Workforce Development with Purpose

Meet Our Leadership

The people guiding Workforce Evolved's mission and vision.

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  Ruth Tirado

  Executive Director

  Ruth Tirado, Executive Director of Workforce Evolved, a seasoned expert with over 25 years of dedicated service in the Florida Department of Education, is renowned for her profound impact on apprenticeship programs within the construction industry. Ruth leverages her expertise to further enhance educational standards and curriculum development across pivotal trades such as electrical, lineman, telecommunications, and civil engineering. Certified as an NCCER Master Trainer and holding an OSHA 10-Hour certification, she previously served as the Vice President of Education at ABC Institute, where she orchestrated the growth and evolution of apprenticeship initiatives. Her strategic vision and commitment have been instrumental in cultivating thousands of skilled professionals, significantly contributing to the workforce development in the construction sector.

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  Chris Reber

  Principal and Founding Partner of R&R Integrated Solutions

  As the Principal and Founding Partner of R&R Integrated Solutions, Chris's vision is to listen, learn, and identify ways to support employers with customized HRO solutions. His focus is on blending employee benefits, recruiting support, and available grant programs that render services to support the employer's growth and employee support needs.

  Chris has 30 years of experience in the insurance industry. As an Ohio native and now a resident of Florida for 10 years, Chris is a member of the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU). He has and holds many licenses in health and Life Insurance, Property and casualty insurance, Mortgage Origination, and the Investment industry.

  Chris is married to his wife Rebeca, has one son, Jacob, and a Pug named Blackjack. He enjoys traveling and anything outdoors. Chris works on his golf game, but alas, he still can't break 80. He is also an avid Ohio sports fan, "Go Buckeyes." However, the Tampa teams have also captured his fandom.

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  Jeff Arnott, Ed.D

  President and CEO of Lot 12 Education

  Dr. Jeff Arnott is a leader in workforce development, Career and Technical Education (CTE), and adult education, with a career dedicated to expanding apprenticeship opportunities and improving economic mobility. With deep experience in CTE program design, apprenticeship growth, and legislative advocacy, he has helped secure major workforce-training investments and modernize education-to-career pathways. Across his 16 years in Florida education administration, he directed adult education and CTE programs, launched the state's first pre-apprenticeship program within an adult education system, and earned statewide recognition, including Florida's Adult Education Director of the Year (2015) and CareerSource Florida Partner of the Year (2017).

  As President and CEO of Lot 12 Education, Dr. Arnott builds strategic connections between industry and education to align training with real workforce needs. His leadership spans executive and policy roles at state and federal levels, advancing high-quality apprenticeship programs and strengthening skills-based learning models. With additional background in manufacturing—working in product development, sales, and national distribution—he brings firsthand industry insight that informs the design of practical, employer-aligned training programs. He currently contributes to the Xuman.AI team in San Francisco, focusing on advancing the human experience within AI systems.

  A nationally sought-after facilitator, Dr. Arnott delivers professional development on Integrated Education and Training (IET), industry partnerships, and scaling workforce initiatives. His expertise in partnership development, grant strategy, and workforce system design has positioned him as a key voice in modernizing apprenticeship models for today's economy. Dr. Arnott holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Florida.

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  Pete Matassa

  President of Techknowledgy, Inc.

  Pete Matassa is president of Techknowledgy, Inc., a Project Management Training and Consulting company that provides custom Project Management solutions. He has over 30 years of experience in professional/management positions. His professional credentials include an MBA; PMI® PMP®; PMI-ACP®; Agile Hybrid Project Pro Micro-Credential, MCTS – MS Project 2007 & 2010; CompTIA Project+; CompTIA A+; CompTIA Net+; CompTIA i-Net+; CompTIA Sever+;

  As well as managing projects and IT and Accounting professionals Pete has over 25 years of experience developing and instructing project management, MS Office, MS Project, and business soft skills courses. Pete is an adjunct professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Business and Security Management teaching Project Management at the undergraduate and graduate level. Pete's instruction style emphasizes both learning the required body of knowledge and understanding how to use that knowledge in real-world situations. His style is to integrate his experiences into the training environment to take advantage of people's natural inclination to learn through stories.

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  Hailey Ortega

  Chairperson, Workforce Evolved

  Hailey Ortega serves as Chairperson of the Board for Workforce Evolved, providing strategic advancements for workforce development initiatives and strengthen partnerships between education, industry, and government. She is also a National Grant Director for a telecommunications training provider, where she leads the development, writing, and execution of grant-funded programs nationwide, including the facilitation and closeout of grant funds and projects. Hailey brings expertise in workforce strategy, grant management, and employer alignment, with a focus on building scalable training solutions that connect individuals to high-demand careers.

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  Sadie Molinet

  VP of External Affairs for ITG Communications

  Sadie Molinet is the Vice President of External Affairs for ITG Communications. In this role she leads government affairs and community impact strategies and event and tradeshow engagement and industry association memberships nationally. In partnership with Marketing & Communications, Sadie helps tell the story of ITG's critical impact in our communities. She is a strategic, collaborative, solutions-focused leader known for her ability to cultivate relationships. Sadie is focused on driving revenue for the business while delivering an exceptional client experience.

  Over the course of her career, Sadie has held roles across various segments of the telecommunications and technology industry including Learning & Development, Marketing, Sales Operations, and Sales, starting at Bright House Networks and transitioning to Charter Communications. Prior to ITG Communications, Sadie was at Summit Broadband.

  With a passion for developing leaders and a high-vibe growth mindset, Sadie feels strongly about investing in and developing talent locally while connecting people to the broader technology community as we help shape the future of broadband leadership. Sadie also serves our industry as President of The WICT Network: Florida Chapter, President of SCTE Central Florida, and Treasurer for NAMIC Florida. Sadie strives to create engaging and inspirational professional development opportunities and programming delivering key takeaways that members can implement in their professional and personal lives.

  Sadie is a proud graduate of Florida State University (FSU) and received her Master of Education in Higher Education Administration from the University of South Carolina. Representing the West Central Region, Sadie is a member of Leadership Florida Connect Class 14. Sadie is an enthusiastic FSU 'Nole and serves as President of the FSU Young Alumni Network. She is a graduate of Leadership Tampa Bay Class of 2020 and the ATHENA NextGen program. Sadie feels strongly about raising awareness and funding to support the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society. Sadie enjoys spending time with family and friends, outdoor activities, reading, traveling, and exploring.