Chamber Exec Shelley Huffman Graduates from National Education Fellowship

Shelley Huffman, the Indiana Chamber’s director of college and career readiness, has been named a graduate of the Fellowship for Education Attainment, an initiative of the Alexandria, Va.-based Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE).

Huffman is one of only 20 chamber of commerce professionals nationwide to receive this honor in 2017.

The Fellowship for Education Attainment is an immersive executive development program that provides chamber of commerce professionals with education and tools to improve the birth-to-career education pipeline in the communities they serve.

“Getting children off on the right educational footing can play a defining role in their education career, so having Hoosier students receive the proper education from beginning to end is vital,” explains Indiana Chamber President Kevin Brinegar. “Having a meaningful career path improves quality of life for employees and a more qualified talent pool is also a win for employers. “

Throughout the year-long fellowship program, participants are required to develop a regional action plan that focuses on addressing specific education attainment or workforce development issues in their communities.

Titled “Developing Indiana Talent for a 21st Century Workforce”, Huffman’s plan centers on helping Indiana K-12 school representatives rethink the way they organize and deliver school counseling services. The end goal is building sustainable programs to improve education attainment that involve the local community, employers, postsecondary institutions, community foundations, as well as youth and human service organizations.

Huffman’s work was guided by Indiana Vision 2025, the Indiana Chamber’s long-range economic development action plan and its Outstanding Talent driver and goal to increase to 60% the proportion of Indiana residents with high quality postsecondary credentials.

“The shared learning with ACCE Fellows was energizing and provided significant opportunities to bring best practices, innovative programming and resources to my work in Indiana,” Huffman says.

Adds ACCE President Mick Fleming, “We are all thrilled with the level of expertise and depth of engagement among our fellows. These chamber executives have set the bar high for their peers and helped us build a powerful body of knowledge.”

ACCE’s Fellowship for Education Attainment is designed to advance a chamber of commerce’s already-defined education attainment goals and ultimately help the business associations nationwide build replicable programs and processes.

In addition to Indianapolis, graduating fellows represent communities including Dallas; Huntsville, Alabama; Las Vegas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Springfield, Ohio.

For more information about ACCE’s Education Attainment Division, visit www.ACCE.org/EAD.

Chamber Exec One of Only 22 Chosen Nationally to Study Education Pipeline

05afa7bShelley Huffman, director of college and career readiness at the Indiana Chamber, has been named a fellow for the 2016-17 Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives Fellowship for Education Attainment program.

The fellowship is designed for chamber of commerce executives who work to improve the birth-to-career education pipeline in their communities. Fellows participate in an immersive education and workforce development experience that includes best practice sharing, reviews of case studies, interaction with and learning from national experts, and the opportunity to build a strong peer-to-peer network.

The fellowship is being offered to only 22 chamber of commerce professionals nationwide this year. Huffman was selected to participate “based on her passion for strengthening the talent pipeline and improving regional education and workforce development outcomes,” offers Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) President Mick Fleming.

Through the experience, Huffman, who oversees college and career readiness initiatives and related workforce strategies for the Indiana Chamber Foundation, will develop and execute a specific regional action plan for specific educational attainment objectives set by the Indiana Chamber.

Huffman is looking forward to the various summits and opportunities to collaborate with national experts. She says this is a very exciting and important endeavor for the Indiana Chamber: “It directly relates to some of the top goals we have in Indiana Vision 2025, our long-term economic development plan for the state, and will play a role in moving those forward.”

Explains Indiana Chamber President Kevin Brinegar: “This fellowship embodies what the Outstanding Talent driver in our plan is all about. Having more Hoosiers receive the proper education from start to finish so they can embark on a meaningful career path will benefit our entire state. Businesses will have a larger talent pool and citizens will have increased quality of life.”

Those selected to participate in the fellowship program represent organizations that are actively engaged in policy, programs and system reform efforts across the birth-to-career spectrum.

For more information about ACCE’s education attainment work, visit www.ACCE.org/EAD.

