Joseph Hollins is a native and resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Joseph received his Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from Louisiana State University. He then went in to earn his Masters of Science in Human Resource and Leadership Development from Louisiana State University. Joseph started his career working in Human Resource department of the Louisiana State Senate, where he oversaw on-boarding and employee training. After his time at the Senate, Joseph went on to work at the Louisiana Workforce Commission.

While at the Louisiana Workforce Commission, Joseph worked on many key pieces of legislation including: minimum wage, equal pay, 29CFR29 conformity, and Louisiana’s Work-Based Learning Commission. While State Apprenticeship Director, he grew the number of apprenticeship programs in the state by over 50%. That growth included the state’s first cybersecurity apprenticeship, the state’s first nursing apprenticeship, and the state’s first offender’s apprenticeship program.

Joseph currently serves as Special Assistant to Governor John Bel Edwards. In this role, he handles a myriad of responsibilities and advising duties. It’s Joseph’s hope that he can make Louisiana a better place through his government service. In his free time, Joseph enjoys grilling, golfing, watching sports, and spending time with family.

Joshua Johnson is the State Director for Wisconsin Apprenticeship. Joshua is the 6th Director since 1911, when Wisconsin was the first state to begin Registered Apprenticeship. Joshua's connection to Wisconsin Apprenticeship goes back to his participation and completion of a Construction Craft Laborer apprenticeship. Joshua brings his experience in the field as an apprentice to the Directors job with a goal of changing the landscape of Wisconsin Apprenticeship through innovation by creating visible access points and a value-added proposition to our employers. Joshua has stepped into his role at the same time as the current modernization of program curriculum for Youth Apprenticeship (YA). Updating this program curriculum ensures that YA adequately meets the current and future needs of Wisconsin industries and the workforce. Through the creation of a seamless transition to a related Registered Apprenticeship while increasing transferrable credits and credentials will prepare all YA students for success as they start on their post-secondary pathway. Joshua's goal is to make the Wisconsin Apprenticeship brand accessible to all career seekers and more employers. Joshua's motto is "Apprenticeship is for Everyone".

Patricia (Trish) Morrison joined the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry in June 2016 as director. From March 2007 to December 2012, she was the Assistant Director. In the 3 and ½ years in between, she worked as the Manager of the Dispute Resolution Unit for Consumer Protection within the Office of the Attorney General.

Trish has a background in mediation and has done that for the Commonwealth since 2000. Trish graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Conflict Resolution degree and a Human Resource Management degree.

One of the main focuses of the Director position is to broaden the reach and utilization of Registered Apprenticeship in many different industries and business models. Diversification in how Registered Apprenticeship approaches different audiences will be key to being even more inclusive and widely embraced as an occupational training model. Additionally, we are reaching out to find underrepresentation by demographic and create networks to make our program appealing to these individuals.

Deborah Kobes is a senior director at JFF and the deputy director for JFF’s Center for Apprenticeship & Work-Based Learning. She focuses on expanding access to and success in high-demand careers.

Deborah manages projects to develop innovative new educational and training models and to build capacity for program delivery among a range of organizations, from local training providers to state agencies. She seeks to create career pathways for women, people of color, and other populations that are underrepresented in high-demand sectors of the economy, such as technology, manufacturing, and construction.

Her skills and areas of expertise include:

• Work-based learning, including pre-apprenticeships and Registered Apprenticeships
• Program design and development
• Strategies for inclusion and equity within job training programs and career pathways
• Sector-based analysis and workforce development strategies

Before joining JFF, Deborah was the projects director and first employee of the Emerald Cities Collaborative, a partnership of diverse organizations united around the goal of greening cities in ways that further high-quality job creation, equity, and democracy. She has also held research positions or fellowships at MIT, the Brookings Institution, and the Urban Institute.

Reflecting on her decision to work at JFF, Deborah says, “Racial equity is not possible without economic equity. JFF’s focus on economic mobility contributes to overcoming this persistent challenge in American society. JFF brings a unique vantage of looking for practical solutions for economic advancement while also contributing to the national dialogue about needed structural reforms.”

Deborah enjoys exploring new cities and their idiosyncrasies, and she spends too much time trying to figure out how to measure local democracy.

Eric M. Seleznow is a senior advisor and directs JFF's Center for Apprenticeship & Work-Based Learning. He works to further the organization’s goals of advancing innovative workforce policy and programs. Eric is contributing to the organization’s work on apprenticeship, reentry, and sector strategies.

Prior to JFF, Eric served as deputy assistant secretary for the US Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, under Secretary Tom Perez. During his tenure at USDOL/ETA, he focused on implementing the Obama administration’s vision for workforce development, skills training, and registered apprenticeship.

Eric has over 30 years of experience managing a range of workforce development and correctional reentry programs at the federal, state, and local levels. Prior to his position at DOL, he served as the state policy director with the National Skills Coalition, as executive director of the Maryland Governor's Workforce Investment Board, and as the local workforce board director for the Montgomery County (MD.) Department of Economic Development. His experience also includes nearly 20 years in the corrections system operating jail-based training, employment, and pre-release programs—re-entry efforts for which he is still regarded as a national expert.