“Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life”
Written By: Elaine Silverstone, Workforce Development Director
As a workforce development professional, perhaps it’s no surprise that I subscribe to the well-known mantra, “Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life.” I feel very lucky that that principle applies to my career.
I began my career as a K12 educator teaching students with learning disabilities. I LOVED my work, my students, my classroom, my community. I honestly can’t imagine anything more fulfilling than teaching a young person to read for the first time or to solve complex equations, and most importantly to think critically and for themselves. After many years leading instruction in my classroom, I began a new chapter in webhosting/technology. Some years later I blended these new technology skills with my expertise in education to find the ed-tech sector booming. I spent over a decade supporting large scale implementations of software tools that would help teachers support students reach their full potential and gain access to opportunity. I share all this to illustrate yet another well-known mantra; that is, “Man plans, G-D laughs. All this to say: I couldn’t have planned my own career pathway towards workforce development and helping others achieve quality jobs better than it’s turned out so far!
And what a role it is. In my work as Director of Workforce Development at the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) I spend much of my time strategically implementing the Workforce Innovation for a New Nevada (WINN) program. WINN is an innovative tool designed to support the economic diversification goals of our State Plan. Much of my time, too, is spent as a subject matter expert in workforce development. In this lane, I am most appreciative of the very aligned system that represents our state’s workforce resources. In my work, I often refer to a diagram (see below) that, while dated, does well represent the robust workforce ecosystem in which we work.
Some of GOED’s closest partners in workforce include those at other state agencies like the Office of Workforce Innovation (OWINN) as operated with the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR), the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), the Nevada Department of Education (NDE) and the Government Workforce Development Boards (GWDB). All our efforts, of course, are in service to the employers in our state providing quality wage jobs for all Nevadans.
Earlier in 2025, I traveled with OWINN partners, Executive Director Marchele Sneed and Program Manager Leslie Crumb to the Jobs for the Future National Skills Coalition in Washington, D.C. There was so much power in sharing that experience with colleagues across agencies. Director Sneed leads regular meetings across workforce agencies for ongoing learning in that same spirit.
Many of the GOED WINN-funded projects are hosted at community colleges. As a result, our office works very closely with workforce leaders from NSHE and across the four community college campuses in our state. NSHE’s Assistant Vice-Chancellor of Workforce Development and Community Colleges Natalie Brown is a steady partner in our efforts to create high quality jobs for all Nevadans. Dr. Brown and I meet regularly in office and in the field to connect educational opportunities to workforce pathways and to ensure there is alignment with the needs of employers, creating jobs here.
While the GOED WINN fund is appropriated through state funds, there are many federally funded workforce resources available through the Governor’s Workforce Development Boards. Workforce Connections serves much of Southern Nevada and Nevadaworks supports 13 counties in the state.
Our agencies are well aligned to support the goal of bringing high quality jobs for all Nevadans through different programs. The state’s EmployNV career hubs are one example of a one-stop career resource center supporting individuals in their pursuit of career pathways. Very often our teams link up to build a dynamic solution for companies bringing their business to Nevada and to connect a ready workforce to these roles. Industry Sector Partnerships (ISP) are another strategic way that our GWDB’s engagement meaningfully brings the whole workforce ecosystem together.
This is just a glimpse of the very strategic and well-aligned workforce ecosystem providing resources throughout state agencies, all with a goal of creating and connecting Nevadans to high quality jobs.
And, man, do we love this work!