You wouldn’t know it today, but Phaedra Leslie didn’t set out to be a workforce development executive. The South Side native earned her bachelor’s degree in English and Mass Media. “Obviously, my degrees did not lead me here,” she laughs. Instead, she credits the time she spent as the Assistant to the Executive Director at Erie House, a social services nonprofit on the city’s West Side, with creating a path for where she is today. At Erie House, Leslie served primarily as the board liaison, and later as an academic liaison, but she says her boss encouraged her to take on increasing levels of responsibility. “I got motivated just by observing her as an Executive Director of a multimillion-dollar nonprofit organization,” she says. “I did a lot, and things just kept getting added to my title.”
During her tenure, Leslie created a program to help women earn advanced degrees, her first foray into workforce development. She also earned a master’s degree in Organizational Management. It was then that Leslie decided it was time to take her talents to the private sector. She spent ten years at Target Group, creating economic opportunity initiatives for private development projects before moving on to Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership as the inaugural Director of Business Relations and Economic Development. Her experience helped the public workforce system create diversity initiatives with public entities like CTA and Illinois Tollway. And in September of this year, Leslie joined ALL Construction Group as the VP of Diversity, Workforce Development, and Community Engagement. In this newly created role, she will bring her vast experience in workforce development to strengthen the company’s connection with the community.
As the industry changes, Leslie points out the need to help tradespeople set themselves up for success. And she has been strategizing ways to facilitate networking opportunities designed to provide a path for growth for people in the industry. “I encourage students to network with companies like ours. Even before they join the union, they should be building relationships and letting people know their interests,” she says. But Leslie believes networking should work both ways and thinks experienced tradespeople should make an effort to create space for newcomers. “You would not be where you are if you didn’t have the skills to get there, which means someone created the space for you,” she says. One way she is creating space for the next generation of tradespeople is by cultivating her company’s internship program which allows newcomers to learn from experienced workers in their field.
One of the most exciting things about Leslie’s new position is that she can make it her own. And for Leslie, a job well done means ensuring that her company is as diverse as the city of Chicago. “Success means we are leaders in developing diverse and inclusive initiatives and creating opportunities for people to become exposed to the trades,” she says. “It means ALL Construction Group has a reputation in the community of not just doing great work, but being great partners.”
When it comes to work-life balance, the line is blurry for this busy executive. She dedicates much of her free time to various boards. “I’m really connected to the community, so the community engagement piece of my title is very much who I am.” But when she wants to unplug, Leslie says she enjoys travel, reading, and cooking.
“When I was studying radio and television, I didn’t think I would ever be excited about construction. But I like knowing that I am involved in projects that change a household or have some community economic impact. I get excited when I see a building and know that I helped people get jobs on that project,” she says.