Garner Economics, LLC, a leading provider of site selection, labor analytics, industry targeting, and strategic planning, is pleased to announce the recent addition of Debra Lyons as Principal Strategist—Workforce Development. Within this role, Lyons will work with clients to analyze their workforce, education and training efforts against where they want to grow. Lyons will also provide a strategic road map to align and focus workforce development efforts on the needs of business and industry, resulting in greater business retention, expansion and attraction.
 
“We are delighted to welcome Debra as part of our team. Her experience is a great match for our tactical direction to provide high-value workforce development strategic planning and implementation services to Garner Economics’ clients,” said Jay Garner, president and CEO of the firm.
 
In joining Garner Economics, Lyons brings the ability to deliver effective results, based on more than 25 years of experience in workforce development policy; strategic planning; and project and program development, oversight and execution. She has a strong track record of building effective relationships with a broad range of stakeholders by identifying and aligning mutual interests to implement effective and sustainable workforce development efforts. Additionally, her strong analytical skills and data-driven visioning will help clients understand how to build a strategic compass to guide their workforce development efforts.
 
“I was attracted to Garner Economics by its deep desire to integrate workforce development strategic planning into its overall services offered," Lyons said. “I intend to apply my strategic planning, relationship building and project management skills to provide excellent deliverables to Garner Economics' clients and help them achieve their long-term workforce development goals.”
 
Prior to joining Garner Economics, Lyons served in senior leadership positions at ACT, Inc., including VP of Community and Economic Development. Her signature workforce development initiative at ACT received the 2014 International Economic Development Award—Silver Level for Human Capital. She also served as the inaugural executive director for the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development in Georgia in the administration of Governor Sonny Perdue, where she was the chief architect for the Georgia Work Ready initiative that became a national best practice. She has served as the lead author or contributing author of several publications and research papers on the skills gap and using work-readiness assessments, career pathways and competencies learning to evaluate and close. She also has served on various boards including the Technical College System of Georgia.

During her earlier career, Lyons held positions of mechanical design engineer for Westinghouse Defense & Electronics Center and associate professor of engineering at Montgomery County Community College in Pennsylvania.
 
Lyons received her undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from Lehigh University and her master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park.