About Us

GOWD Staff

• Tricia Pridemore - Executive Director 404-463-8520
• Jeff Ledford- Chief of Staff 404-516-5231
• Ashlee Aurandt- Senior Project Manager 404-661-6399
• Steven Wilson - Information and Communications Manager 404-463-0549
• Tanya Minta- Customer Service Specialist 404-463-5030
• Cecelia Buckner- Business Development Specialist 404-656-9486
• Kate Russell- Chief Financial Officer 404-317-8840
• Diaon Woods- External Affairs Liaison 404-656-9489
• Cherry Peterson- Program Specialist 404-656-9485
• Catie Campbell - Marketing and Communications Manager 404-463-8526
• Shari Chambers- Office Manager/ Executive Assistant 404-463-8520

Contact the Governor's Office of Workforce Development at 404-463-5030.

Georgia Work Ready

Georgia Work Ready was launched in August 2006 by Governor Sonny Perdue and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce to improve the job training and marketability of Georgia's workforce and drive future economic growth for the state. It is the only initiative of its kind to be conducted through a partnership between a state government and state chamber of commerce, ensuring that companies can more reliably match the right people with the right jobs. Work Ready is based on a skills assessment and certification for job seekers and a job profiling system for businesses. By identifying both the needs of business and the available skills of Georgia's workforce, the state can more effectively generate the right talent for the right jobs.

Governor's Office of Workforce Development

The Governor's Office of Workforce Development (GOWD) was created by Governor Sonny Perdue in August 2006 to improve the job training and marketability of Georgia's workforce and drive future economic growth for the state. The office administers Work Ready, a voluntary workforce assessment system measuring "real world" skills that employers believe are critical to job success.