Our BCL, Dr. Emily Salazar, was fortunate enough to be invited to a “by invitation only” roundtable with the US Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis at the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce On August 10, 2010. Manuel Casias offered the invitation, he is the twin brother of our welding instructor Bill Casias who designed the globe that the center welding and other trade students built which is on display in DC in the Secretary’s building lobby in DC.

Dr. Salazar had to opportunity to address the Secretary in the full meeting and tout Job Corps, discussed the program longevity due to bi-partisan support and request that the businesses partner with Job Corps to help train our “at promise” students. She also mentioned that the center has many college students who are taking advanced classes and getting on the honor roll, in response to a previous concern relayed to the Secretary about what is being done to support teaching students in the STEM programs.

The Secretary told the group she had been to our lovely campus and we had built the globe and that it was on display in her building in DC. She said she tries to visit centers when she is in the area.

After the meeting she told me to tell everyone she loved Job Corps and that I needed to get all the business owners on board with Job Corps and that she remembered our association with Fluor which Dr. Salazar reinforced since they are Del-Jen’s, our operators parent company.