After 28 incredible years as the Executive Director of Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County, as I wrap up the last ED newsletter, I would like to express my gratitude. It has truly been an honor to lead an organization dedicated to connecting individuals with meaningful employment opportunities and helping our community thrive.

As I reflect on my time here, I am thankful for the relationships we’ve built, the milestones we achieved and the lives we have impacted together. It has been a privilege to work alongside such a passionate and committed team, as well as our elected officials, Board Members, community partners, employers and job seekers. Your dedication to improving the lives of others has always inspired me, and I am confident that the great work we've accomplished will continue to evolve and make a lasting difference in Tarrant County. 

I am excited for the future of Workforce Solutions, and while my time here is coming to an end, I know the organization is in great hands. The commitment to excellence and service that defines this team will continue to drive us forward. 

Thank you for the support, collaboration, and friendship over the years. I will always cherish the experiences we’ve shared, and I look forward to watching all the continued success that lies ahead.

One last time Go Rangers! Have a safe and happy holiday season.



With deep appreciation,

Featured in this month's newsletter:

• Congressman Veasey's 9th Annual Job Fair
• TWC Conference News
• Workforce Updates
• Welcome to our new staff
• WSTC Resources
• WSTC Alerts, Live Chat & Career Exploration

We are excited to partner with Congressman Marc Veasey for his Annual Job Fair!

This event is open to EVERYONE!

This in-person job fair will connect area Employers with qualified candidates like YOU! Don’t miss this important event Interact and interview with employers that are hiring now! It’s time to make your next career move! Register now for our Rep Veasey Annual Job Fair.

This event will take place on Friday, December 13, 2024 from 10:00am – 2:00pm. CST . The event will be held at Tarrant County College – South Campus (in SSTU, room 1114 in the cafeteria).

Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County (WSTC), is proud to recognize Post L Group as the region’s 2024 Local Employer of Excellence.

Post L Group accepted the award at the Texas Workforce Commission’s (TWC) 27th Annual Texas Workforce Conference held Dec. 4 – Dec. 6, 2024, in Grapevine. Local Workforce Development Boards nominate employers who make a positive impact on workers, the community, and the state through their partnerships with Texas Workforce Solutions.

It is truly a privilege to celebrate their achievements and recognize the hard work and innovation that has made Post L Group a standout in Tarrant County. Congratulations 🎉  

The Communications Department was asked to put together a short farewell video with pictures for Judy's Retirement. The video was showed on the last day of the TWC conference and highlighted Judy's 28 year career. We hope you enjoy!

Arlington Mayor Jim Ross highlighted the City’s current successes and his vision for the future during his annual State of the City Address on Oct. 30, 2024, at Esports Stadium Arlington.

Board Members: Dr. Marcelo Cavazos, Joan Grigsby, Jana Harris and Tyrone Taylor attended the event along with a few staff including: Nicole Allen, Pat DeWitt, Lacey Douglas, Love Kelly and Ulrica Plummer.

As always the City did a fabulous job showcasing the past year highlights.

Well, that’s a wrap on the 13^th Annual Hiring Red, White & You! Statewide Job Fair. It’s safe to say they saved the BEST for last. We rounded out the nearly 3 weeks of statewide Hiring Red, White & You! Job Fairs with our event on November 19^th. 

Job Seekers came out in record numbers. We had only been open just shy of an hour and the registration folks had already checked in over 1,000 job seekers and we continued with a steady flow after that.

The Job Fair Kick Off featured Mayor Ross, Board Vice-Chair Rosa Navejar and other Workforce Development Board Members, Representative Tony Tinderholt, Eric Holen from TWC and other special guests. We received two Certificates of Special Congressional Recognition: One from Representative Tinderholt’s office and one from Congressman Jake Ellzey’s office. Also thank you to NBC DFW who featured our event 3 times on their morning newscast.

We feel honored to be able to bring together qualified job seekers and connect them with area employers looking to hire.

Job Fairs are not new to us, however we continue to be in awe of the inspiring stores that come out of each event. It is what keeps us going, so thank you Tarrant County, we have more opportunities coming your way in 2025.

We feel blessed that for 13 years the Texas Workforce Commission has provided us with funding to host a large-scale job fair for our Veterans and the general public. We are already planning year 14. 

We feel grateful that Tarrant County elected officials and our amazing Board Members support this important event. They come out year after year and help us kick off the event!

Please enjoy our wrap up above from the 13th Annual Hiring Red, White & You! Job Fair. See y'all next year. 

