Press Release: Labor Department Announces Excellence in Workforce Awards

(DENVER) - To wrap up its Workforce Development Month activities, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) is proud to announce the winners of its second annual Excellence in Workforce Awards, celebrating Colorado businesses and public partners for their outstanding contributions to the state's talent pipeline. The winners were honored at a ceremony on Monday, September 29th at the Governor's Residence at the Boettcher Mansion.

These awards recognize organizations that have demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation in workforce development through strategic partnerships. By fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors, these leaders are creating robust career pathways, accelerating innovation and ensuring that economic opportunities are accessible to all Coloradans. This year's honorees were selected for their impactful programs that directly address the evolving needs of Colorado's economy. Honorees were recognized in conjunction with this year's Workforce Development Month themes :

• Creating Tomorrow's Workforce Today:
  • Pinnacol Assurance
  • Jefferson County Business & Workforce Center
• Business Leaders Guiding Our Strategies:
  • FirstBank
  • Jefferson County Business & Workforce Center
• Using Connecting Colorado to Accelerate Innovation:
  • Tolmar
  • Larimer County Economic & Workforce Development
• Creating Economic Opportunities for All:
  • Golden Aluminum
  • Employment Services of Weld County

In addition to these honorees, a new award this year, the Workforce Legend Award was presented to Lockheed Martin and the Jefferson County Business & Workforce Center for their profound and sustained impact on Colorado's workforce.

The 2025 Excellence in Workforce Awards were announced on Monday, September 29th at the Governor's Residence.

Pictured from left to right: Joe Barela, Executive Director of CDLE; Nevine Laughlin, Pinnacol Assurance; Kelly Folks, Director of the Division of Employment & Training at CDLE.

Pictured from left to right: Danielle Suprick, Training and Development Leader at Golden Aluminum; Lisa Vaughn, Human Resources Director at Golden Aluminum; Carol Salter, Workforce Director at Employment Services of Weld County.

Pictured from left to right: Sandra Jackam, Economic Development Specialist at Larimer County Economic & Workforce Development; Robyn Vilkaitis, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Tolmar; Janine Ledingham, Associate Director of Economic Development at Larimer County Economic & Workforce Development; Mara North, Vice President of Human Resources at Tolmar.

Molly Duvall, Executive Vice President of Retail at FirstBank; Shae Clark, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at FirstBank.

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