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The Eagle Award honors individuals who soar to new heights in their efforts to serve employers and workers in the United States.

When he took office in 2003, Governor Edward G. Rendell was faced with a serious challenge. Statewide economic growth was sluggish and declining. Key industries were rapidly eroding, taking with them stable jobs. Educational achievement levels were below national averages – especially for adult workers. And, for the vast majority of Pennsylvanians, real wages were stagnant or falling. If Pennsylvania was to be globally competitive, the Governor knew he needed to dramatically reshape its human capital strategy and reorganize its workforce development system.

In 2003, Governor Rendell appointed Sandi Vito as Deputy Secretary for Workforce Development. Ms. Vito quickly took on the Governor's challenge to coordinate workforce development services across state agencies and find ways to improve the overall system.

Ms. Vito began by leading a new Human Capital Committee, which included representatives from all of Pennsylvania's major cabinet-level departments, to investigate all aspects of the current system, including workforce development-related programs, investments and funding streams, services and service delivery.

Ms. Vito then began a lengthy research process to determine where workforce investment funds could be shifted for maximum results. Working with Local Workforce Investment Board (LWIB) directors and the Department of Labor & Industry's Center for Workforce Information & Analysis (CWIA), Ms. Vito and her team conducted a critical analysis of Pennsylvania's industry clusters to assist workforce and economic development policy makers and program managers in making strategic investments to make those sectors more competitive.

The funding and industry research provided the baseline for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's first-ever workforce development performance management plan, released in July 2004, and soon recognized as a national model. A benchmark report was released in the spring of 2005, which outlined specific goals to better align the State's workforce development system.

To achieve these goals, Ms. Vito knew she needed enthusiastic partners to act as regional strategic planners for human capital development. She provided new incentives to Pennsylvania's 22 LWIBs and encouraged the PA Workforce Investment Board to work with key LWIB directors to develop high performance standards that specifically described the role the State expected from its regional partners.

Shortly after the report was released, Governor Rendell introduced Job Ready PA, a package of comprehensive, cross-department initiatives designed to rebuild Pennsylvania's economic and educational foundation. The package included $5 million in dedicated State funding to create new Industry Partnerships (IPs) in targeted sectors of the economy and $15 million for training incumbent workers within the Commonwealth's targeted industry clusters.

With these new investments establishing IPs, Pennsylvania became one of the first states to extend training and career-building efforts beyond individual companies to networks of companies in specific industries. Industries, workers and the State's economy have benefited from groups of companies collaborating to address training needs, because solutions are shared to strengthen the industry as a whole.

Over the last few years, IPs have become the cornerstone of Pennsylvania's workforce development system. More than 6,300 businesses are actively involved in IPs, having trained more than 70,000 workers since 2005. Eighty-four percent of businesses recently reported IPs and training have helped them significantly increase their productivity.

Ms. Vito's workforce development leadership in Pennsylvania has earned her national recognition. The National Network of Sector Partners presented her with its Trailblazer Award in 2007, and the U.S. Department of Labor has heralded her workforce strategies as a national model.

In February 2008, Sandi Vito was named Acting Secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry by Governor Rendell. In April 2009, she was confirmed as Secretary, where she continues to fulfill her mission of transforming the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's workforce development system.

[Download the 2009 Salute to Leadership Awards Booklet ]