Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium Professionals Recognized

Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium Professionals Recognized at Youth Solutions' Statewide Summer Summit

[MOUNT PLEASANT, MI] — Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium is proud to celebrate several members of its Jobs for Michigan's Graduates (JMG) team who were recognized during Youth Solutions' Annual Summer Summit, a statewide professional development conference that brings together JMG specialists, managers, employer partners, and youth from across Michigan.

Held in Mount Pleasant, Summer Summit serves as Youth Solutions' annual kickoff to the new program year. The multi-day conference provides professional development, networking opportunities, and strategic planning while recognizing outstanding individuals and organizations that made a significant impact to the program over the past year.

This year, the following members of Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium were honored for their exceptional leadership and dedication to student success:

Outstanding JMG Specialist of the Year - These award winners are all-around excellent, consistently delivering on the mission and offering best-in-class programs. Specialists from across the state are nominated by their managers and peers, and 3 awardees are selected.

• Jeanie Flory – "Jeanie Flory is more than a career coach or a mentor to her youth, she is their safe place, their steadfast champion, and someone who shows up for them as whole individuals. It is Jeanie's authenticity, her genuine, unwavering presence, that is at the heart of everything she does and at the root of every relationship she builds. Her extraordinary care isn't performed; it is simply who she is, and it is that same authenticity that fuels her fierce advocacy for every young person she serves. Jeanie demolishes barriers and forges partnerships with education and employer partners in the rural reaches of northeast Michigan to open doors of opportunity for youth who might otherwise go without. Jeanie doesn't just meet her youth where they are; she fights to ensure that where they are is never a barrier to where they can go. Jeanie Flory is the heart of what a JMG Specialist is and is proof of the difference one extraordinary specialist can make."

Living Our Values Advocates Award & JMG Influencer Award - The Living Our Values Advocates Award recognizes courageous advocacy and commitment to expanding opportunities and building a brighter future for Michigan’s youth. The JMG Influencer Award celebrates those who utilize social media for good by celebrating their youth and sharing the JMG story.

•  Allison Oakes – "Allison always shows such care for her participants, helping them overcome their barriers and making sure that they have all the support they need to fulfill their goals. She attends community events to promote the JMG program, she is involved with multiple councils that engage young people in education and employment services, and she works with many businesses and education centers in her area to provide the best and most expansive services to her youth. She is also the most caring and helpful coworker, everyone on the team has stories of when Allison helped them learn a new process or utilize a new system, and she always assists us with a great attitude, never making you feel that you are bothering her by coming to her. She is a huge reason as to why I have become a successful leader in my organization." // "Allison has made a consistent and intentional effort to raise awareness of JMG by sharing the accomplishments of her youth and highlighting the impact of her program. She consistently keeps the Youth Solutions communications team informed by sharing program highlights, upcoming events, and important milestones, while tagging us in her social media posts to help showcase the impact of JMG. Allison excels at celebrating her youth and ensuring their successes are recognized by her community. Her ongoing engagement, including her enthusiastic participation in JMG Next Step Day, demonstrates her dedication to showcasing the power of JMG and inspiring others to share the story of our youth."

JMG Team of Teams Award - This team has demonstrated that in addition to being agile leaders within their own programs, they also step up to support each other in a multitude of ways to support the goal of positively impacting the youth in their community.

• Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium – "The Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium team exemplifies what it means to be a true **Team of Teams**. They consistently demonstrate authenticity, collaboration, and a shared commitment to youth success by supporting one another, embracing challenges together, and celebrating collective achievements. Their culture of trust and accountability is evident in the way they review affiliate-wide data as a team, not to assign blame, but to identify opportunities for growth and strengthen one another's work. Despite serving communities across a large geographic region, they have built a close-knit, family-like culture rooted in mutual respect and encouragement. This strong sense of teamwork has contributed to exceptional staff retention, sustained success, and a lasting commitment to continuous improvement. United by a shared mission, the Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium team truly embodies the power of collaboration and is a deserving recipient of the Team of Teams Award."

JMG JAGForce Jedi – Demonstrating excellence through data.

• Ashley Udell

"Summer Summit gives us the opportunity to celebrate the incredible professionals who make a difference in the lives of young people every day," said Roger Curtis, Executive Director of Youth Solutions. "These award recipients exemplify the passion, commitment, and excellence that strengthen the Jobs for Michigan's Graduates network and help prepare Michigan youth for successful futures."

To learn more about all of this year's award winners, visit our new awards page.

About Jobs for Michigan's Graduates (JMG)

Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates (JMG), the premier program of Youth Solutions, offers programming for youth in and out of schools at more than 170 locations across Michigan. JMG develops youth competencies in leadership, self-development, workplace expectations, financial literacy, career exploration and training, access to postsecondary education, and hands-on, work-based learning. With the support of a dedicated adult mentor, JMG provides youth with individualized guidance, helping them gain the skills and knowledge needed to identify a pathway to postsecondary success while overcoming individual barriers.

Youth Solutions aims to ensure every youth in Michigan has access to career-focused education and graduates with a plan for postsecondary success. Since 2008, Youth Solutions has impacted youth, ages 11-24, across Michigan. For more information about Youth Solutions, Inc. or to become a partner, visit us at www.ouryouthsolutions.org, follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter or “like” us on Facebook at @JobsforMichigansGraduates & @YouthSolutions.