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By Nikki Cabus

Henry Mack appointed as The Southern Group’s education lobbyist and lead consultant

Read Time 4 Minutes

Florida’s largest lobbying firm, The Southern Group, has hired Henry Mack as an education lobbyist and lead consultant.

The lobbying firm is growing once again offering additional advisory and consulting services in the education sector. Mack, former Florida Department of Education Senior Chancellor, will help lead a full-service consulting practice that will advise clients on a wide array of areas in the education space, focusing on workforce development and higher education.

Henry Mack is joining The Southern Group after a distinguished career in higher education, including serving as the Senior Chancellor at the Florida Department of Education (DOE). Henry brings a wealth of experience in a wide range of areas in the education segment, particularly workforce education and economic development.

As Senior Chancellor at DOE, he was responsible for Florida’s public and nonpublic institutions of higher education—overseeing a $3 billion dollar budget with a combined K-20 student enrollment of $1.5 million annually. He led the Divisions of Florida Colleges, Career and Adult Education, Vocational Rehabilitation, Blind Services, the Florida Department of Education’s Office of Workforce Education and Economic Alignment, and the Commission for Independent Education. Additional responsibilities included  apprenticeships, disability education, employment services and economic development initiatives.

He was directly responsible for the State of Florida’s workforce education strategy, budget, operations, policy and finance, and, together with the Governor’s Office, responsible for all higher education and workforce education legislative and policy priorities. Henry was also responsible for grants and administration such as the $6.2 million in cybersecurity funding received by three South Florida colleges. He was involved in countless others for the state of Florida.

Prior to his appointment at DOE,  Henry served as the Chancellor for the Division of Career and Adult Education. The Division itself is accountable for all career and technical education programs and activity across a system of 48 technical centers and colleges, 28 state community colleges, and K-12 public schools, with a combined enrollment of over 1 million students, annually.

Henry has also held various positions throughout Florida’s higher education system holding multiple faculty positions at Florida International University, University of Miami, and Broward College. At Broward College, Henry served as a Vice President for Workforce Education and Innovation at one of our nation’s largest colleges. He oversaw the college’s career and technical education programs, the development of new baccalaureate degrees, and the college’s business incubator and accelerator.

Recognized as 2019’s South Florida’s 40 under 40, Henry frequently lectures on the future of the workforce, entrepreneurship, and the value of a higher education.

Sheela VanHoose, Education Lobbyist and Partner with The Southern Group-Florida stated, “I’m excited about the continued growth of our education practice and what that means for our clients. No one has the knowledge of the CTE and workforce education space like Henry Mack!”

Sheela VanHoose is also South Florida Tech Hub’s Policy Committee Chair and K-12 Talent Sub-Committee Chair. She recently had Mr. Mack attend a Tech Talent Committee meeting as a guest speaker to address the topic of workforce education, certifications and CTE, and give any updates from the DOE.

A couple of those updates from Henry were:

  • The DOE recently contracted with the University of Florida to do a study on sequencing for certifications with a likelihood of students earning CompTIA certs in high school, enrolling in further education, and using that certification to do accelerated courses.
  • Cap has been removed for using tools at the middle school level allowing schools to be funded at no limit. The DOE is looking at what tools can be used at the middle school level and everyone is looking for new certifications to be added, particularly in artificial intelligence. FL SB240 allocates money that has to be tied to furthering careers within education and cannot be for a new building.
  • Students may be harmed by the Standard Occupational Classification, or “SOC” codes, not being well outlined. SOC codes and certifications should have been coordinated with the higher paying jobs. Choose SOC codes wisely and don’t do too many. Two exams for AI certification are already out there including a pathway and a template.

Henry earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in theology and philosophy from the Catholic University of America and doctorate in education administration and philosophy of education from the University of Miami. Henry currently lives in Tallahassee with his wife, Ashley, and three children, Hadley, Holden, and Arden.

By Nikki Cabus

In partnership with the BDB, CareerSource Palm Beach County is named Workforce Employer of the Year 2023

Read Time 4 Minutes

The National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) recently announced that CareerSource Palm Beach County has been named the 2023 Workforce Employer of the Year. 

