The Eastern Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board (EKWIB) elected new leadership for the new year as Sonya Bergman and Frank Dawahare are set to begin terms as chair and vice chair, respectively.

Bergman, of Knott County, is the chief people officer for the 14-hospital Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) system and represents the business/industry sector on the EKWIB. She has served on the EKWIB since July 2015, including most recently as vice chair.

Bergman thanked her fellow board members for her selection, and said she looks forward to continuing the work of expanding opportunities for Eastern Kentucky’s workforce. One of the first tasks of the EKWIB will be to select a new leader to replace EKCEP Executive Director Jeff Whitehead, who is set to retire in March 2023.

“Thank you to everyone on the EKWIB for electing me to serve as your chair, and I look forward to working alongside Frank Dawahare as vice chair,” Bergman said. “I am deeply humbled by your support, and I want to assure you that I will continue to promote our growing efforts to encourage progress and development of workforce in our region. A lot of exciting things are happening in 2023. We will celebrate the many successes of Jeff Whitehead as he retires, and also complete a search for a new leader and executive director of EKCEP. I feel certain we will continue to accomplish great things!”

A resident of Pike County, Dawahare also represents the business/industry sector. He is the technology account manager for Eastern Telephone and Technologies and has served on the EKWIB since 2015.

“I was very humbled and honored to be selected as vice chair and plan to work very hard to further the mission of our organization,” Dawahare said.

The EKWIB is a private-sector led body composed of 24 volunteer members that works to prepare, advance, and expand the workforce of Eastern Kentucky. The board brings together private-sector leaders from across 23 counties with policy makers from the education, economic development, and public arenas.

EKWIB meetings are held quarterly and are open to the public. For more information on the board’s activities, visit ekcep.org.

EKCEP, a nonprofit workforce development agency headquartered in Hazard, Ky., serves the citizens of 23 Appalachian coalfield counties. The agency provides an array of workforce development services and operates the Kentucky Career Center JobSight network of workforce centers, which provide access to more than a dozen state and federal programs that offer employment and training assistance for job seekers and employers all under one roof. Learn more about us at http://www.ekcep.org, http://www.jobsight.org and http://www.facebook.com/ekcep.

Sonya Bergman Selected to Chair EKWIB, Frank Dawahare to Serve as Vice Chair

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