S2E2: Project QUEST - David Zammiello, President & CEO

What this episode covers

David serves as the President and CEO of Project QUEST, Inc. QUEST is non-profit organization and workforce development resource. It provides comprehensive support to enable underemployed and unemployed individuals achieve long term employment. David is responsible for the strategy and all aspects of QUEST program service delivery. In March 2017, David started the DAZA Consulting Group as a way to provide practical and relevant guidance to organizations wanting to invest in leadership development, team performance and strategy design. David retired from USAA, in December 2016, a Fortune 100 Company, after 32 years of exceptional professional achievement. With more than 20 years of executive leadership experience leading high-performing teams and implementing strategic business plans. His leadership style focused on building healthy and productive teams able to deliver upon critical organizational objectives. Project QUEST connects San Antonians to emerging careers in healthcare, manufacturing and trades, and IT and cybersecurity. Our nationally-recognized workforce and skills training program has helped thousands find amazing in-demand careers. Our support means we go the extra mile to ensure program participants reach their goals. With wrap-around services that can include rental assistance, scholarships, job interview prep, funds for tuition and books, and more, our workforce program has one of the highest completion rates in the country. At QUEST, we strengthen the economy and transform lives by preparing individuals for in demand, living-wage careers. QUEST has a 86% job placement rate for its completers. Participants enter the program making on average $10,000 a year and graduate making an average of $40,000 a year. The long-term impact on the lives of our graduates is a testament to the strength of our model, and evidence of the effectiveness of our program. Equally important is the economic impact for the city. Within the first five years, every $1 put into QUEST has the return on investment of $15 for the community. A number of external studies have reviewed and evaluated the long-term success of programs such as QUEST, including recent studies by The Aspen Institute and the Ray Marshall Center at the University of Texas. The results of these studies inform our process for evaluating program effectiveness. The Generational Impact Study shows the effects of programs such as QUEST on the children of our graduates in more detail. Findings suggest that 90% of participants'​ children age 18 and over graduated from high school, and 75% have gone on to college.

Distinct summary based on available episode metadata or transcript content.