Leadership Team

HIRED is managed by a talented group of leaders. A brief summary of the background, experience and current responsibilities of each member of our leadership team follows.

Jane Samargia
…executive director since 1983. She is currently responsible for a staff of 175 and a budget of more than $15 million. Jane specializes in the design of service delivery systems, program management and governmental relations. She is responsible for the operation of workforce development programs in four counties in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area that annually assist more than 11,000 at-risk youth, refugees, single parents, school dropouts, ex-offenders, dislocated workers, and others lacking adequate education, training and work experience.

During Jane’s tenure, HIRED became a leader in the use of technology to link employers and job seekers at community based organizations. HIRED’s Job Link, a workforce development information management system, has been cited nationally as a model for more efficient gathering, organizing and communicating of job opening information. Jane also spearheaded the development of HIRED’s Internal Client Information System (ICIS) – a secure, proprietary database that interacts seamlessly with the state’s Workforce One structure. ICIS has received the attention of government officials and agencies across the nation for its design and the supreme efficiencies created for HIRED counselors. In addition, Jane has served on a number of local and state level committees to advise on workforce development issues.

She is a graduate of the University of the Philippines.

Carol Aharoni
…division director for youth and special projects serving low income adults and dislocated workers, manages more than 20 programs and over 30 staff members in multiple locations in Hennepin, Ramsey and Dakota Counties. She has over 25 years' experience in workforce development as well as four years' experience working abroad. She holds a master's degree in criminal justice and rehabilitation.

Amy Barwick
…human resources director, manages the human resources functions including recruitment, benefits, compensation, staff training and employee relations for the HIRED staff. She has over 25 years of human resources management experience in public and private sectors. Amy graduated from the University Of Colorado Boulder School Of Business and received her Bachelor of Science degree with her area of emphasis in personnel.

Barb Dahl
…division director for HIRED’s Minnesota Family Investment Programs in Ramsey, Hennepin and Dakota counties. Each of these programs assists participants in transition from welfare. Barb began working with HIRED in 1998, and now supervises 75+ staff in eight of HIRED’s offices. Specializing in outcomes-based program design and administration, Barb has been invited to present at state- and national-level conferences on improving employment outcomes for low-income job seekers.

Nancy James
…employer services director for HIRED programs serving suburban Hennepin and Dakota counties, manages services for low-income adults and dislocated workers and plant-specific programs under the state's expeditious response initiative for major business dislocations. In 2005, she was instrumental in creating a partnership with Hennepin Technical College that led to their successful bid for receiving funding from the National Association of Manufacturers Center for Workforce Success Manufacturing Institute. Together, HIRED and HTC created a model training program for the precision metalforming manufacturing industry. Currently Nancy manages over 20 dislocated worker special projects as well as state and federal dislocated worker programs for Hennepin County. She manages 20 or more staff members in multiple locations. Nancy has over 22 years' experience in workforce development and has completed management certification at the University of Minnesota.

Jeff Ambroz
…director of development and communications has been employed at HIRED since 2007. He is responsible for advancing the HIRED brand, increasing public awareness of the organization, and securing additional funding from individuals and foundations to further advance HIRED’s work with Twin Cities area job seekers. A graduate of Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Minn., Jeff also received a certificate in Fundraising from the Opus College of Business at the University of St. Thomas. Jeff has more than 10 years experience in leading resource development and communications activities at nonprofit organizations.

Anne Sweet
…finance director since 2007. She is responsible for a department that provides services to all members of the organization and its outside constituents. Her areas of responsibility include budgeting, financial reporting, audit preparation, insurance, development and implementation of policies and procedures, payroll, accounts receivable and accounts payable. She has more than 15 years of experience in nonprofits and government and received her MBA in Finance from DePaul University.

Jim Thibodeau
…director of IT since 2008, is responsible for leading a team of six technology professionals in the maintenance and expansion of the organization’s technology services across more than 15 office locations. Charged with supporting HIRED’s internal network, database, in-house client information, IP phone and staff computer systems, Jim and his team also provide help desk support to the organization’s 175 staff members. Jim received his Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and brings over 40 years of executive experience in the computer industry and IT-related fields to his work at HIRED.