Staff Additions and Updates for July 2022

Today, we are excited to share news of a new colleague at our West Philadelphia Skills Initiative and three promotions within our staff. Please join us in welcoming new hire A.J. Adams and congratulating Lauren Bishop, Nick Edelman, and Dr. Romaine Thrower on their new titles. 

Adrian "A.J." Adams has joined our West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI) team as our new Manager, Partner Services, after spending two years representing PIDC's workforce collaboration with WPSI at the Navy Yard. In a long-planned move, A.J. has officially joined the WPSI team, where he will continue to manage the Navy Yard partnership and help shape its many offshoots, including our growing work in the life sciences. He joins the WPSI team with the exciting opportunity to assess, select, train, and place residents from Philadelphia in career-ladder jobs with Navy Yard employers like Philly Shipyard Inc. and Tastykake which offer stability and opportunities for advancement.

Before supporting PIDC, A.J. worked for the City of Philadelphia, Office of Workforce Development administering the City’s first-ever municipal-focused workforce development program, which was designed to create viable pathways to permanent employment for under/unemployed Philadelphians. With ten years of experience supporting adult job seekers, employers, and programs focused on career training, A.J. is an enthusiastic workforce professional dedicated to designing programs to help Philadelphians connect to high-quality employment. 

A year after joining our West Philadelphia Skills Initiative, Lauren Bishop has been promoted to the role of Senior Manager of Employer Services. In this role, Lauren is responsible for maintaining and growing WPSI's employer relationships, supporting targeted recruitment efforts, and lending her expertise to grow our impact within our employer partners’ organizations. 

Nick Edelman, who has been with University City District since 2014, has been promoted to the title of Vice President, Finance and Operations. Nick handles all of the accounting, budgeting, and financial needs for University City District, as well as various HR and IT functions. 

Finally, Dr. Romaine Thrower has been promoted to the title of Director of Programs for the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative. Romaine has been with WPSI since early in 2020, and oversees the daily curriculum and job training activities. You can read more about Dr. Romaine Thrower in this profile from earlier this year. 

Please join us in congratulating these members of our staff on their new positions!