Simon Joel

Joel Simon

Director of Workforce Innovation, Burning Glass Institute

For more than 25 years, Joel Simon has partnered with leaders at the regional, municipal, neighborhood, state, and national levels to elevate underappreciated talent pools, enhance cross-sector collaboration, and advance shared prosperity. Currently, Joel serves as Director of Workforce Innovation for the Burning Glass Institute where he leads engagements with local leaders to inform education and workforce strategies aligned to communities’ unique mix of industries and workers.  In roles across government, nonprofits, associations, and technology organizations he has created talent initiatives in 42 states and in support of industries including advanced manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, bioscience, information technology, financial services, agriculture, energy, hospitality, and others. He has served as faculty for the National Association of Development Organizations, the International Economic Development Council, the Institute for Sustainable Communities, the Institute for Higher Education Policy, the Accreditation Council of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and as a guest lecturer at the University of Chicago.  A Chicagoan for his entire adult life and a resident of West Lakeview, he enjoys exploring Chicago neighborhoods, kayaking the Chicago River and Lake Michigan, and playing mandolin for the acoustic stringband the Red Star Ramblers.