before RAND, Rogers has held administrative/teaching appointments in Higher Education and Tribal government (2002–2021). Rogers is an expert on cultural and ethnic studies, intercultural competencies and diversity education, cultural mediation, and virtual exchange programmatic development and implementation. Dr. Rogers has successfully built and implemented DEI programming for over a decade in higher education, at private/public corporations, and within NGOs. For eleven years, Dr. Rogers created and ran the SUNY Empire State College supported Buffalo Project, a longitudinal participatory action research project focused on the use of cultural data as the baseline for programmatic development and implementation. Dr. Rogers worked with colleagues, research associates, and community stakeholders to implement programs that addressed perceptions of culture, race/ethnicity, and its impacts on the stakeholder learning processes. With numerous awards, Dr. Rogers grew the program, forming state-wide and international partnerships, and co-created Sustainable Progress and Equality Collective (SPEC) with advocates across the US. This work led Rogers to be featured as part of the United Nations – Geneva Forum in 2020 and 2021. Rogers has consulted and provided expert guidance in a variety of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) capacities including running trainings for Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS)/German NATO DEU Air Command (2022), invited to join the White House – Year of Evidence in Action Forums (2022), sat on the New York Board of Regents and the New York State Education Department Digital Equity Summits advisory group (2021), the Lumen Circles/Gates Foundation DEI Faculty Development Project (2021), the Kettering Foundation Civic Engagement and Deliberative Dialogue International Institute consulting team (2020-2021).

Jermaine Hampton – Director of Workforce Development, Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation

Jermaine Hampton brings a wealth of experience to the table with over 13 years of Workforce Development and leadership experience. Jermaine currently works with the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), as the Director of Workforce Development. Prior to joining the LAEDC team, Jermaine successfully fulfilled his second tour of duty with D.O.E.S (Department of Employment Services) in Washington DC. During Jermaine’s second tour with D.O.E.S he provided oversight to the L.E.A.P Program, which is one of Washington D.C Mayor Muriel Bowser’s prime workforce initiatives. (Learn, Earn, Advance, Prosper) is a network of interconnected partners utilizing the “earn-and-learn” approach that links the city’s unemployed residents with employment, education and training opportunities. In addition to the LEAP program, Jermaine also managed several other Division of State Initiatives (DSI) programs which included Project Empowerment, a nationally recognized transitional employment program, DC Career Connections (Mayor Bowser Initiative for young adults), and the entire business development team as well. Moreover, before returning to D.O.E.S, Jermaine was the Youth, Adult, and Business Solutions Program Manager with WorkSource DeKalb (Career Onestop Office) in Decatur Georgia. In this role Jermaine provided leadership over the federally funded WIOA (Workforce Opportunities Innovation Act) programming.

Jose Pelayo – Program Manager of Workforce Development, Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation

Jose oversees and manages the workforce development programs and interfaces with and convenes community stakeholders, presenting LAEDC’s data, research, and industry cluster analysis.

Jose received his bachelor’s degree with honors in criminal justice from CSUDH and a minor in sociology. Jose is a certified Offender Workforce Development Specialist through the National Institute of Corrections.