20th JVS Strictly Business L.A. Honors Corporate Leadership in Transitioning Angelenos From Poverty to Employment

LOS ANGELES, May 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrating 20 years, JVS Strictly Business L.A. will bring together more than 500 business and community leaders to honor Belmont Village Senior Living and AvalonBay Communities for their exemplary support of the JVS mission and the organization's HealthWorks® and ApartmentWorks® career training programs. These companies are being recognized for their significant and impactful contributions in lifting people from poverty to employment by both sponsoring JVS training programs and hiring their graduates. In addition, the inaugural Founder's Award will be presented to JVS Honorary Vice President Steven Hirsh.  The event takes place on Wednesday, June 7, 2017 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, with award-winning NBC4 weathercaster Fritz Coleman returning to serve as master of ceremonies.

This year's program will include remarks by JVS Corporate Leadership Award Honoree, Patricia G. Will, Belmont Village Founder and CEO.  John Smith, Senior Portfolio Maintenance Director, will accept the JVS Corporate Partnership Award on behalf of AvalonBay Communities. All proceeds from Strictly Business benefit the life-changing work of JVS Los Angeles, a nonprofit, non-sectarian agency dedicated to empowering people to overcome barriers and achieve sustainable employment.

With these committed partnerships from the private sector, JVS is able to leverage the funding received from the city, county and state to offer these successful training programs at no cost to participants, who are primarily of low income and from traditionally underserved communities. "JVS has been an extraordinary partner not only in making sure that we have training in the heart of the city but also looking at how we can improve workforce development," affirms L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Belmont Village Senior Living is the first health care industry employer to partner with HealthWorks®, a program that trains individuals for entry level careers as Certified Nurse Assistants.  "Over the next 10 years the seniors housing industry will need to fill more than one million jobs. The JVS HealthWorks® program is a model for how to get that done," comments Will. "We are proud to be a participant in its success, both as a sponsor and as an employer. We've hired many outstanding program graduates who have become highly valued members of our Belmont Village teams and we look forward to welcoming many more graduates in the future." Founded by Will in 1997, Belmont Village is a fully integrated developer, owner and operator of first rate senior living communities. The company currently operates 24 communities across the country, with five new properties under development and nearly 3,000 employees.  Patricia Will is a nationally recognized leader in senior living.  She serves on the boards of numerous academic and charitable institutions and has played an integral role in setting standards and shaping policy for the industry.

Recipient of the JVS Corporate Partnership Award, AvalonBay Communities, Inc. has been involved with ApartmentWorks®, a nationally recognized job training program for apartment maintenance technicians, since its inception. "It is especially meaningful for AvalonBay to be a supporter and partner of JVS ApartmentWorks® program, not only because we have hired so many skilled and highly motivated graduates over the years, but also because this is the only training initiative of its kind in our industry," explains Smith. "We know the need for dedicated staff will continue to grow." AvalonBay has a long-term track record of developing, redeveloping, acquiring and managing distinctive apartment homes in some of the best markets across the United States. Driven by a bold purpose to create a better way to live, AvalonBay is committed to giving back and contributing to the vitality of local communities.

In recognition of his leadership, JVS Honorary Vice President Steven Hirsh will receive the Founder's Award for his vision as the first chair of Strictly Business L.A. and his commitment to introduce and engage the business community in the critical mission of JVS.

The Strictly Business L.A. Awards Luncheon takes place on Wednesday, June 7.  Business Networking Reception begins at 11am, followed by the luncheon program from Noon to 1:30pm at The Beverly Hilton at 9876 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills 90210. Hosted parking. Tickets are $175 per person. To register online, go to: http://www.jvsla.org/sb-2017. For ticket and sponsorship information, contact Mary Koenig at [email protected] or (323) 761-8888 x8891.

ABOUT JVS

JVS Los Angeles is a non-sectarian 501(c)(3) founded in 1931 to address workplace discrimination and assist those struggling in the midst of the Great Depression. JVS Los Angeles offers hope and opportunity to our diverse community, helping people overcome barriers to achieve self-sufficiency through sustainable employment. www.jvsla.org 

SOURCE JVS Los Angeles

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