Sonora,CA…The Mother Lode Job Training (MLJT) Board of Directors have announced the hiring of Dave Thoeny as the new executive director of MotherLode Job Training.

Utilizing federal and state funds associated with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
(WIOA), Mother Lode Job Training offers free services to employers and job seekers including
scholarships, on-the-job training, work experiences, and career assessments. MLJT serves
California’s Middle Sierra region and operates One Stop Career Centers in Amador, Calaveras,
Tuolumne, and Mariposa counties.
The previous executive director, Jeff Dickason, is retiring in December 2016 after 5 years with
MLJT, and will consult with Thoeny during a transition period.
Interview teams comprising District Supervisors from each of the four affected counties plus
business, labor, and economic development leaders conducted a thorough search process,
looking for a person with the right combination of leadership, planning, and management skills
to take on the job.
Sonora resident Thoeny is a veteran business executive with extensive strategic planning,
economic development, and workforce development experience. He is currently a board member
of the Tuolumne County Economic Development Authority (TCEDA), Sonora Regional Medical
Center Civic Advisory Board (CAB), and Sonora Sunrise Rotary club.
Randy Hanvelt, Chairman of the Mother Lode Job Training Board of Directors, summarizes the
reasons for selecting Thoeny by saying,
“A focus for MLJT moving forward is demand-driven workforce development, where we partner
closely with business to understand their workforce needs and customize our career services
accordingly. Dave’s background developing strategic partnerships, combined with his strong
mother lode community connections, offers a unique opportunity to leverage critical business,
education, economic development, and other partnerships for combined effect.”
Thoeny began his job on Monday, September 19, and has an office in the America’s Job Center
of California Career Center at 197 Mono Way in Sonora.