TOLEDO, Ohio, October 26, 2021 – SSOE Group (www.ssoe.com), a global project delivery firm for architecture, engineering, and construction management, announced today that Tim Swartz, AIA, NCARB, Higher Education Architect and Training Center Specialist, will serve as a panelist at the Ohio Economic Development Association’s (OEDA) 2021 Annual Summit taking place October 26 – 27, 2021.
Swartz is one of two panelists selected to participate in the session titled, “Preparing for What’s Next: Navigating Workforce Challenges.” During the session, he will share what SSOE is doing from a design standpoint for workforce development and training spaces while also highlighting some of the firm’s recent projects, including those for Youngstown State University, Henry Ford College, Owens Community College, and—currently wrapping up construction—the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America’s new $30 million, 147,000 SF skilled trades training center in Detroit, Michigan. His co-panelist is Laura Koballa Hudak of Team NEO, a business and economic development organization focused on accelerating economic growth and job creation throughout Northeast Ohio and a network partner for Jobs Ohio.
Swartz—who carries both a Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Science from Kent State University—brings more than seven years of construction experience along with 15 years of design experience in industries that include higher education, K-12 / STEM schools, R&D facilities, and automotive and manufacturing. Over the past decade, he has become SSOE’s resident workforce development expert, specializing in innovation incubators / hubs, higher education technical, and skilled trades training center projects. SSOE has quickly become a leader in aligning education design with workforce needs, a growing priority for post-secondary institutions, industrial corporations, and trade organizations. The firm has a unique blend of expertise—significant automotive and industrial manufacturing experience combined with higher education and training center design dexterity—in addition to their ability to provide all services in-house. SSOE designs facilities that incorporate the latest industry trends into modern, flexible educational environments that serve to attract and retain students, educators, and researchers.
OEDA’s 2021 Annual Summit will be at The Exchange at Bridge Park in Dublin, Ohio and consists of two days of general sessions and networking opportunities. The conference will end with a celebration of Ohio’s economic and workforce development community at the 2021 Excellence Awards. Incidentally, SSOE designed the Dana Advanced Manufacturing Training Center for Owens Community College that was recognized with one of these prestigious awards at last year’s event.
About the Ohio Economic Development Association
OEDA is the state’s professional association for economic and community development practitioners, offering networking and learning at our annual events; professional development through the Ohio Economic Development Institute and Ohio Certified Economic Developer credential; and nonpartisan advocacy on behalf of issues important to growing the state’s economy and supporting the nonprofit’s more than 500 members and the communities they serve.
For more information on the 2021 OEDA Annual Summit, click here.
