Webinar Recording
Unlock opportunities for your community with the EPA’s Brownfields Job Training (BJT) Program! This webinar will provide a comprehensive overview of how BJT grants help nonprofits, local governments, and other eligible organizations develop training programs that equip unemployed and underemployed residents with the skills needed for careers in environmental cleanup, hazardous waste management, and sustainable land reuse to support community development and revitalization.
Learn directly from successful grantees, Richmond BUILD and the Los Angeles Conservation Corps (LACC), as they share how they built effective job training programs, secured community partnerships, and placed graduates in full-time, sustainable jobs. This session will also cover best practices for identifying need and developing partnership, crafting a compelling grant application, and creating a curriculum tailored to brownfields redevelopment.
This webinar offers expert insights, practical strategies, and real-world case studies to help you maximize your impact. Join us to gain the knowledge and tools needed to build a stronger, greener workforce in your community!
Speakers:
Tamara Walker | Deputy Director of Community Services Employment and Training I City of Richmond
Tamara Walker serves as the Deputy Director of the Community Services, Employment and Training Department for the City of Richmond. With over thirty years of experience in workforce and program development, she has excelled as both a grant writer and project manager.
Previously, Tamara was a Program Analyst for the City of Oakland’s Workforce Development Board, a fund developer for the Richmond Police Activities League, and a Program Manager for the City of Richmond’s YouthWORKS program.
Her areas of expertise include education, strategic planning and systems development, economic and workforce development, institutional transformation and accountability, and strategic partnerships and collaborations. She holds a degree in Business Management from the University of Phoenix and studied Computer Science at the University of California, East Bay.
Tamara has successfully written and collaborated on local, state, federal, and private foundation grant applications, securing over $30 million for her clients. She has developed programs and written grants in diverse areas such as education, workforce development training, youth development and services, homelessness, reentry, diversion, technology, cannabis, and mentoring.
Claire Weston | Senior Program Manager – CCLR
Claire manages CCLR’s $12M Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) Communities Provider cooperative agreements with the U.S. EPA. This includes leading the program development and technical assistance provision strategy, writing quarterly reports, maintaining and reporting performance metrics, and preparing materials, stats, and success stories to support program continuation. Of note, Claire spearheaded the development and launch of CCLR’s technical assistance tracking system in Salesforce which has led to efficient and robust reporting, more strategic and comprehensive TA delivery, and better team collaboration under the TAB program.
Claire also oversees major elements of CCLR’s programming and education initiatives including workshop and webinar planning, resource development, partnership cultivation, and strategic initiatives. In 2022, Claire managed the planning and execution of CCLR’s webinars and events which engaged over 3,000 land reuse practitioners from the public and private sectors and covered topics in remediation, environmental justice, equitable development, redevelopment financing, and more.
Jacqueline Aybar| EPA R9
Jacqueline is originally from the Maryland/Washington D.C. area. She completed her undergraduate degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park in 2018. She has spent 3 years working as a Project Engineer in the field, and in the office as a Pre-construction & Estimating engineer, at James G. Davis Construction. Jacqueline has completed her master’s degree in Environmental Policy & Management at the University of California, Davis, before starting her role as Project Officer in the Land Revitalization & Brownfields Division of EPA region 9.
Denise Haynes | Los Angeles Conservation Corp
Denise Haynes was raised in South Los Angeles, CA. She has been working for the Los Angeles Conservation Corps since August 2000. She is the Sr. Program Manager who has been overseeing the Corps vocational trainings, running programs such as the YouthBuild and Brownfields Job Trainings since 2007. She enjoys her job, loves working with the participants the Corps serve, seeing them change their lives and grow into mature young adults.
