The Skill Set

October 2026

Dispatch from the CEO

Week in the Life

In one week's time earlier this month, it felt like I did a million things, but it was actually...

• Presenting in DC at the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) Workforce Development Council (WDC) on Greater Cleveland Works’ Arena platform which helps better connect our job seeker customers to open jobs with our employer partners.
• Hosting the Cleveland Foundation's learning expedition experience which also featured Towards Employment and MAGNET.
• Listening to Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO Dr. Warren Morgan's State of the Schools speech.
• Stopping by the Paid Leave for All Time and Money bus tour stop in Cleveland hosted by Collaborate Cleveland and the Time to Care Ohio coalition. The event included recognition of Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne and Cleveland Mayor Justin M. Bibb for their work to establish paid parental leave for eligible employees.
• Going to the Deaconess Foundation's Deb Vesy Systems Change Champion luncheon at the City Club of Cleveland.
• Attending MidTown's annual meeting at the Agora. Greater Cleveland Works is happy to be a new member in the neighborhood!

This is just one week's worth of ways we're showing up to support our partners who support us.

Thanks for reading,

Michelle Rose

Chief Executive Officer

Greater Cleveland Works

Our COO Laura Chalker recently participated in a roundtable discussion at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank's Community Resource Center with Congresswoman Shontel Brown and Democratic Whip Katherine Clark to highlight the critical connection between federal nutrition programs, health and education outcomes and economic opportunity.

Greater Cleveland Works Board Secretary Shana Marbury White of Cuyahoga Community College and Michelle Rose continue to co-chair County Executive Chris Ronayne's Work Activities and Career Enhancement Committee as changes happening in the administration of SNAP and Medicaid benefits impact our customers and our community broadly. Click here to register for an upcoming panel discussion H.R. 1 — One Year Later to learn more about the impactful changes underway.

News You Can Use

Voter Information

Make a plan to vote in the November 3 election! Participate in early in-person voting at the Board of Elections downtown between now and November 1. If you plan to vote on election day, now is also a good time to confirm your polling location. 

In Ohio, every polling location is required to be accessible to ensure equal access for people with disabilities. View the voting options available in Cuyahoga County on Election Day for voters with disabilities. If you prefer to vote by mail, you can request a ballot here and it will be mailed to you, but please note that if you select this option, this is the method you must then use to vote and your ballot must be dropped off at the Board of Elections or postmarked by November 3.

Working With ...

The City of Cleveland

In this month's Working With, we sit down with two key partners from the City of Cleveland — Michele Pomerantz,

Chief of Education and Tiffany Scruggs, Chief of Community Services.

The duo shares about their roles, how they work together, what their goals are for the year ahead and what inspires them. They also discover they had the same first job! Watch now to see how Michele and Tiffany got their start in the workforce.

Around Town

Recognizing National Disability Employment Awareness Month

On October 13, Nancy Sidell, OEO & ADA Manager, attended Cuyahoga County Council’s presentation of the National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) proclamation. NDEAM is celebrated every October to recognize the contributions of workers with disabilities to the workforce. This year’s NDEAM theme is Celebrating Value and Talent. From ensuring physical and programmatic access for all to our partnerships in the community that support job seekers with disabilities, Greater Cleveland Works is living this message every day.