The Board of Trustees of the Pasadena Area Community College District has appointed Salvatrice Cummo as executive director of Pasadena City College’s economic and workforce development efforts.
In her new role, Cummo will drive the college’s strategy to supply a trained, flexible workforce that serves the region’s labor market needs. Through increasing the education levels of the local population, PCC increases the San Gabriel Valley’s economic output while helping close the workforce skills gap and fostering successful student completion.
“Our college has been a source of economic empowerment for more than 90 years, but our future workforce has an entirely new set of needs” said Rajen Vurdien, PCC’s superintendent-president. “PCC must serve as a resource for businesses that are trying to compete and grow in an ever-changing landscape. I am confident that Salvatrice is the best choice to build that resource.”
Each year, PCC educates more than 29,000 students across a range of disciplines, including 80 career education fields. With programs in automotive technology, building construction, dental assisting, and television and radio production, among others, the college turns out graduates ready to work in Southern California’s key industries. The campus is also a source of interns and apprentices for businesses looking to provide on-the-job training to future workers.
The college’s career education and workforce programs got a boost with a statewide investment through the Doing What Matters Strong Workforce Program, which has brought more than $2.8 million to local programs in advanced manufacturing and technology; advanced transportation; energy efficiency, utilities and construction; health sciences; information and communication technologies; biotechnology and life sciences; and small business and entrepreneurship.
“The college needs strong ties to our partners in the business community so we can stay agile and respond to changes in the landscape,” Cummo said. “We can’t work in a vacuum. I’m here to listen to our community’s needs, coordinate our work in response, and marshal the college’s resources to build equity together.”
Cummo previously served as executive director of PCC’s Small Business Development Center, which operates in partnership with the Small Business Administration to assist small business owners with low-cost training and no-cost one-on-one advising from experienced entrepreneurs and industry experts. The SBDC has served more than 2,000 client organizations across the San Gabriel Valley.
Before her work at PCC, Cummo was director of business development for the Montebello Chamber of Commerce. Her industry experience includes work with Macy’s and her family-owned businesses. She has a master of science in entrepreneurship and innovation from the USC Marshall School of Business and a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly Pomona.