Chamber Welcomes New College and Career Director; Auslander Adds Federal Duties

The Indiana Chamber of Commerce has a new director of college and career readiness initiatives. Shelley Huffman previously worked for the Indiana State Budget Agency, Office of the Governor, under two administrations and was responsible for the funding oversight for the Indiana Department of Education.

Huffman is also a former business development strategist for Heritage Christian School in Indianapolis and served as a governor’s fellow to the Commission for Higher Education before joining the private sector. She brings a background in project management and fiscal and strategic planning in both education and business.

Huffman will be in charge of the Indiana Chamber’s college and career readiness initiatives and related workforce strategies, with the goal being to “assist employers in engaging, educating and elevating their workforce,” says Indiana Chamber President Kevin Brinegar. “That’s one of the most critical tasks facing our state. We welcome Shelley and look forward to her helping us continue to make strides on that front.”

The Indiana Chamber has been a steady and visible leader in this area with its programs, advocacy efforts and reports – highlighted by the Indiana Vision 2025 long-range economic development plan that puts a premium focus on the workforce.

A Fishers resident, Huffman earned her MBA from Butler University and bachelor’s degrees in business and political science from Ball State University.

Businesses and others interested in more information about the Indiana Chamber’s workforce programs can contact Huffman at (317) 264-7548 or at shuffman@indianachamber.com.


CarylAuslander-smallSeparately, the Indiana Chamber has announced that Caryl Auslander, the vice president of education and workforce development, also will now be handing the organization’s federal affairs and lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C.

A Hoosier native, Auslander spent significant time in the nation’s capital before returning to Indiana, including three years on the staff of then U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar and several years as a federal lobbyist. More recently, Auslander led federal advocacy projects for the Indianapolis-based firm, The Corydon Group.

“Caryl already has strong relationships with many members of Indiana’s delegation and a real passion for this work,” offers Brinegar. “In this role, she will serve as the staff liaison for the Indiana Chamber’s Congressional Affairs Committee and work with Indiana’s congressional delegation on key issues that impact Indiana businesses and their employees.”

The Indiana Chamber of Commerce has a new director of college and career readiness initiatives. Shelley Huffman previously worked for the Indiana State Budget Agency, Office of the Governor, under two administrations and was responsible for the funding oversight for the Indiana Department of Education.

Huffman is also a former business development strategist for Heritage Christian School in Indianapolis and served as a governor’s fellow to the Commission for Higher Education before joining the private sector. She brings a background in project management and fiscal and strategic planning in both education and business.

Huffman will be in charge of the Indiana Chamber’s college and career readiness initiatives and related workforce strategies, with the goal being to “assist employers in engaging, educating and elevating their workforce,” says Indiana Chamber President Kevin Brinegar. “That’s one of the most critical tasks facing our state. We welcome Shelley and look forward to her helping us continue to make strides on that front.”

The Indiana Chamber has been a steady and visible leader in this area with its programs, advocacy efforts and reports – highlighted by the Indiana Vision 2025 long-range economic development plan that puts a premium focus on the workforce.

A Fishers resident, Huffman earned her MBA from Butler University and bachelor’s degrees in business and political science from Ball State University.

Businesses and others interested in more information about the Indiana Chamber’s workforce programs can contact Huffman at (317) 264-7548 or at shuffman@indianachamber.com.

Separately, the Indiana Chamber has announced that Caryl Auslander, the vice president of education and workforce development, also will now be handing the organization’s federal affairs and lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C.

A Hoosier native, Auslander spent significant time in the nation’s capital before returning to Indiana, including three years on the staff of then U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar and several years as a federal lobbyist. More recently, Auslander led federal advocacy projects for the Indianapolis-based firm, The Corydon Group.

“Caryl already has strong relationships with many members of Indiana’s delegation and a real passion for this work,” offers Brinegar. “In this role, she will serve as the staff liaison for the Indiana Chamber’s Congressional Affairs Committee and work with Indiana’s congressional delegation on key issues that impact Indiana businesses and their employees.”