Hiring and Recruiting Best Practices
Join us on Thursday, October 20 at 11 a.m. to hear from Elaine E. Katz, MS, CCC-SP – Senior Vice President of Grants and Communications, at the Kessler Foundation and Jackie Lue Raia, President & Owner at ALEXENA Consulting, LLC to learn:
-What is considered a “disability”
-Why you should hire People with Disabilities (PWD) to fulfill your skilled workforce needs
-The cost effectiveness of workplace accommodations and supports
-Why it’s all important to your business success
Our Presenters
Elaine E. Katz
Senior Vice President of Grants & Communications, The Kessler Foundation
Elaine E. Katz, MS, CCC-SLP is Senior Vice President of Grants and Communications. Elaine Katz oversees Kessler Foundation’s comprehensive grant making program and its communications department. During her tenure, the Foundation has awarded more than $49 million in grant support for national and community-based employment programs. For more than 25 years, Katz has worked with non-profit organizations in the areas of board development, fundraising, marketing, and business development. Katz often speaks about innovative practices for employing people with disabilities, and is the author/co-author of articles and papers on related topics.
She currently serves on the board of directors of JESPY House, New Jersey Association of People Supporting Employment First (NJAPSE), Essex/Newark Disabilities Issues Committee, and on the program committee of the Council of NJ Grantmakers. Elaine served as a member of the Human and Children Services Transition Advisory Committee for Governor-elect Phil Murphy. She is also an appointed member of Empower NYC Advisory Board, Workforce Matters National Steering Committee, ReelAbilities NY Advisory & Council, ReelAbilities 2019 Selection Committee and the NJ Veterans and Community Collaborative Network (VCCN).
View comprehensive listings of publications for Elaine Katz on ResearchGate and Google Scholar
Jackie Lue Raia
President, ALEXENA Consulting, LLC
Jackie Lue Raia is the president of ALEXENA Consulting, a firm focused on Workforce Development and Stakeholder Engagement. As a certified Minority/Women Business Enterprise, the firm serves as an important partner to businesses and organizations across all sectors. By creating a professional atmosphere where meaningful dialogue occurs and all voices can be heard, the result should be a more successful and sustainable business entity. Utilizing the diversity of experience, background and thought of all stakeholders should foster innovation, which is critical to doing business today.
In addition to her Cultural Awareness, Inclusion and Belonging consulting practice, as a 4th Degree Master Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, Jackie also hosts “Common Sense Self Defense” workshops for various audiences. She offers these in collaboration with law enforcement officers and other martial artists.
Jackie currently sits on the Leadership Committee of NJ Business and Industry Association’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council; Board of Directors of the Bergen and Essex County Workforce Development Boards; Board of Directors of the Global Business Travel Association – New Jersey Chapter; Advisory Board Member of NJ Association for School Resource Officers (NJASRO); and is the Goodwill Ambassador of the Blue Knights NJ Chapter VIII law enforcement motorcycle club. She formerly served on the Leadership Council for the New Jersey Statewide Network for Cultural Competence; and Board of Directors of the American Red Cross – Northern NJ Chapter. She was awarded a certificate for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace by the University of South Florida. ALEXENA Consulting was awarded the New Jersey Business & Industry Association and New Jersey Business Magazine’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award for Excellence in DEI Initiatives in 2022.
Jackie currently lives in New Jersey, where she and her husband of 35 years raised their two sons.