Sonya Delaney
Hospitality Institute of Ohio
Delaware,Ohio
16
years of professional experience
Senior Manager, Workforce Programs & Operations leading statewide workforce development, program implementation, and partner engagement across education and industry initiatives. Coordinates 15+ statewide programs, events, and initiatives per year, along with timelines, documentation, while managing corresponding budgets, invoices, grant reports, and performance reports per month for more than 50 partners across complex programs that serve educators, employers, and participants. Strengthens delivery through SOPs, event execution, and continuous improvement across multi-partner initiatives.
Work History
Senior Manager, Workforce Programs & Operations
- Serve as an operational and relationship leader for statewide workforce and education initiatives, including Ohio ProStart, Ohio Hospitality CTSO, Apprenticeship, Restaurant Ready, HOPES, Hospitality Reserve, educator engagement, and future workforce initiatives.
- Build and maintain relationships with educators, schools, career technical centers, employers, workforce partners, community organizations, and industry stakeholders to support program implementation, participation, and shared outcomes.
- Provide ongoing guidance and implementation support to educators and program partners; coordinate resources, communications, presentations, and stakeholder engagement activities that strengthen program delivery.
- Coordinate program planning, implementation, timelines, meetings, project workflows, documentation, and day-to-day administration while identifying challenges, resource needs, and opportunities for continuous improvement.
- Support grant implementation, reporting requirements, program documentation, departmental budgets, invoices, purchasing, and performance reporting.
- Supported grant implementation and compliance by managing reporting requirements, program documentation, budgets, invoices, and performance reporting.
- Developed and maintained SOPs, workflows, and operational documentation to enhance consistency, accountability, and cross-departmental collaboration.
- Coordinated educational events, competitions, and workforce initiatives, managing timelines, vendors, and key stakeholders to ensure positive participant experiences.
Programs & Events Manager
4 Years 7 Months- Planned and executed 10+ statewide competitions, conferences, student engagement events, workforce initiatives, and industry programs annually, managing approximately $50,000 in event budgets and complex stakeholder logistics.
- Implemented Pre-Apprenticeship, Apprenticeship, and Restaurant Ready programs that prepared 150+ participants for careers in hospitality.
- Led expansion of Ohio ProStart programming in collaboration with career technical centers and workforce agencies, contributing to a 5% increase in student participation statewide.
- Cultivated strategic relationships with 50+ educators, employers, workforce boards, nonprofit organizations, correctional workforce initiatives, and national hospitality partners to enhance program collaboration and support career pathways.
- Executed 10+ statewide competitions, conferences, student engagement events, workforce initiatives, and industry programs annually, overseeing $50,000 event budgets and coordinating complex stakeholder logistics.
- Evaluated program participation rates and stakeholder feedback to uncover improvement opportunities, supporting data-driven decisions and enhancing program effectiveness.
- Analyzed program participation rates and stakeholder feedback to identify opportunities for improvement and support data-informed decisions, organizational reporting, and program effectiveness.
- Developed presentations, communications, promotional materials, and stakeholder resources to increase program awareness, engagement, and participation.
Meals on Wheels Support Specialist / Office Assistant
3 Years- Coordinated three initiatives serving 200+ community members and managed onboarding, training, scheduling, and ongoing support for 20+ volunteers.
- Coordinated three initiatives for 200+ community members, overseeing onboarding, training, scheduling, and support for 20+ volunteers.
- Maintained cross-departmental communication while managing multiple priorities and deadlines; promoted due to operational performance and initiative.
Director of Events
8 Years- Coordinated planning and execution of 50+ weddings and corporate events annually, overseeing project timelines, budgets, contracts, vendors, staffing, communications, and client relationships to ensure seamless event delivery.
- Cultivated long-term relationships with clients, vendors, community partners, and hospitality stakeholders, serving as primary point of contact to facilitate effective planning and implementation.
- Built long-term relationships with clients, vendors, community partners, and hospitality stakeholders while serving as the primary point of contact throughout planning and implementation.
- Generated operational and financial reports, including forecasting, budget analysis, post-event evaluations, and revenue tracking, while also recruiting, training, scheduling, and supervising a team of 15.
Education
Bachelor of General Studies - Political Science and Psychology
Minors in Political Science and Psychology
Skills
Relationship management & stakeholder engagement
Career and technical education
Project management
Workforce development
Continuous improvement
Program evaluation
Grant administration
Budget management
SOP development
Event operations
Strategic planning
Organizational leadership
Change management
Team leadership
Fund development
Executive presentations
Accomplishments
Spearheaded the development and statewide launch of the Ohio Hospitality CTSO, creating the program structure and implementation framework for Ohio’s first new state-approved Career and Technical Student Organization in more than 40 years.
Timeline
Senior Manager, Workforce Programs & Operations
Hospitality Institute of Ohio
08.2026 - CurrentRead More
Programs & Events Manager
Hospitality Institute of Ohio
01.2022 - 08.2026Read More
Meals on Wheels Support Specialist / Office Assistant
SourcePoint / Meals on Wheels
01.2019 - 01.2022Read More
Director of Events
Glenross Golf Club
01.2011 - 01.2019Read More
Kent State University
Bachelor of General Studies from Political Science and Psychology
Read More