Workforce

Renee Sommer is a WI State Certified Peer Specialist and Founder of At The Roots LLC. Renee has lived experience with neurodivergency, anxiety, depression, PTSD, C-PTSD, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and self-medicating. As a sexual assault survivor and member of the LGBTQ+ community, she offers support to the community that is trauma-informed, inclusive, and peer-centered. For…

Kristel Tavare is the Director of PK-12 Initiatives at Chippewa Valley Technical College. She has been in this role for the past five years. Prior to CVTC she has served as an academic advisor at University of Wisconsin- Stout, a K12 counselor, and a teacher. Her program is the fastest growing area of the college…

As General Manager of Express Employment in Winona, Mike Dieter enjoys helping companies become employers of choice to attract top talent. When not serving his team, Mike is active on the Winona Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, chairs the Economic Development Committee and spends as much time on the Mississippi River boating and…

Business owner and author, Mike Kreiling spends his days leading his Express Employment Professionals franchises and his weekends outdoors hiking, biking, and enjoying nature with his wife, two sons, and their dog. Check out Mike’s new book on growth through grief at mikekreiling.com

I have been at CVTC for two years both as faculty for Business Management and Human Resources courses, and as the Leadership & Organizational Development Trainer for Workforce Solutions. These positions have given me the curriculum structure of and content knowledge of decision-making to help align professional development courses in the workplace with CVTC course…

Empower2Retain is led by Dr. Emily Elsner Twesme, DBA, who specializes in inclusive communication, workplace training, and leading 1st Year Pros. Her time as a college instructor, manager, and small business owner brings real world experience and expertise to this work.

A graduate from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in education and earned his master’s in education from UW-Platteville. Todd Kuckkahn is on a mission to revolutionize company culture and leadership. He believes in giving and not getting. That includes adding more value to others than he receives. He shares a message of how…

Angela Eckman is the Campus and Business Development Manager for Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC), where she has worked for the last eight years serving businesses in Chippewa, Clark, Taylor, Jackson & Trempealeau counties with workforce solutions. Prior to that, she was a Senior Branch Manager for Adecco, serving North Central Wisconsin for nearly 10…

A Regional Outreach Director for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Ron Wirtz’s primary responsibilities involve tracking current business conditions across northwest Wisconsin, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana. With tracking the overall economy, Ron pays special attention to employment and wages which are vital to the Federal Reserve’s dual mandate…