First Picture: We are Golden Shovel Winners! Thank you to the National Association of Minority Contractors DFW Chapter for awarding Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County with the 2024 Golden Shovel Award in the category of Community Champion. We are grateful for the nomination and the award. We were asked to submit a video showcasing our company and the work we have done with the Construction Industry. You can find that video below.

Second Picture: Goodwill honors 3 workforce team members. Goodwill North Central Texas held its 75th Anniversary Faces of Goodwill Gala in October. Three of our Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County staff were awarded with the Community Partners and Volunteers Award.

Congratulations to: Executive Director, Judy McDonald, AEL Director, Jauneen Maldonado and Programs Oversight Unit Director Tabitha Smith-Moore. All three of work closely with Goodwill and their programs. Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County is grateful for the long-standing partnership we have with Goodwill! Thank you again for the honor.

Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County hosted our Connecting Education with Industry event at Hurst Conference Center. This time we showcased the Biotech, Transportation and Logistics Industries.

Our fabulous Board Vice-Chair Rosa Navejar and Executive Director Judy McDonald kicked off our event.

The event started with an Biotech Industry Panel with panelists from BioNTX, CubicBio and Panthera BioSolutions. The panel was moderated by our own Industry Services Unit Director, Renee Parker.

We followed that with Ally Hoffman from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. She spoke about AI in the Workplace. A topic that is on everyone’s mind these days! We rounded out our event with a Logistics and Transportation Industry Panel with representatives from Saddle Creek Logistics Services, BNSF Railway, Mozee and a student from Keller Independent School District CTE program. Thank you to Jacquetta Dantzler from Tarrant County College for being the moderator.

We are excited to share that in a recent update share by the Texas Workforce Commission with the 28 local workforce boards we are second in the state (behind Gulf Coast) serving the most job seekers. Our team has been working hard to serve those in Tarrant County! 

Since we last met, we also celebrated: Adult Education and Family Literacy Week as well as Workforce Development Month. Learn more about both in the videos below.

Learn more about the new (and returning) additions to the IT Team:

Colton McDonald – IT Operations Manager

• Colton was a customer in 2015 and eventually worked for the board from 2016 – 2023 in Help Desk and Systems Admin Roles. During that time, he obtained CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+, and CompTIA Project+ Certifications.
• Colton now manages the Help Desk and Virtual Services Unit within the WSTC IT Department.

Peter Chantharaj – IT Support Specialist

• Peter was a customer at the Arlington Workforce Center. After completing a career assessment, his counselor, Stephanie Dawson, recommended that he consider IT as a career path. Peter has been working on his CompTIA A+ certification and attending training. We are very excited to welcome him to the team and continue his growth in IT.
• Prior to joining the WSTC team, he worked in sales for various companies and developed a strong skillset in customer relations.

Jermaine Williams – IT Support Specialist

• Jermaine recently transitioned into IT and has been pursuing his Associate of Arts in Information Technology – Office Technology. In his previous roles, he has developed skillsets in IT asset management and customer service. We are very excited to welcome him to the team and continue his growth in IT.
• Prior to joining the WSTC team, Jermaine worked in retail management roles as well as IT asset management roles.

Welcome back Colton and welcome to the Tarrant Team Peter and Jermaine.

Did you know that Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County added two new satellite offices to our list of 5 workforce center locations around Tarrant County.

We are your Employment and Training Resource! If you are headed to the Northside or MLK Community Center, stop by and see us!

Tuesdays and Wednesdays : 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Northside Community Center Location: 1100 NW 18th St, Fort Worth, TX 76164

Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Community Center Location: 5565 Truman Dr., Fort Worth 76112

Job Seeker Booklet

We have just finished updating our Job Seeker Booklet. This is a wonderful resource as it touches on all the services, Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County has to offer. Check it out!

Quick Training for Good Jobs Booklet

This was developed to highlight target occupations in Tarrant County that require quick obtainable certifications/credentials. You can learn more about duties, pay and demand for each occupation in this booklet.

Did you know you can receive updates from us via Text or email ?

Stay up to date with the latest employment, training and community news.

Don't miss these important alerts! To learn more and to sign up, click on the button below.

Did you know we offer live chat on our website ?

Workforce experts are here to assist you with all your employment and training needs. Want to know when our next workshop is? Have a WorkinTexas.com question? Want to know about our upcoming Job Fairs?

We are here to help Tarrant County!

Did you know you can visit any of our five Workforce Centers and try on a pair of Virtual Reality Goggles?

The possibilities are endless, let your curiosity be your guide! Make an appointment and start exploring today.