The four panelists for the Navigating Reemployment Resources Webinar, moderated by Tampa Bay Chamber Workforce Development Committee Chair, Cole Robinson, Owner, Fish Window Cleaning, are John Flanagan, Zahira Lehri, Sheila Solomon Rudd and Randall Woods.
John Flanagan
is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CareerSource Tampa Bay. Mr. Flanagan started his official duties on January 22, 2019. As CEO of the local workforce board he works closely with business, government, and educational entities to find workforce solutions for the more than 1.4 million Hillsborough County residents and businesses. In the first year as CEO, he launched a youth summer jobs program, dubbed Summer Job Connection which placed 560 youth ages 16-21 into paid work experience positions with 90 Hillsborough County Employers. He was appointed to Tampa Mayor Jane Castor’s Workforce Council in August 2019. He was appointed to the U.S. Conference of Mayor’s Workforce Development Council. John is a member of the National Association of Workforce Boards and Florida Workforce Development Association. He is also a member of the United Way Suncoast Community Impact Committee.
Zahira Lehri
has over 26 years of management, sales and business experience. She is the Owner/President of Express Employment Professionals; a company that specializes in Executive and Administrative placements in the Tampa FL region. Zahira works diligently in understanding her client’s staffing needs while assisting professionals fulfil their carrier goals. Her passion in finding the right candidate to meet her clients hiring needs is almost her favorite hobby. Her company motto being “Respecting People, Impacting Business” is a powerful representation of her work and dedication. As the owner/President of Express Employment Professionals, her business has been certified as both Disadvantage Minority/Disadvantage Woman Business Enterprise, as well as Small Business Enterprise (DM/DWBE/SBE). Zahira is an active member of Tampa Chamber of Commerce, and sits on the Executive Committee for the Indo-US Chamber of Commerce. Her company is also the primary provider for the Small Assisted Living Collation and maintains a strong partnership with the both the VA Department and the Metropolitan Ministries of Tampa Bay. Zahira is a native of Ohio and has a Business Administration Degree from Cleveland State University. She moved to Florida almost 7 years ago and absolutely loves it. She is a proud mother of a beautiful and talented 16 year old daughter. Zahira loves to travel internationally and spend quality time with her family.
Sheila Solomon Rudd
is the co-creator and Executive Director of TampaBay-Job-Links. Sheila takes pride in her ability to capture a vision and turn it into a reality, and she is passionate about making a difference in people’s lives. TampaBay-Job-Links is a supportive community where people gain relevant job-search and career transition skills, helping them find employment to sustain themselves and their families. Since 2011, Sheila has worked in partnership with the TampaBay-Job-Links board to grow the non-profit organization from a staff of one to ten. TBJL has served more than 1,300 job seekers in its ten years and maintains a client job-landed rate of over 85%. Sheila is the former Director of Berger Jewish Community High School in Tampa and has held numerous volunteer positions, including Chair of the Community Russian Resettlement Committee where she led the Tampa Jewish community effort to resettle Russian refugees providing housing, jobs, and other social service needs. Sheila is a graduate of SUNY Binghamton with a BA in anthropology and linguistics. She has taken additional coursework in graduate level non-profit management at Gratz College. Sheila has worked professionally as a non-profit director, program administrator, and seminar developer and instructor.
Randall Woods
is the Senior Director of Sales for Florida Blue West Region. In this role, Mr. Woods is responsible for sales and community relations in 14 Counties along the West Coast of Florida. He holds a B.S. in Economics from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and a certification in Non Profit Financial Management from the Non Profit Leadership Institute in Tampa. He has more than 25 years of experience in the health care industry.Randall actively serves his community as the co vice-chair of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America's Nationwide Leadership Council and as a member of the Board of Directorsfor Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Suncoast. In addition to several leadership roles at his local church he also serves on the Board of the Tampa Bay Chamber and is a graduate of Leadership Tampa Class of 2017.In his spare time he enjoys reading, traveling, and sporting clays.