2025 Highlight: Statewide Workforce Awards & The Melinda Mack Legacy Award
Dec 22, 2025
As we reflect on the moments that defined workforce development in 2025, we can't help but think of the NYATEP Statewide Workforce Awards. Held during NYATEP’s annual Workforce Development Conference, the awards ceremony was a celebration of leadership, innovation, and collective impact across New York State’s workforce system. Thank you to Annmarie Lanesey for emceeing the event!
Each year, these awards shine a spotlight on individuals and organizations whose work is strengthening communities, expanding access to opportunity, and advancing a more equitable workforce. In 2025, that spotlight felt especially meaningful, capturing both the momentum of the field and the people driving it forward.
The 2025 honorees represent the depth of New York’s workforce ecosystem, from frontline leadership to cross-sector partnerships and business engagement. Nominated by peers, each awardee reflects a deep commitment to serving jobseekers and employers alike.
This year’s recipients included leaders and organizations whose efforts are creating real pathways to economic mobility, strengthening talent pipelines, and responding to the evolving needs of communities across the state. Their work exemplifies what is possible when workforce development is rooted in equity, partnership, and purpose.
This year’s awardees included:
- Frontline Leadership Award: Tejiana Lee, Queens Public Library
- NYS Workforce Program Award: Lukee Forbes, Youth Organizing Program, We Are Revolutionary
- Business Leadership Award: Courtney Willis, Restaurant Associates
- Workforce & Economic Development Partnership Award: Cerise Sutton, Center for Employment Opportunities
Introducing the Melinda Mack Legacy Award
2025 marked the debut of the Melinda Mack Legacy Award, created to recognize individuals whose work reflects the visionary leadership and deep impact of Melinda Mack, NYATEP’s longtime Executive Director.
Melinda’s legacy within the workforce development field is profound. As executive director of NYATEP, she was a passionate advocate for expanding equitable workforce opportunities across the state and played a crucial role in shaping policies, partnerships, and initiatives that supported training, employment access, and systems change. Her work inspired countless professionals and helped strengthen New York’s workforce ecosystem.
The Melinda Mack Legacy Award honors those who embody her commitment to inclusive opportunity, collaborative leadership, and transformative systems thinking. By spotlighting these values, NYATEP ensures that Melinda’s influence will continue to inspire future generations of workforce leaders.
- Inaugural Melinda Mack Legacy Award: Christopher White, SUNY (Vice Chancellor for Workforce Development)
Congratulations to all the 2025 award recipients! Their accomplishments embody the heart of workforce development: connecting people with opportunity, driving economic mobility, and building stronger communities across New York State.
