Brown brings extensive background and business acumen to SCF to expand its role as national leader in workforce innovation
The Board of Directors of Skills for Chicagoland’s Future (SCF)—a public-private partnership working to match businesses that have current hiring needs with qualified, unemployed and underemployed job seekers—announced today that Greg Brown, chairman and chief executive officer of Motorola Solutions, will serve as the nonprofit organization’s new chair. Brown replaces outgoing SCF Chair Glenn Tilton. Brown’s new leadership role with SCF builds on Motorola Solutions’ and its foundation’s commitment to supporting the communities in which it operates through volunteering and giving.
SCF also welcomed Ulta Chief Human Resources Officer Jeff Childs and University of Chicago Vice President for Civic Engagement Derek Douglas to its board of 20 leading business and civic leaders committed to returning unemployed and underemployed job seekers back to work by creating demand-driven solutions for employers committed to hiring this population.
“Greg’s business insight and expertise, combined with his and Motorola Solutions’ commitment to bettering Chicagoland, makes him an ideal person to lead the Board of Directors. The Motorola Solutions Foundation has been a supporter of SCF since our founding, by generously awarding us with grants in 2013 and 2014 as part of their ongoing commitment to encourage and develop the next generation of innovators,” said SCF President and CEO Marie Trzupek Lynch. “We are thrilled to have Greg lead our Board, and excited for the positive impact he will have at SCF. We thank Glenn for his invaluable leadership since 2013, and for JPMorgan Chase’s continued commitment to our mission.”
Since launching in September 2012, SCF has helped more than 1,500 unemployed and underemployed job seekers secure employment—approximately 70 percent of whom were considered long-term unemployed, having been out of work for more than 27 weeks. SCF secures employer hiring commitments based on current and anticipated workforce needs, then leverages the organization’s funding, expertise and access to qualified under- and unemployed talent to identify and place job seekers in these positions. Recruitment, placement and training services are provided at no cost to the job seeker.
Brown joins the board at a time when SCF is beginning to implement a three-year strategic growth plan to scale its placement model in Chicagoland, innovate new demand-driven placement offerings for employers, sustain and diversify funding, and serve as a labor market thought leader on demand-driven solutions leading to systematic change. SCF’s strategic plan goals include placing a total of 5,000 unemployed and underemployed job seekers into employment by 2017. Skills will also explore opportunities to support expansion of its model by identifying six organizations across the nation to consult with over the next three years to adopt demand-driven workforce development models for their communities.
“Innovative organizations such as Skills for Chicagoland’s Future are essential to promoting economic growth in our region and serving as a model nationwide,” said Brown. “I am eager to lead this dynamic team and assist in advancing SCF’s mission, which fits squarely with Motorola Solutions’ focus on innovation to build safer cities and thriving businesses.”
Brown is chairman and chief executive officer of Motorola Solutions, Inc. He joined Motorola in January 2003. In March 2007, Brown became president and COO and was elected to the company’s board of directors. He then became CEO of Motorola in January 2008. Prior to joining Motorola, he was chairman and CEO of Micromuse Inc. from 1999 to 2003. Brown earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Rutgers University, and also serves as chair of the university’s Board of Governors.
Jeff Childs has served as Ulta Beauty’s chief human resource officer since October 2013. Prior to joining Ulta, he was executive vice president and chief human resource officer at U.S. Cellular, after serving as senior vice president of human resources in 2004. From 2001 to 2004, he was president and owner of Childs Consulting Services. Previously, he served from 1979 to 2001 in a variety of roles at AT&T. Childs received a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from Ball State University.
Derek Douglas joined the University of Chicago in January 2012. As vice president for civic engagement, he leads the University’s local, national and international urban development and civic engagement efforts. From 2009-2011, Douglas served on the White House Domestic Policy Council (DPC) as special assistant to President Barack Obama, where he led the DPC’s work on urban and metropolitan policy issues. Previously, he served as Washington Counsel to New York Governor David A. Paterson and director of Governor Paterson’s Washington, D.C. office. Douglas graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Economics and from the Yale Law School.
About Skills for Chicagoland’s Future
Skills for Chicagoland’s Future (SCF) is a nonprofit, public-private partnership committed to returning unemployed and underemployed job seekers to work by creating demand-driven solutions for employers committed to hiring this population. SCF meets the hiring needs of employers by connecting them with qualified job seekers and providing innovative, customized hiring solutions. SCF is governed by a board of directors comprised of 20 chief executive, finance and human resources officers from the Chicago area. The organization is funded by the City of Chicago and The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, as well as a wide range of foundations and corporations. For more information, visit www.skillsforchicagolandsfuture.com.
