Carla Clark | For The Republic John M. Burnett, president and CEO of the Community Education Coalition, speaks during the panel discussion entitled “Strengthening the Community Through an Educated Workforce” held at the Columbus Learning Center Lecture Hall, Thursday, May 2, 2019.
John M. Burnett
Local leaders are transferring management of a statewide network with Columbus roots and a focus on finding talent.
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce announced that it will now manage the Indiana Talent Network through its Institute for Workforce Excellence. The network was previously coordinated by the Community Education Coalition (CEC) in partnership with CivicLab in Columbus.
John Burnett, CEO of the Community Education Coalition and CivicLab co-founder, said the coalition has been searching for the right home for the initiative for about a year, as network strategist Jeanna Berdel was getting ready to retire.
“We thank Jeanna Berdel for her amazing service to Indiana Talent Network,” he said. “We have been searching for the right state-level partner to carry the program forward. The Institute for Workforce Excellence is a perfect fit. We are grateful for the arrangement.”
The CEC describes the initiative as a “‘network of networks’ connecting statewide stakeholders and regional collaborations to support equitable talent policies and strategies.” Each network focuses on talent in Indiana — specifically, attracting talent, developing talent and connecting talent with career opportunities.
According to the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, the Indiana Talent Network consists of representatives from nearly every region of the state. The network’s mission has centered on improving best practices, creating “interactive opportunities,” cultivating learning and “creating a shared understanding of Indiana’s workforce development systems.”
“We intend to build on that foundation even more in order to prepare individuals and businesses to compete in today’s talent-driven economy,” said Todd Hurst, executive director of the chamber’s Institute for Workforce Excellence.
Burnett said that the network first began about nine years ago, when he and CivicLab director Jack Hess were asked by the Lumina Foundation to form an “attainment network.” In 2017, the effort became more official, with Berdel coming onboard and the initiative becoming known as the Indiana Talent Network.
It is not related to Lumina’s Talent Hubs network, which is also overseen by CivicLab.
“With Jeanna’s leadership and a statewide guiding team of volunteers, ITN has grown quite well,” said Burnett. “We’ve know Todd Hurst for about 15 years, and he and his team are the right folks to carry that particular network forward.”
Hurst commended Burnett, Berdel and Hess for their work with the initiative, which he said is a natural fit with the institute’s talent-focused mission.
“In the coming months, we will take full responsibility for coordinating and convening the Indiana Talent Network and look forward to partnering with its team to continue to identify priorities and establish goals around talent attraction, connection and development that will most aid the workforce and employers,” said Hurst. “We also acknowledge the great work that has been done with the Network to date.”
