Clark County Business Briefing, Nov. 30, 2024

People in Business

Jon Girod, owner of Quail Homes, received the Workforce Employer of the Year award from the Washington Workforce Association at its annual conference Nov. 14.

The association recognized Girod for his Careers in Construction program, which offers activities for students in elementary through high school. The goal is provide top-notch facilities, programming and networking for Career Technical Education Construction Programs in Southwest Washington. The program started less than three years ago with fewer than 100 students enrolled in construction classes. In the 2023-2024 school year, more than 1,250 students enrolled.

“Jon has become a resource for the Southwest Washington region on how to build new skills centers on high school property, create sustainable construction programs that will fund themselves for years to come, and how to get things done for an industry that needs this next generation of workers,” according to Darcy Hoffman, director of Business Services at Workforce Southwest Washington.

Other Business News

Vancouver Clinic has been honored for its work to develop and foster employee recruitment, retention and workplace excellence.

Vancouver Clinic Board Chair Dr. Keren Rosenblum accepted the Washington Achieve Award at the 2024 Association of Washington Business Evening of Excellence awards gala Nov. 21 in downtown Seattle. The association is Washington’s oldest and largest statewide business association.

The award recognizes an employer that has excelled in creating, implementing, or supporting high-caliber education or workforce development systems that help close employment gaps. Current Vancouver Clinic programs train individuals for two in-demand health care roles: medical assistants and primary care physicians.

“Caring for people is our first priority at Vancouver Clinic,” Rosenblum said. “We are dedicated to serving our patients with compassion and excellence.”