News Releases
Owens Hosts Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Sonderling, U.S. Senator Husted for Workforce Roundtable 
Posted on August 3rd, 2026
Owens Community College welcomed Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling and U.S. Senator Jon Husted on Monday, August 3, as part of a northwest Ohio tour highlighting workforce development, advanced manufacturing and partnerships that are strengthening Ohio’s economy.
Coordinated by the Regional Growth Partnership, the visit assembled leaders from higher education, business, manufacturing, workforce development and government organizations for a roundtable discussion at the Owens Dana Center for Advanced Manufacturing Training, reinforcing the college’s role as the region’s workforce solutions leader.
“We are grateful for the support of Acting Secretary Sonderling, Senator Husted and our elected officials who recognize the vital role workforce development plays in strengthening Ohio’s economy,” said Dr. Dione D. Somerville, president of Owens Community College. “Owens was honored to host this conversation and bring together a few of the region’s leaders who share a common purpose. The strongest workforce partnerships are built through collaboration, and together we’re creating opportunities for students, meeting the needs of employers and strengthening the future of our region.”
With Dr. Somerville emceeing the roundtable, the discussion focused on responding to employer workforce needs and preparing students for careers in Ohio’s growing economy.
“What we’re seeing is jobs come back, we’re seeing manufacturing come back, we’re seeing industry come back,” Sonderling said during a press conference after the roundtable. “What’s most important for us at the Dept. of Labor is to make sure that these jobs – that are high paid and highly skilled – are going to local workers. At the roundtable today we heard how everyone is working together so that local people here in the community are getting those opportunities. You cannot get those opportunities without community colleges like (Owens) teaching those opportunities.”
The roundtable included:
- Jessica Borza, Ohio Manufacturers’ Association managing director
- Kristen Day, Whirlpool Corp. vice president of U.S. manufacturing operations
- Scott Hayes, Toledo Refining, Midwest government relations and strategic communications
- Annette Heslep, GROB System, Inc. CFO
- James Holloway, University of Toledo president
- Laura Koprowski, TARTA CEO and also a member of the Owens Foundation Board of Directors
- Mike Koralewski, First Solar chief supply chain officer
- Cheri Pastula, Cenovus Energy senior regional communications advisor
- Rodney Rogers, Bowling Green State University president
- Andrew Stocking, Principle Business Enterprises, Inc. president and CEO
- Matt Yarder, Yarder Manufacturing executive vice president
The roundtable’s audience featured Tim Fitzpatrick from Allen Economic Development Group, Wade Gottschalk from Wood County Economic Development, Beth Hannam from Sandusky County Economic Development, Dean Monske from RGP and Molly Moses from JobsOhio.
“Places like Owens and Penta (Career Center) and Bowling Green and Toledo are really leaning in to work with employers like we heard from here today. They represent tens of thousands of jobs in the region,” Husted said. “We’re trying to help build the apprenticeship and workforce skills so that northwest Ohio can be an economic juggernaut.”
Owens continues to strengthen workforce solutions through education and training, including registered apprenticeships, customized training, industry partnerships and a recently awarded U.S. Department of Labor earn-and-learn grant that supports paid, work-based learning opportunities for students.
The grant builds on the college’s commitment to connect education with employment by partnering with regional employers to provide paid, hands-on learning opportunities for students pursuing associate degrees and certificates in skilled trades and engineering technologies. The grant also creates new pathways for apprentices to earn college credentials.
Each year, in addition to traditional course offerings, Owens:
- Trains more than 4,100 workers
- Supports 82 employer-sponsored registered apprenticeship programs
- Provides customized training to approximately 40 regional companies
- Serves approximately 700 individuals annually through customized workforce training
“For a small family business, a manufacturing firm that’s expanding, knowing that the resources in public-private are as active as they are from a meeting like this, it’s encouraging for the workforce needs we have in the future,” Yarder said following the roundtable. “We’re expanding and have new business, new growth. We’re going to need new people. I have a higher level of confidence that the workforce will be there when we need it.”