County Executives Ken Jenkins of Westchester and Kevin Byrne of Putnam invite businesses, partner agencies, community organizations, and educational leaders to participate in the WPWDB’s 2025 Annual Meeting on Tuesday, June 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at The Gateway Center at Westchester Community College, 75 Grasslands Road, Valhalla, N.Y.
The landscape of education, workforce and economic development has shifted and it takes more to succeed today than ever before. In particular, the 65+ million individuals in Generation Z present unique challenges for those eager to employ them, but also a myriad of possibilities. They’re our children, students, employees, and coworkers—and we’ve got to understand how they think and what motivates their highest performance. The answers as to how to achieve that may surprise you.
This year’s theme — “Igniting the Spark: Unleashing Passion, Purpose & Performance in a Multi-Generational Workforce” — will feature author and internationally known speaker Mark C. Perna. In “Answering WhY,” Mark unlocks the secrets of the Why Generation: how they think, what makes them tick, and how they make decisions. They can achieve beyond all expectations if we bridge the generational divide and answer their why. As the skills gap widens, employers must tap into the creativity, intelligence, and potential of the next generation. This session is designed for community organizations, workforce development professionals, educators, government leaders, job seekers, and all others hungry to learn how unleash the potential of our shared future.
Westchester County Executive Jenkins said: “We’re at a pivotal moment in the evolution of education and workforce development—one that calls for fresh thinking and proactive solutions. Today’s young professionals bring tremendous skills and new perspectives, and it’s up to us to better understand what motivates them and how to support their growth. The WPWDB Annual Meeting offers a valuable opportunity to explore innovative strategies that will help employers connect with the next generation and ensure our workforce remains strong and prepared for the future.”
Putnam County Executive, Byrne said, “I’m grateful to our partners at the Workforce Development Board for focusing their efforts on this new question. Recruitment and retention is always a challenge in local government, nonprofits, and small business, but I am confident that by working with our counterparts in Westchester and elsewhere, we can achieve the kinds of results which deliver more effective and transparent outcomes for the people we serve.”
WPWDB Executive Director Thom Kleiner said, “Mark Perna delivers over 80 keynotes annually across the U.S., helping organizations of all sizes experience significant gains in recruitment, engagement, retention and performance. We particularly hope those who work with youth and young adults will attend our annual meeting to hear Mark and are confident it will be a game changer for everyone.”
Registration: This event will take place in-person. Breakfast will be served. Register at: https://WPWDB-2025-Annual-Meeting.eventbrite.com
