Senator John Cornyn
Discussion Will Include Personal Success Stories & Tour of Goodwill Career Center
AUSTIN — U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) will participate in a roundtable discussion this Monday at Goodwill Houston to hear feedback from local employers, workforce development officials and formerly incarcerated individuals who have successfully integrated into careers. The roundtable comes as the Senator is crafting new legislation to strengthen and make permanent a pilot program that awards funding to organizations providing career development opportunities to formerly incarcerated individuals. Participants will share their experiences with mentorship, skills training, and efforts to remove barriers for individuals as they leave the criminal justice system.
Following the roundtable, Sen. Cornyn will receive a tour of Goodwill Houston’s River Oaks Career and Veteran’s Center and the adjacent donated goods retail store, which provide education, training, and hiring services for individuals facing barriers to employment. Sen. Cornyn will then hold a press conference to announce his new legislation.
More than 650,000 men and women nationwide, including 78,000 inmates in Texas, are released from prison each year. Access to workforce development opportunities is critical to helping formerly incarcerated individuals integrate, remain, and succeed in the workforce. Research shows that inmates who participate in correctional education programs are 43% less likely to return to prison than those who do not.
WHO: U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX)
Steve Lufburrow, Incoming Advisor to the CEO & Outgoing President/CEO, Goodwill Houston
Alma Ybarra, Chief People Officer, Goodwill Houston
Lucina L. Ochoa Baltazar, HOPE Program Graduate, Goodwill Houston
Sheroo Mukhtiar, CEO, SERJobs
Lawrence Atkins, Workforce Development Program Graduate, SERJobs
Juliet Stipeche, Executive Director, Workforce Solutions – Gulf Coast Workforce Board
Sara Bouse, Grant Manager, Alvin Community College
Tabyrus Bolden, New Beginnings Program Graduate, Alvin Community College
WHEN: Monday, February 19, 2024
1:30pm CT – Roundtable begins
2:00pm CT – Career center tour (b-roll opportunity)
2:15pm CT – Press conference
WHERE: Goodwill Houston – River Oaks Career and Veteran’s Center
2520 Brun Street
Houston, Texas 77019
