Dear TCR Friends and Supporters,
I hope you are enjoying our fleeting Minnesota summer with time to renew and reconnect with those you love. It is an honor to serve as your incoming President and CEO of Twin Cities R!SE. Thank you for your confidence and your continued steadfast support for TCR — an organization I have admired for years and am filled with pride to now lead. As you may know, I come from the ‘employer’ or ‘demand’ side of the workforce equation, having hired TCR graduates, I am now on the ‘supply’ side at TCR as we prepare the workforce for jobs in key demand sectors. Working for the State of Minnesota for the past 25 years, every role that I had was related to workforce development and specifically to my personal commitment to connecting those disconnected with good, family sustaining, benefit paying jobs. I am passionate about challenging myself and others to reach our full potential, never stop learning and lift as you climb!
Three key insights from my first 90 days at Twin Cities R!SE….
1. Effective model @ TCR to address generational poverty: Personal Empowerment + career training + retention focused employment. Our purpose is clear. We are focused on serving those in poverty along their journey towards financial independence. We believe in accountability. And, we have outcomes to document our success, one of which is a sevenfold return on investment.
2. We are transforming lives – one person at a time – here are some participant voices I heard. “TCR has helped me find my voice, my purpose…it has changed my life!” “I never had a strong female role model in my life growing up, I found that in my instructor at TCR…” “My teenaged son told me he was proud of me and that I had changed since I had joined the TCR training program…” “Thank you, coach, yesterday at work I avoided a disastrous situation and was able to keep my job because you taught me how to keep my remote and not let others press my buttons!”
3. Our TCR team is strong despite challenges: We are not immune to the impact of the lingering pandemic, reduced revenues, the great resignation and a record low unemployment rate. However, the committed TCR team of board members, staff, donors, and our community advisors continue to be our greatest asset. It is the power of the individual and the village to bring about social change, address disparities and build wealth.
In my first 90 days, we have also had some wonderful media coverage highlighting the incredible work of TCR:
Unemployment improvement not equal for all Minnesotans – KSTP.com Eyewitness News
Conversations with Al McFarlane | KFAI – Minneapolis + St. Paul
July 30th Community Celebration – Fox 9 News Coverage
We are in the business of transforming lives;\’ Emma Corrie brings new perspective, expansion to Twin Cities Rise – Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal (bizjournals.com)
India Association of MN Newsletter
Saint Paul Chamber of Commerce’s, 2022 New Executives Luncheon
WHAT’s NEXT?
Having spent the last 90 days with an intentional focus internally on connecting with staff and understanding our TCR operations, I now intend to shift my focus more externally for the next 90 days. Three key areas I will be focusing on will include:
1. COMMUNICATIONS We will fully communicate with our amazing base of long-standing, generous supporters who believe in us and allow us to do what we do at TCR to lift up our communities. I look forward to meeting you in person at the TCR Fall Gala on October 9, 2022.
2. FOCUS ON OUTCOMES We will build strong recruitment partnerships to increase participant enrollment; leverage employer partnerships with a focus on retention and respectful workplace culture for TCR participants. We will also grow client relationships through our Empowerment Institute to build earned revenue and increase our impact beyond the Twin Cities, by leveraging technology.
3. PLANNING AHEAD Soon we will finalize a 2023 operational plan and budget. Later we will embark on a five-year visioning and strategic planing process with our board and staff at TCR. I envision building on a simple formula for success at TCR: Supported Staff + Focused Strategy + Sustainable funding = Impactful Growth @ TCR I welcome your ideas, dreams, and feedback for our TCR team — share them with me at [email protected]. Thank you for your continued confidence, engagement, and volunteerism as we continue this important work transforming lives impacted by racial or socio-economic barriers through Personal Empowerment, career training and meaningful employment. I am excited about the future and deeply appreciative of your generous financial support on this journey.
Serving You,
Emma Corrie, President/CEO
Pronouns: she, her, hers
