LAEDC names Shepetuk president of new trade workforce organization

LAEDC names Shepetuk president of new trade workforce organization The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. has appointed Al Shepetuk as the first staff member and president of the California Transportation and Logistics Institute.
   The CTLI is a joint partnership between the LAEDC, the Southern California Leadership Council, the California State University system, and the California Community Colleges to promote careers in the transportation and logistics industry by developing a demand-driven education curriculum.
   International trade represents the second-largest employment sector in the Southern California region, supporting more than 400,000 jobs in transportation and logistics. The number of workers in this sector is expected to nearly double by 2030, growing to represent nearly 12 percent of the total new jobs in the region. Logistics has become a strategically important industry in Southern California. However, there is a short supply of skilled workers emerging to fill the increasing number of high paying jobs in this sector of our economy.
   One of CTLI's long-term goals is to help provide a better trained and more well prepared workforce for the international trade sector.
   Shepetuk’s experience includes working with many of CTLI’s stakeholders to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of manufacturing and distribution companies’ logistic systems, as well as the operations of K-12 and higher education institutions, non-profits and state and local government transportation agencies. He has managed dozens of logistics projects to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of supply chain operations. Shepetuk’s led a critically important six-month review of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority subway projects in the mid 1990s while the project was under intense federal government scrutiny. The final report was quickly embraced by the LAMTA’s Board, CEO and Construction Division, and provided a roadmap that helped restore LAMTA’s credibility.
   In addition, Shepetuk also led teams that helped the Los Angeles World Airports develop a planning process and an integrated strategic plan across LAWA’s four airports. He also led a project for the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation to develop comprehensive strategic plans to integrate their Airports, Harbor and Highways departments. Most recently, he was responsible for managing the logistics of a consumer products company that manufactured in China and shipped products to the United States via steamship carriers.
   The LAEDC is one the region's premier business leadership organization, with a mission to attract, retain and grow business and jobs in Los Angeles County. Since 1996, the LAEDC has helped retain or create more than 132,300 jobs, providing $5.5 billion in direct economic impact from salaries and $94 million in annual tax revenue benefit to Los Angeles County.