WorkWell is extremely fortunate to have volunteer and Executive Board member Leroy Brown leading its Saturday training sessions, which are devoted to resume writing and preparing for job interviews. It takes charisma to keep trainees on task, and Leroy has that in abundance—a rare combination of energy, confidence and hands-on experience.
Leroy’s background makes him uniquely qualified to help our trainees. He built a successful commercial trucking and transportation business in Franklin Park, New Jersey, and currently serves as regional manager for a multi-state medical logistics company. His work requires expertise in a broad range of areas, among them hiring, management, analysis, and marketing. Over the years Leroy has interviewed hundreds of job candidates, and the wisdom that’s given him is passed on to our trainees.
In addition to teaching nuts and bolts job-hunting skills, Leroy motivates trainees with his vision of how to succeed in the workspace. “Everything is about relationships,” he tells them. “There is no ‘I’ in ‘team’.” One valuable piece of advice is for mentees to put the employer, and not themselves, first. If they perform well on the job, personal rewards will follow.
Teamwork is not just a skill Leroy instills in trainees. He practices it himself, as part of a group of volunteers who come to WorkWell from Hamilton-based Light of the World Family Worship Church. Committed to community outreach, the members of this team possess complementary expertise. Tameca Akum brings her background in human resources to the training sessions, Chaz Freeman brings the skills he’s gained as an English teacher at Rutgers, and Eddie Daniels brings his knowledge as former CEO of the Newark Board of Education Employees Credit Union.
Leroy encourages WorkWell trainees to keep their eyes on the future. “Your yesterday is not indicative of your tomorrow,” he likes to say. Leroy has his own eyes on the future. With WorkWell continuing to grow as it hones its job-skills training program, he would like to help WorkWell expand its partnerships with employers, particularly in the transportation, logistics, and distribution sector, which is currently struggling to find workers. His creative ideas and teamwork approach are perfectly suited to the needs of WorkWell, and we look forward to a fruitful collaboration heading into the future.
