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Nautica Allen entered Employment Connec-tions WIA Youth Program, a collaboration with

the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment,

as a 20 year old homeless youth with little work

experience. She obtained housing with the Annie

Malone Transitional Housing Program where she

lived in one of the scattered houses. Nautica then

moved to the St. Louis Job Corps Campus, where

she continued to work on independent living

skills and learning a trade.

Nautica went on to participate in the Home Builders Institute (HBI) Program at Job Corps. She

began her employment journey with People's Health Center in April 2013, a work experience

work site where she worked as a human resources assistant. There, Nautica was able to take

the skills she learned as a photographer and apply them in a different field. In particular,

Nautica liked the fact that she was able to learn more about working with computers. Next,

she gained experience working part time at CDC New Vision Learning Academy as a teacher

assistant/youth leader and at K Cee's Tasty Treats as a banquet server.

Nautica has been through a lot in her

short life, things that a young person

should never have to experience. No

matter what was asked of her, she

never said No or I cant do it.

She was determined and persistent

to make it in spite of circumstances

around her. Nautica successfully

completed the goals of the WIA

Youth program, and the confidence

and skills she gained will assist her

as she moves on to the next chapter

of her life. Shes been an inspiration

to us all.

Meet our 2013 Client of the Year:

Nautica Allen

532 clients secured employment.

67% retained their employment for a minimum 90 days.

2013 Programs and Outcomes

Supportive Housing Programs

Permanent supportive housing,

case management, and job

training for Disabled Heads of

Households in the County and

U.S. Veterans in St. Louis City.

Competitive

Employment Program

Provides job readiness training,

life skills, literacy, education,

case management, job place-

ment, retention, and other sup-

ports to assist clients.

Supportive Services

for Veteran Families

Provides supportive services to

promote housing stability for

low-income U.S. Veterans and

their families.

Pathbuilders Initiative

Services for families to break

the cycle of child maltreatment

and assist them in attaining

self-sufficiency, provided in

collaboration with Family

Resource Center.

Youth Employment Program

Training, work experience, and

job placement for bot in and

out of school youth assisting

with literacy, mentoring, educa-

tion, life skills and employment.

East St. Louis

TANF and SNAP Program

Serving families on public

assistance by ensuring they

receive benefits and job

placement services in Illinois.

Back to Health, Back to Work

Cognitive behavioral therapy

program addressing depres-

sion, anxiety, PTSD, and other

mental health disorders to

assist clients in obtaining and

retaining employment.

Managed Work Services

Social enterprise program that

provides oversight to job

candidates for 90 days, giving

employers the ability to assess

aptitude and make informed

hiring decisions.

Pathways to

Responsible Fatherhood

Assisting low-income fathers

transition from non-custodial

parents into active fathers

through parenting classes,

education , and relationships.

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1,757 individuals received indirect services at Employment Connection this year. 956 attended orientation,

with 815 attending our World of Work employment training program. 735 clients completed the training,

and 532 were successfully assisted into employment. Those placed into employment earned an average

hourly wage of $8.79 per hour, with 67% maintaining their employment for a minimum of 90 days.

Union Pacific Gives Back $10,000 Grant to Assist U.S. Veterans

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Union Pacific generously contributed $10,000 in grant funding for Employment Connections Competitive Employment Program to provide services for homeless U.S. veterans in the St. Louis region. We are grateful for Union Pacifics support, which will provide skills training, financial literacy, case management, mental health services, housing assistance, and other needed resources to help local Veterans attain employment and self-sufficiency.

On behalf of those we serve, thank you to Union Pacific for your wonderful gift!

We couldnt

provide the services

we do without the

dedication and

service of the

wonderful volunteers that donate their

valuable time.

Thank you to all our

incredible volunteers

throughout the year!

Deloitte

Edward Jones Express Scripts

Wells-Fargo

Community Volunteers Donating Time and Making a Difference

CEO Brenda Mahr (center), with Union Pacifics Kelli

Dunn and Ben Jones at the Awards Reception.

Thirty Years of Helping Others Dedicated Career Specialist Pat Brown Retires

Career Specialist Pat Brown has retired after

working at Employment Connection for thirty

years, dedicating her career to helping others.