NAWDP provides education, resources, and certification credibility to individuals seeking to thrive as thought leaders and innovators in the workforce development industry. As the leading advocate for workforce development professionals, NAWDP builds relationships and connections with other industry-leading organizations to challenge and collaborate for the advancement of the industry. The NAWDP is the heartbeat of workforce development.

“The Workforce Employer of the Year award recognizes a private-sector employer or employer consortium who partners and collaborates with their local workforce partners to create a positive impact in their local area,” said Melissa Robbins, NAWDP’s Chief Executive Officer. “CareerSource Palm Beach County has developed a lucrative partnership with the Palm Beach County Business Development Board that has increased the opportunities for jobseekers and businesses in the community.”

CareerSource Palm Beach County is the nonprofit organization chartered by the state to lead workforce development in Palm Beach County. During the past five program years, CareerSource Palm Beach County assisted nearly 45,000 residents find employment/reemployment ranging from entry-level to executive suite, with salaries from these jobs creating $700 million in annual wages. CareerSource also awarded $14.7 million in grants to area businesses and employees for job training and educational assistance during that time.

The two organizations work in partnership using comprehensive labor market information/analysis, job candidate sourcing, training grants, and placement support to attract, retain, and help businesses expand.

CareerSource Palm Beach County and the Business Development Board have convened/facilitated various collaborative programs in the Glades communities, including providing $1.7 million in grants to local employers and residents for training and educational assistance over the past 5 years. This, along with comprehensive job placement, hiring, and recruiting services provided by CareerSource Palm Beach County’s Belle Glade career center, has helped to significantly reduce area unemployment.

One effort of the partnership includes the recruitment of FinFrock, a major precast concrete manufacturer, to Belle Glade. This project will create more than 200 jobs with salaries starting at $19/hour with fully paid medical benefits. It is projected to bring a $242 million economic impact to the Glades communities.

The partnership has been fruitful with new industry data showing Palm Beach County as home to 463 corporate, subsidiary and regional offices, 2,897 financial services and hedge funds, 1,628 aviation/aerospace/engineering companies, 2,189 infotech companies, 5,496 healthcare companies, 682 distribution and logistics centers, and 1,424 manufacturing companies.

“We are incredibly pleased and proud that our achievements arising from our partnership with the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County have been nationally recognized with this award,” said Julia Dattolo, President and CEO of CareerSource Palm Beach County. “Our partnership has created a much more diversified, high-quality employer base, making our economy more resilient – and contributing to record low unemployment rates for more than a year.”

This is the second national award CareerSource Palm Beach County has recently received. The National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) presented their national Trailblazer Award to CareerSource PBC in 2021. The award recognizes a workforce board that has been a leader in developing comprehensive workforce solutions for its communities.

In addition to today’s award, the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County received nearly 10 national, state and local awards since 2022. The BDB also is one of only 66 in the world to be an Accredited Economic Development Board and has been internationally recognized in the past for marketing strategies and programs.

The Business Development Board of Palm Beach County is the official public/private economic development organization for Palm Beach County.  Founded in 1982 as a not-for-profit corporation, our primary purpose is to attract and retain new industry, business investment, high quality jobs and workforce development through corporate relocations, expansions and international trade. During the past five years, the BDB has assisted companies that have created more than 12,822 direct jobs with average salaries greater than $69,062, resulting in more than $777 million in capital investment to Palm Beach County and an economic impact that exceeds $6.87 billion.

“CareerSource Palm Beach County has been an impactful partner of the Business Development Board’s economic development efforts and it’s an honor to receive this prestigious award together. This partnership will continue to stimulate economic energy and enrich the vitality of Palm Beach County as more corporate citizens relocate to and expand in the Palm Beaches,” said Kelly Smallridge, President and CEO of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County (BDB).

Henry Mack appointed as The Southern Group’s education lobbyist and lead consultant
In partnership with the BDB, CareerSource Palm Beach County is named Workforce Employer of the Year 2023