Advisory Committee
Purpose Statement
This group brings leaders from business together with the goal of increasing the dignity, stability, effectiveness, and growth of frontline workers through adult education. This diverse group of businesses share and develop effective strategies for engaging with schools/educators to build knowledge on how best to support education and training solutions within their operations and the communities in which they do business.
Committee Members
Tyson, Donna Davis
Dr. Donna Davis is the director of Upward Academy at Tyson Foods, an on-site, adult education program providing ESL, HSE, Citizenship classes for front-line team members across 32 states. Prior to co-creating Upward Academy, Donna served as Director of Programs and as Research/Evaluation Specialist for the Cisneros Center for New Americans. Dr. Davis has a PhD in Environmental Dynamics with a focus on climate change and climate-induced migration from the Marshall Islands, and over the years has found herself at home in the university classroom teaching Sustainability in Business, Environmental Sociology and Rural Sociology. Dr. Davis brings passion and experience in teaching, migration and immigration studies, social entrepreneurship, and building social programs from the ground up. Donna was raised in Northwest Arkansas, where she recently helped open a refugee resettlement site. In her free time, Donna loves listening to live music with her musician husband and daughter and adding to her ever-growing stack of must-read books.
Tyson, Anson Green
Anson Green is a workforce, education, and training trailblazer leading Economic Opportunity efforts at Tyson Foods. His passion is deploying innovative service models for New Americans and other low and middle skilled workers to support their life ambitions. Anson brings a deep and varied portfolio of accomplishments to his work, and his diverse background in adult, developmental, and immigrant education as well as workforce development drives his bold vision for workforce solutions. Prior to his arrival at Tyson Foods, Anson led the federal Adult Education program at the Texas Workforce Commission. While he was at the Alamo Colleges District, Anson directed a specialized training center in San Antonio’s historic Westside delivering bilingual and integrated education and training. Anson has published multiple articles and two books, served as a national research fellow, spoken at Congressional briefings on effective approaches to education, and has had teaching posts at several colleges, universities and public schools.
Success link: https://www.tysonsustainability.com/workplace/helping-team-members-succeed.php
Turner Construction, Jessie Hernandez
As a Regional Lean Manager for Turner Construction, Jesse is part of a 9 person team in the Central Region supporting the learning and application of Turners Lean program.
Jesse is a plumber by trade, podcaster by night and an aspiring Continuous Improvement coach. He entered the construction industry straight out of high school and his path has covered the digging of ditches all the way to aiding people in expanding their influence within their careers and communities. Because of this Jesse is driven to inform educators, parents and students about the amazing career opportunities in the trades.
Prologis, Steve Hussain
Steven Hussain joined Prologis in June of 2019 and serves as the Vice President of Community Workforce Programs and Community Relations. In that capacity, he leads the organization’s efforts to generate shared value for customers and deepen relationships with community stakeholders. Prior to joining Prologis, Steven served as the Chief Mission Services Officer for Goodwill San Antonio where he led education and employment services to individuals within the Agency’s 24 county service area. Steven previously worked as the Director of Community Initiatives for San Antonio Mayor, Ivy R. Taylor, where he helped to develop education, workforce, and economic development policy, and launched the local My Brother’s Keeper initiative. Steven also worked for the P16Plus Council of Greater Bexar County as the Director of Community Partnerships. Steven holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Texas at Arlington and is currently pursuing his MBA at Baylor University.
Success link: https://www.prologis.com/customers/cwi
MAREK, Sabra Phillips
Sabra Phillips leads organizational and talent development for MAREK, an 83-year construction specialty contractor recognized for its deep commitment to growing people throughout operations in Texas and the Southeast. Sabra is an advocate for construction industry workforce development, serving on NCCER’s National Workforce Development Committee, the Greater Houston Partnership’s UpSkill Construction Sector Council, and is a past chair of Construction Career Collaborative’s (C3) Craft Training Committee. Prior to joining MAREK, she served as a senior leader with a recruitment and talent solutions firm helping Fortune 500 oil and gas and retail energy companies attract and grow talent. She is a proud Longhorn, degreed from both the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Houston.
Success link: https://marekbros.com/careers
Live Better U, Kevin Scherer
Kevin Scherer is the current program director for LiveBetterU – Walmart’s corporate educational benefits program. LBU provides Walmart’s hourly associates and field management with debt-free educational opportunities strategically aligned with high demand roles within the company. Prior to Walmart, Kevin helped develop Upward Academy at Tyson Foods – a collaborative workplace education program with adult education agencies targeted at frontline team members. Kevin is passionate about helping vulnerable workforce demographics find dignity, stability, and mobility in their personal and professional lives. He believes companies can change the stability of their workforce by investing in their employee’s personal stability.
Core Values
- Worker focused
- Noncompetitive
- Solution-based
- Building a community of practice
Complex workforce issues are solved through public/private partnerships.