During her tenure she served as a Directed Job

Search Facilitator, Trainer, Employment Specialist,

Career Specialist and Case Manager, working both

onsite at Employment Connection, at Family

Resource Center, and with other collaborative

partners.

A graduate of St. Louis University and Certified

Workforce Development Professional, Pat served

for many years as Unit Leader and as the Manager of Client Services. In her various roles,

she provided opportunities for a wide variety of people, including ex-offenders, recovering

substance abusers, New Americans, welfare recipients, and youth. She had an uncanny

ability to communicate with people in all walks of life, including those who spoke very little

English, and was always ready to help with a smile and a kind word.

She also worked as Facilitator of the Employment Connection Advisory Council and was a

member of the Department of Labor's Job Liaison Committee. "Pat was tireless in her

dedication of finding ways to help people and

connect them to needed services, and truly

epitomized Employment Connection's mission of

'assisting people with limited opportunities to

self-sufficiency,'" said CEO Brenda Mahr.

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Thank you Pat for your 30 years

of dedicated service! Enjoy retirement!

PRESIDENT

J.D Luhning, Esq.

Attorney-at-Law

Pitzer Snodgrass P.C.

VICE PRESIDENT

Prevost V. Foushee

Retired

Anheuser-Busch Inc.

TREASURER

Al Sears

Director, Fixed Income

Services

Buckingham Asset

Management

SECRETARY

Roy Anderson, Jr.

Local Sales Manager

Clear Channel

Communications

DIRECTORS

Marti Bloodsaw-Foggie

President and CEO

HR Performance

Strategies Group

Richard E. Buckley

Grants Development

Specialist

Saint Louis University

Trent B. Chambers

Retired

PWC

Karen A. Davis

Principal

Community Frameworks, LLC

Bill B. Dorothy II, Esq.

Professor of Practice

Washington University

School of Law

Vanessa Howard Ellis, Esq.

Assistant Attorney General

Elicia Eskew

Accountant/Internal Auditor

MITEK USA, Inc.

Rodney Gee

Principal, Human Resources

Edward Jones

Kem Mosley

Director

Minority Contractor Initiative

Michael Novack

Chairman, President, and

Chief Executive Officer

Kiosite

Ryan Rakestraw

MBA Candidate

Olin Business School

United Way Board Fellow

Walter Robinson

Human Resource Consultant

Lisa Shelley

Barnes-Jewish Hospital

Client Advocate

Frank A. Simmons

Retired

Mainline Information

Systems

William Watkins

President

Watkins Building Group, LLC

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Our Board of Directors Leading through Experience and Dedication

Employment Connection Club

Advisory Board

ARCHS Gail Dickson

Basic Oval Miller, Sr.

Bridgeway Behavioral Health Alecia Deutch Catholic Charities Housing Resource Center Jane Schoeck Center For Life Solutions, Inc. Cheryl Gardine Center For Women In Transition Sandy Sperino Christian Friends for New Americans Rev. Dr. Allan Buckman Rev. Dr. Stanish Stanley Criminal Justice Ministry Society of St. Vincent DePaul Sr. Carleen Reck Division of Workforce Development Donny Carroll Family Support Network Sue Didier Fathers Support Center Cheaster Deanes Gateway Free And Clean Shelly Wims/Karl Pickens Gateway 180 Toni Muhammad Gateway Parents Support Group Healthline Martha Sylvester Hope House Vanessa McLaughlin Humanitri Edwin Muhammad Justine Petersen Kristen Schell Loaves and Fishes Debbie Push Moorish Science Temple Of America, Inc. Bro. Todd Irons-El

Neighborhood Outreach Center Linda Thompson New Beginnings Carrie Williams Oasis International Ministries Mark Akers Our Ladys Inn Jennifer Reinbold Preferred Family Healthcare Kim Feaman Project Cope Adrienne Denson Providence Inn Angela Hamilton Queen of Peace Margo Adams Rape And Violence End Now (RAVEN) Janeen McGee Salvation Army Rehabilitation Cen-ter Alan James Soaring Spirit Ministries Janis Frick Timothy Evangelical Lutheran Church Rev. Bill Wilson St. Louis Community Release Center John Young Transfiguration Lutheran Church Donnell Jackson United States Probation and Parole Quincy Fountain Jo Cooper Urban League James Smith Womens Safe House LaDonna Howard Youth Empowerment Services (YES) Joseph Prophet Eddie Stallings YWCA Crystal Small

