American Dream Reconsidered Conference

Join me for the American Dream Reconsidered Conference, Nov. 2. We’ll refocus our attention on the future and how the American Dream can sustain us with a new vision of hope and opportunity. Register for free at http://roosevelt.edu/americandream.

Lightford congratulates recipients of Back to Business grants

MAYWOOD – Kimberly A. Lightford, Illinois Senate Majority Leader (D-Maywood) congratulated local businesses struggling from the pandemic that were awarded grants from the latest round of the Back to Business program.

The B2B program allocated $250 million in American Rescue Plan dollars for small businesses negatively affected by the pandemic. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $150,000 per business and can be used to cover a wide range of operations such as staff and overhead costs.

“Small Businesses struggled the most throughout the pandemic, and I’m glad these businesses received relief so that they can continue to operate in in our communities,” Lightford said. “Local businesses are the backbone of our economy and supporting them helps keep jobs in the community.”

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Lavish Lunch and Love Conference

Lightford co-chairs the Commission on Workforce Equity and Access

MAYWOOD – Kimberly A. Lightford, Illinois Senate majority leader, will serve as the co-chair of the Commission on Workforce Equity and Access, which was created to expand equitable access to quality career opportunities for Illinois minority residents.

“Communities of color have suffered unprecedented unemployment during the pandemic, but we have always had less access to respected career opportunities in Illinois,” Lightford said. “This commission is charged with envisioning the future of Illinois’ workforce system that is both equitable and accessible.”

House Bill 2170, known as the Education and Workforce Equity Act, part of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus four-pillar agenda was signed into law March 2021. The act required the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board to perform a study to determine the feasibility of consolidating all workforce development programs under a single agency.

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