Speaker's Information and Handouts
Jamie McMillan
Bio: The founder and primary spokesperson of KickAss Careers. She is a Motivational Speaker, Journeyman Ironworker, Apprentice Boilermaker, Outreach Specialist, Author, Visionary and Advocate for Skilled Trades, Technology, Mental Health, Homelessness and Youth.
Jamie became an ironworker in 2002 when women only represented 2% of the workforce across Canada and the United States. She thoroughly understands the struggles and challenges of working a male dominated workforce and is on mission to break down the negative misconceptions and stereotypes.
Through KickAss Careers Jamies travels approximately 30 weeks a year providing engaging keynote presentations and workshops to more than 50,000 students, parents, educators and employers each year across North America. Her efforts have gained international notoriety for opening doors and minds to the possibilities of well-paid careers in skilled trades and technology sectors.
Over the years Jamie has received the Top 20 Under 40 Award for making an impact in the metal trades, the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program Champion Award and District School Board of Niagara Technology Education Partnership Award for her commitment to youth in schools across the province of Ontario.
In 2018 she received the Hamilton YWCA Women of Distinction Award for being a trailblazer excelling in her field promoting leadership and equal advancement opportunities. In 2019 Jamie was named a co-chair on a National Skilled Trades Advisory Committee to create a campaign to promote careers in skilled trades as first choice pathways to youth for the Canadian Federal Government by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Jamie continues to speak professionally across North America, works on various construction projects whenever possible and enjoys helping out at a homeless shelter for women.
Most recently, Jamie joined the Helmets to Hardhats Canada team as an Outreach Specialist providing career opportunities in the Building Trades for serving, transitioning and former members of the military.
In her free time she loves to hang out with family, friends, travel, climb mountains and hike with her tuxedo cat, 'Spud Wrench.'
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Shannon Vogel
Bio: Shannon Vogel is the proud founder and owner of Reach Social, a certified Social Media Strategist, and 25-year veteran of the construction, flooring and interior design industry.
After more than 10 years in flooring sales, interior design and working for home builders Shannon changed her focus to the marketing opportunities unfolding online. In 2008, Shannon conceptualized and launched one of the flooring industry’s first and most successful blogs, essentially introducing the industry to the power of social marketing. Since then, she has made a career of Professional Social Media, effectively strengthening the brand awareness of members of the construction industry across North America.
Reach Social - company profile:
Reach Social is a professional social media company strategically positioned to represent your business on the social platforms people spend their lives on.
Reach Social offers full-service, customized, social media management, content creation, reputation management, training, and consultation.
Founded by flooring industry veteran Shannon Vogel, Reach Social leverages Shannon and the team’s combined 50+ years of experience and 15 years of social media expertise to develop winning social platforms for your brand that drive consumer confidence.
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Rhianna Rogers
Bio: Rhianna C. Rogers is director of the Center to Advance Racial Equity Policy and a policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. Before RAND, she held administrative/teaching appointments in higher education and tribal government (2002–2021). Rogers is an expert on cultural and ethnic studies, intercultural competencies and diversity education, cultural mediation, and virtual exchange programming. She has successfully built and implemented Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programming for over a decade in higher education, private/public corporations, and NGOs. She created and ran the Buffalo Project, a longitudinal participatory action research project focused on using cultural data as the baseline for programmatic development and implementation.
With numerous awards, Rogers grew the program, forming state and international partnerships, which led Rogers to be recognized as an international expert on equity-centered, community-based participatory action research by the United Nations – Geneva Forum in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Rogers has supported DEI in a variety of capacities, including leading for Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS)/German NATO DEU Air Command DEI training (2022), participating in the White House - Year of Evidence in Action Forums (2022), and sitting on the New York State Digital Equity Summits advisory group (2021); the Lumen Circles/Gates Foundation DEI consulting group (2021), and the Kettering Foundation Deliberative Dialogue consulting team (2020–2021).
Before RAND, Rogers was a professor of interdisciplinary studies (history and anthropology) at the State University of New York (SUNY), Empire State College. At SUNY, Rogers held systems appointments as the Ernest Boyer Presidential Fellow at the Rockefeller Institute of Government (2019–2020) and SUNY Center for Online Teaching Excellence Fellow (2014–2021). She holds a Ph.D. in comparative area studies, an M.A. in history, and a B.A. in social and behavioral sciences from Florida Atlantic University.
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Doreen Bartoldus
Bio: Ms. Bartoldus has over 45 years of professional experience as a civil/environmental engineer and construction manager. She has participated in complex, multi-phase, multi-prime construction contracts, involving design, resident engineering, construction management, design liaison, quality control inspection and testing, and project management.
Ms. Bartoldus has served on the CMAA Metro NY/NJ Board of Directors, has served on local and regional boards and committees for NAWIC, and is the Immediate Past National President.
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Michael Riegel
Bio: Michael Riegel is a business consultant and project management expert with 25 years of experience working with public agencies, regulated utilities, contractors, and design/engineering firms while leading teams through the planning, design and construction phases of large scale construction projects and construction management programs. He now utilizes his background and expertise to assist emerging A/E/C companies chart their desired growth, identify opportunities, and overcome challenges.
Michael began and built his career on the ability to develop practical solutions to complex projects. Michael implemented and managed the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Small Business Development Program where he delivered coaching and mentoring to emerging companies and small business owners, including women-, minority- and service disabled-owned companies. He also provides coaching, training, and consulting services through the NYC Small Business Services mentor program, Columbia University Growth Program, and TruFund’s mentorship program.
Michael combines his expertise in coaching, business leadership, project and program management, as well as staff and organizational development to help leaders and teams navigate obstacles to achieve personal and professional success. In his coaching and consulting practice, he works with both technical and non-technical professionals to help them become more effective business owners, communicators, relationship-builders, problem-solvers, people managers, and a range of other development goals.
Michael’s approach to coaching, consulting, and mentoring combines his natural intellectual curiosity (to fully understand the “what” and the “why”), analytical skills (to accelerate development of options and develop a framework for goal attainment), and his ability to personally connect with his clients. Michael tailors his approach to each client’s individual needs and set of circumstances and lives by the motto “what got here won’t get you there” both personally and professionally. He and his wife Deborah (also a coach) are the proud parents of teen twins, Jacob and Sophie – who have declared their home a “no coaching zone”.
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