Tawanda Adams

Denise M. Anderson

Andrea Barry

Brett Beer

Nathan Bell

Taevosha Blackwell

Taylor Bloate

Corm Boss

Gregory Boston

Tiffany Boyd

Christina Brewington

Paul Carr

Trent Chambers

Michael Chropswilt

Domiano Cohns

Patricia Cole

Darron Collins-Bey

Jesceener Curry

Cornelius Davis

Deandre Deenes

Walter Dillworth

Percy Dobbins

Nancy Droesel

Anton Farrell

Harold Fields

Emily Freund

Darryl Gates

Herbert Gladney

Willie Halliburton

Alexander Hall

Sarah Harl

Dominique Hartfield

Lonnie Hill

Kathy Howell

Frank Hunter

Jermaine Hutchinson

Curtis Hutton

Osereme Imeokparia

Barry Jackson

Lili Jiang

Lacey Kindells

Catherine N. Kong

Connie Lamka

Darwin Lane

Ricky Lane

Cindy Luna

Robert Massey

Glen Matha

Antonio McGrudy

Jonathan McNiel

Earl Metts

Joshua Meyer

Aigner Miner

Steven Minner

Levi Nelligan

Marquita Nixon

Edmond Ray

Samuel Render

Ronald Romas

Rayenell Rushing

Herbert Russell

William Sexton

Beverly Shaw

Bryan Shelton

Alonzo Simmons

Jerry Smith

Yolanda Stevenson Lamar Stiff

Febe Strickland

Thomas Strubberg

Charles Sutherland

Donald Swink

William Tate

Harold Taylor

Alexander Tigner

Eric Times

Virice Turner

Edward Vaughn

Eddie Walker

Stephen Walther

Lisa Washington

Frank Weems

Joyce Weisler

Lisa Weiss

Jon Welzbacker

Fred White

Avis Wilder

Edward Wills

Donell Wilson

Michael Wilson

Yavonda Winston

Eddie Wright

Jonathan Young

Xidan Zhang

Volunteers

The following volunteers donated a total 4,179 hours at Employment

Connection this year, giving of their time and talents to help others.

You are all very much appreciated!

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Administration

Brenda Mahr Chief Executive Officer 36 years

David Kessel Chief Operating Officer 18 years

Nathaniel Dempsey Executive Assistant 8 years

John Robertson Development Associate 1 year

Accounting Services

Sarah Robinson Sr. Manger, Accounting Services 11 years

Nora Davis Accountant 11 years

Managed Work Services

Jessie Lane Site Supervisor I 11 years

Meredith McDuffie Site Supervisor 1 year

Client & Training Services

Peggy McKinney Manager, Client Services 11 years

Dollaree Glasper Client Services Specialist 10 years

Housing Services

Yusef Scoggin Manager, Housing Services 3 years

Supportive Housing Program

Harry Little Housing Specialist -SHP 11 years

Catherine Hawkins Housing Specialist SHP 1st year

Joe James Housing Specialist SHP 1st year

Supportive Services

for Veteran Families

Andre Alexander Housing Specialist SSVF 1 year

Stephanie Shaw Housing Specialist SSVF 1 year

Emily Woodruff Housing Specialist SSVF 1st year

Competitive Employment

Program

Steven Hoven Manager, Career Services 10 years

Ex-Offenders, Veterans,

Youth, and Adults

Minnie McRoberts Career Specialist 36 years

Tamara Williams Career Specialist 14 years

Michael McCoy Manager, Career Specialist 6 years

Veronica Travis Career Specialist 6 years

Ron Tedder Career Specialist 1st year

Jessica Aldag Career Specialist 1st year

Darron Collins-Bey Online Career Specialist 1st year

Pathbuilders and New Americans

Pat Brown Career Specialist 30 years

Back to Health/Back to Work

Stephen Zegel Licensed Clinical Social Worker 6 years

Illinois TANF & SNAP

Whitnee Jones Career Specialist 1st year

Custodial Staff

Oscar Selfe Custodian 7 years

Steve Wilkins Custodian 2 years

Dedicated Staff

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