TPMA INC. - Key Persons
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- Member of the Leadership Team
- Director, Housing & Community Development / Ohio
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- Business Development Coordinator
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- Arizona Corporation Commissioner
Anna Tovar and her husband have been married for over 20 years and have two wonderful sons. She is proud of her roots in Tolleson, Arizona, proud to be a product of the public school system and proud to have given back as a teacher, mentor and leader in her community.
Anna was a teacher for five years for the Tolleson Elementary School District, served on the Tolleson City Council for seven and a half years, and was Vice Mayor for two years until she joined the House of Representatives and served as Minority Whip. In 2013, she entered the Senate where she served as the District 19 representative advocating for Avondale, Tolleson, West Phoenix and the entire state.
While at the Senate, she served as the Senate Minority Leader, was Latino Caucus Chair, and served as a committee member of the Senate Judiciary, Senate Appropriations, Joint Legislative Budget Committee and the Joint Committee on Capital Review. As Senator Tovar, she developed a well-earned reputation as a legislator who fought for the dignity of underserved people.
Upon completing her time at the Senate, she went on to work as a Campaign Director for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. She raised funds to find a cure for cancer and to assist cancer patients. In 2011, she championed the effort to restore funding for nearly 100 patients on the bone marrow transplant list, saving many lives. As a two-time cancer survivor, Anna remains determined to find a cure.
Throughout her time at the state, she knew one day she would return to her hometown Tolleson to resume her service as a local elected official. In 2016, Anna was elected as Mayor of Tolleson, Arizona. She is the first female to hold this prestigious office. During her time as Mayor, Anna has worked to ensure all citizens' of Tolleson have an opportunity for a quality education and good paying jobs. She has supported local businesses and sustainable economic development as a principal cornerstone of her governance and focused on developing regional partnerships and collaborating with local and state elected officials to advocate for all residents.
In November 2020, Anna was elected to the Arizona Corporation Commission and is the first Latina to hold statewide office. She approaches this job with the same passion and energy as she has in every other endeavor. Anna is working to restore transparency and integrity to the Corporation Commission. Before making any decision at the Commission, Anna will always ask herself: will it be good for my residents and the long-term future of our community? Anna's first priority is the consumer and she welcomes comment from the public.
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- Proposal Writer / Indiana
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- Senior Administrator, Project Success / Ohio
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Senior Director of Economic Development and Strategic Planning
- Senior Director, Economic Development & Strategic Planning / Education
- Vice President, Economic Development & Strategic Planning
Brett is the Senior Director of Economic Development and Strategic Planning. He specializes in business retention, expansion, attraction, Opportunity Zone strategy, economic development financing strategy, entrepreneurial ecosystem building, chamber of commerce operations and strategy, and workforce development.
Prior to joining TPMA, Brett worked as the Director of Outreach and Investment for the Erie Regional Chamber where he managed an industry recognized best-practice business outreach program. Brett was the primary architect of the nation's first municipal based Opportunity Zone Prospectus and Intermediary and led the Flagship Opportunity Zone Development Company under the umbrella of the Erie Regional Chamber. This work was the cornerstone of Erie's signature economic development conference, Erie Homecoming, that has led to over $100 million in investment into Erie since 2019.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Vice President, Research, Evaluation, & Community Impact
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- Senior Consultant / Indiana
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- Higher Education Reformer
Carol D'Amico is a higher education reformer with decades of experience designing and implementing strategies to connect education at all levels to the world of work. D'Amico serves as a consultant to several organizations that advance talent growth across education, workforce and economic development.
D'Amico's experience has included serving as Executive Vice President of Strada Education Network overseeing grant making, engagement and policy. From 2001-2003 D'Amico held a federal appointment as Assistant Secretary for Adult and Vocational education in the U.S. Department of Education.
While serving as a senior fellow in education and co-director of the Center for Workforce Development at the Hudson Institute, she co-wrote "Workforce 2020," which describes the demographics of the future U.S. workforce and the challenges in preparing the American workforce to prosper in the global economy.
D'Amico previously was executive vice president and chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana. Additionally, D'Amico has served as president and chief executive officer of Conexus Indiana, a manufacturing and logistics initiative.
D'Amico has chaired and served on several national and state boards, including a multi-term appointment by President George W. Bush to the Institute for Education Sciences and appointments to the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity and the National Assessment Governing Board.
She serves on the boards of INvestED, Ben's Ranch Foundation, the Indiana Conference for Women, and,the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. She is a past member of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.
D'Amico holds a doctoral degree in educational leadership and policy studies and a master's degree in adult education and organizational development from Indiana University Bloomington.
Job Titles:
- Senior Consultant / Indiana
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Vice President, National Workforce & Education Strategies / Ohio
Job Titles:
- Global Leader in K - 12
- Global Leader in K - 12 Education
- Member of the U.S. Congress - Authorized STEM Education Advisory Panel With the National Science Foundation
Dr. Vince Bertram is a global leader in K-12 education, innovation, and career learning. He is also a two-time New York Times best selling author with his books Dream Differently and One Nation Under Taught. His personal mission is to help students aspire to and prepare for great careers.
Vince is a highly sought-after speaker and has given numerous keynote and commencement addresses and countless talks that have engaged and inspired students, educators, parents, policymakers, community organizers, and business leaders around the world.
For over a decade Vince was president and chief executive officer of Project Lead The Way (PLTW) where he led the company's dramatic growth to the preeminent STEM education program in the United States. During his tenure PLTW impacted millions of students in over 12,500 schools and trained over 12,000 teachers annually. Prior to PLTW he spent 20 years in education as a teacher, high school principal, and superintendent of one of the nation's largest urban school districts.
