INDIANA REGION 9 WORKFORCE BOARD
HIRES REACH, INC. & RIVER VALLEY RESOURCES

Mr. Ron Timms, Chairman of the Indiana Region 9 Workforce Board, Inc., a 14 member board representing business/industry, education economic development, labor, and community organizations, recently announced the hiring of REACH, Inc. (Restoring Everyone’s Absolute Chance for Hope) Inc., a central Indiana based non-profit, as its professional staff.
The Workforce Board manages public employment and training programs in 10 counties: Bartholomew, Dearborn, Decatur, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Ohio, Ripley, and Switzerland. The Board oversees $1.5 million in federal Workforce Investment Act funds to the region and a variety of other grant programs including Dream It. Do It, the Strategic Skills Initiative, and the Tomorrow’s Manufacturing Workforce program.
REACH, Inc. will be responsible to support the Board’s current involvement in the newly announced EcO15, funded with $38 million from the Lilly Endowment and will also be primarily responsible to fulfill the Board’s vision of aligning economic development, workforce development and education partners in order to improve and increase employment-related programs and service opportunities throughout southeastern Indiana.
The mission of REACH, Inc. is to work with under served populations for the specific purpose of workforce development. The organization is led by Executive Director Bart Brown, and has an executive team of Policy and Planning Director Mark Bryson, and WorkOne Director Dean Fraser. The organization has two management offices, in Columbus and Lawrenceburg. For information about the Region 9 Workforce Board and its initiatives contact Bart Brown, (317) 430-9540 or bart.brown@comcast.net.

Mr. Timms also announced that REACH, Inc. has hired River Valley Resources, Inc. (RVR) to provide employment and training services available through the region’s WorkOne Centers located in Columbus, Greensburg, Lawrenceburg, Madison, North Vernon, and Seymour.
As service provider, RVR provides employment and training services for youth, adults and dislocated workers including skill assessments, one-on-one case management, skill enhancing workshops, community work experiences and mentoring programs.
RVR also provides scholarships for adult and youth customers to underwrite the cost of occupational training for an in-demand job in the advanced manufacturing, tourism or hospitality sectors. Information about this funding is available at any WorkOne Southeast Center or by contacting Lissa Griffin, regional supervisor, (812) 599-1886 or lissa@rivervalleyresources.com.
River Valley Resources was founded in 1990 as a private, nonprofit organization and is headquartered in Madison. More information is available at www.rivervalleyresources.com.

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CONTACT:
Molly Dodge, River Valley Resources Mark Bryson, Indiana Region 9 Workforce Board
(812) 265-2652 (317) 460-1660
molly@rivervalleyresources.com mfbryson1@comcast.net