12 / 32
12
Community Council
SPEAKER
SKILLS
SOFT SKILLS
AND BEHAVIORS
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Jennie Weber, Employment Security
Department, referencing Workforce
Readiness Skills*
Critical thinking, problem solving,
effective communication
Enthusiasm and attitude, teamwork, network-
ing, professionalism
David Woolson, President and CEO,
Walla Walla Chamber of Commerce
Critical thinking, effective
communication, technical skills
Adaptability, customer service
EDUCATORS
Dan Calzaretta, Director of the pro-
posed Willow School
Critical thinking, problem solving,
effective communication
Ability to work in a team
Brent Cummings, Director, 21st
Century Community Learning
Centers, referencing Association
for Supervision and Curriculum
Development
†
Critical thinking, effective
communication
Persistence, listening, and understanding
with empathy, managing impulsivity, thinking
flexibly, striving for accuracy, applying past
knowledge to new situations, gathering data
through all senses, taking responsible risks,
responding with wonderment, finding humor,
thinking independently, innovating, imagining,
lifelong learning
Kathleen Murray, President, Whit-
man College and Bob Cushman,
Vice President, Walla Walla Uni-
versity, referencing Hart Research
Associates
‡
Critical thinking, complex
problem solving, effective
communication
Capacity for new learning, ethical judgment
and integrity, intercultural skills
Pete Peterson, Principal, Wa-Hi,
and Mira Gobel, Principal, Pioneer
Middle School, referencing Seven
Survival Skills
§
Critical thinking, problem solving,
effective communication
Agility and adaptability, initiative and entrepre-
neurialism, curiosity and imagination, access-
ing and analyzing information, collaboration
across networks, leading by influence
Kim Rolfe, Director of Business En-
gagement, Whitman College
Critical thinking, informed
decision making, effective
communication
Collaborative problem solving, integrity, grit,
polish, punctuality
EMPLOYERS
Health Care (Walla Walla Clinic)
Critical thinking and problem
solving, business acumen, IT skills
Customer service, adaptability
Government (Department of
Corrections)
Effective communication, judge-
ment and problem solving,
computer skills
Relationship building, ethics and integrity, em-
bracing diversity and cultural difference, safety,
treating others with respect and courtesy,
dependability, accountability, leadership
Manufacturing (Nelson Irrigation,
ProtoParadigm)
Effective communication, applied
math
Work ethic, positive attitude, dependability,
ability to work on a team, life skills, budgeting,
financial management, trainability
21st Century Skills
*
U.S. Department of Labor, “Soft Skills to Pay the Bills.”DOL, n.d.
†
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, “Habits of Mind.”2008
‡
Hart Research Associates, “It Takes More than a Major: Employer Priorities for College Learning and Student Success”. The Association of American Colleges and
Universities, April 10, 2013.
§
Tony Wagner,
The Global Achievement Gap: Why Even Our Best Schools Don’t Teach The New Survival Skills Our Children Need—And What We Can Do About It
.
New York: Basic, 2008.