Vince is an inaugural member of the U.S. Congress-authorized STEM Education Advisory Panel with the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and NASA. He is a STEM education expert for the U.S. Department of State's Speaker and Specialist Program and has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives on the importance of high-quality STEM education.
Throughout his career Vince has received numerous awards including the Innovations in STEM Award from National Instruments, and the Community Builder Award from the National Coalition for Technology in Education and Training. He received an honorary doctorate in engineering from the Milwaukee School of Engineering, was named a Distinguished Hoosier by Governor Mitch Daniels, received the Intellectual Contributions and Faculty Tribute Award from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Distinguished Alumni Award from Ball State University, was selected as 1 of 52 Graduates of Distinction during the Ball State University Centennial Celebration, and is a Pahara Education Fellow at the Aspen Institute. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of TPMA, Inc.
He earned degrees from Ball State (Ed.D., Ed.S, M.Ed.,BS), Georgetown & ESADE Business Schools (MBA), and Harvard (M.Ed). He also earned executive certificates in Strategy & Innovation and Applied Business Analytics from MIT, Corporate Finance from Wharton, and is certified in Lean Six Sigma.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Director, Finance / Indiana
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- Data & Systems Administrator / Ohio
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- Proposal Writer / Virginia
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- Senior Consultant / Kansas
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- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Senior Director, Business Development / Indiana
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- Senior Consultant / Indiana
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- Chairman and Chief Executive of Strategic Partnerships LLC
- Member of the JAG Board of Directors
- President and CEO of Jobs for America 's Graduates, Inc
Kenneth M. Smith is Chairman and Chief Executive of Strategic Partnerships LLC, a leading domestic and international solutions practice that helps universities, large non-profits, companies, and associations build government and private sector partnerships supported by highly creative and tightly executed strategic communications strategies to achieve client goals.
Mr. Smith also serves as President and CEO of Jobs for America's Graduates, Inc. (JAG), the nation's largest, most consistently applied model of dropout prevention and employment for at-risk and disadvantaged young people. In 1979, Mr. Smith worked with Governor Pete du Pont of Delaware on the design of the first statewide test of the JAG Model and has served as President and CEO since its inception. JAG currently serves 75,000 young people annually, in more than 1,400 locations in 39 states. Thirteen Governors serve on the Board of JAG, along with the Presidents of the National Urban League and the Society for Human Resource Management, and C-Suite executives from the Fortune 500.
In recognition of his knowledge of national employment and training issues, three Presidents have appointed Mr. Smith to national commissions:
President Reagan appointed him as Chairman of the National Commission on Employment Policy and to the Global Advisory Council of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
President Nixon appointed him as Vice Chair of the National Advisory Council on the Education of Disadvantaged Children.
President Ford appointed him to the National Advisory Council on Vocational Education.
Mr. Smith has served as staff aide to President Nixon; as Director of Special Projects for the Distributive Education Clubs of America; and founder and President of 70,0001 Ltd., a non-profit organization dedicated to helping high school dropouts obtain employment. Thereafter, he served in a new post as Chief Education Advisor to the Governor of Delaware on all activities related to education at the secondary and post-secondary levels. During this period, he chaired the Commission of the Future of Education in Delaware and was nominated to serve as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Delaware Technical College.
Mr. Smith serves as a member of the JAG Board of Directors and as Trustee of the America's Promise Alliance, founded in 1997 with General Colin Powell as Chairman and chaired today by Alma Powell. Mr. Smith holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the School of International Science at American University. He resides with his wife, Nora, in Sarasota, Florida.
Kenneth M. Smith is Chairman and Chief Executive of Strategic Partnerships LLC, a leading domestic and international solutions practice that helps universities, large non-profits, companies, and associations build government and private sector partnerships. He also serves as President and CEO of Jobs for America's Graduates, Inc.
Job Titles:
- Senior Consultant / Indiana
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Vice President, Impact & Consulting Services / Indiana
Job Titles:
- Senior Consultant / Indiana
Mark's experience ranges from starting companies to helping legacy companies reorganize product and service offerings and supporting startups at various growth stages. He's consulted with businesses across the country and the globe.
A native of Jasper, Ind., he began his career working in his family's businesses in retail service and manufacturing and taught elementary school in Puerto Rico before becoming a lawyer, entrepreneur, and executive advisor. His civic involvement includes graduating from the Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Program, serving on the boards of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and LISC Indianapolis, and serving as a trustee and officer for an independent primary school in Indianapolis. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and IU Maurer School of Law.
Job Titles:
- Senior Housing Consultant / Georgia
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- One Stop Director
Job Titles:
- Proposal Process Administrator
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
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- Senior Manager / Missouri
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- Senior Proposal Manager / Texas
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Director, Strategy & Growth Initiatives / Tennessee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Senior Director, Indiana Economic & Community Development / Indiana
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board
- Founder
After spending over 30 years in strategic consulting on a multitude of economic and workforce development initiatives all over the US, Tom knows what truly produces results - solid leadership. Under his executive leadership, TPMA has grown to serve an impressive, international client base with a matching roster of innovative and impactful strategic projects. In 2017, TPMA was ranked #6 on the Indianapolis Business Journal's FAST 25 ranking of fastest growing private companies in Indianapolis.
Tom is a master of connecting expertise with opportunities which has enabled TPMA to draw on best practices and proven methods from across disciplines and industries in developing communal solutions. As the first president of the Indiana Technology Partnership (now called TechPoint), he successfully led the organization to raise more than $2 million in operating capital; increase collaboration among technology-based Hoosier companies and entrepreneurship culture; and create metrics for measuring tech competitiveness with other states.
Job Titles:
- Project Administrator / Florida
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- Senior Advisor, Education & Workforce Strategies / Ohio
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Director, Proposal Strategy & Appalachian Partnerships / Ohio
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Director of Indiana / Indiana