Career Advancement Network

In 2003, Mark Kaufman and John Suffern formed Career Advancement Network, a non-profit workforce development consulting organization. Career Advancement Network’s mission is to advance individuals within the workforce development system and transform public-private partnerships using state of the art technology and talent management principles.

Mark Kaufman

John Suffern

Prior to forming Career Advancement Network, Mr. Kaufman oversaw Marriott International's welfare to work program, Pathways to Independence, in the Midwest Region for six years. He was responsible for program start-up, contracting, fiscal oversight, and performance management in fifteen cities. He managed the only Department of Labor contract ($3.5 million) awarded to the private sector under welfare to work and was lead developer of Marriott’s Career Advancement Training program.

Also during that time Mr. Kaufman

Served as Executive on Loan to the National Welfare to Work Partnership
Served as Founding Chairperson, Chicago Hospitality Industry Consortium
Sat on Illinois Governor George Ryan's Transition Team for Job Training
Served as Board Member, City of Chicago’s Welfare Reform Task Force
Served as Board Member, State of Illinois Literacy Council

His programs received awards from the state of Michigan’s Workforce Board and the Department of Labor.

Mr. Suffern has 19 years of management experience in the areas of information data management, workforce development, business development, customer relations, operational and project management, financial planning, and debt management. His range of expertise includes the following:

extensive recruiting experience in the employment industry, resulting in market growth in excess of 38 percent,
responsibility for fiscal management and budgetary systems in excess of 25 million dollars,
development of customized workforce training programs,
created Strategic Sales Training for regional sales team, improving client relations and customer satisfaction, and
developed quality assurance programs to ensure customer satisfaction and quality standards.

John has six years experience working with the leader in government outsourcing of workforce development programs at MAXIMUS, Inc. He had responsibility for City of Chicago, Cook County, and State of Illinois contracts totally over $14 million dollars in revenue during his tenure. John has a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Beloit College, Beloit Wisconsin, 1984. John is trained in Professional Selling Skills, certified in Miller-Heiman Strategic Sales Training, and is becoming a Certified Examiner for the Lincoln Foundation for Performance Excellence.