Shawna Gareau-Kurtz

Shawna Gareau‑Kurtz serves as the Director of the Center for Workforce Development at Monroe 2‑Orleans BOCES, where she leads regional efforts connecting education, workforce systems, and industry. Her work experience includes the design and oversight of instructional career and technical education programs at both the secondary and post-secondary level, aligned to regional workforce needs.

Shawna has been heavily involved in implementing ACT WorkKeys assessments as a measure of work readiness and preparation for employment across secondary and adult populations and is part of a regional effort to become an ACT Work Ready Community. She oversees short‑term adult education and training programs, career exploration initiatives for middle and high school students, and employer‑engaged learning experiences that support skill development and career pathways.

She is currently leading efforts to launch a regional Business and Education Alliance, focused on coordinating existing career exploration activities, strengthening instructional partnerships, and creating new opportunities that do not currently exist. Her work also includes collaboration with higher education and industry partners to support educator professional learning aligned to emerging industries and workforce demands.