From Classroom to Career: Building Springfield’s Workforce Through Partnerships

When Lane Community College celebrated its 61st commencement in June, more than 1,380 graduates crossed the stage representing years of determination, perseverance, and personal achievement.

Among them were two individuals with strong ties to the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce – each representing a different side of the Chamber’s ongoing investment in workforce development.

Amanda Fallon crossed the stage as a graduate, student leader, and participant in two Springfield Chamber programs: Student Access Pass and Mentor Connect. Tim Woolley, president and founder of IEQ Technology, addressed graduates after being recognized as Lane Community College’s 2026 Distinguished Alumnus.

Together, their stories reflect something larger than a single commencement ceremony. They illustrate how partnerships between education, business, and community organizations help prepare students for successful careers while strengthening the local workforce.

Building Connections Before Graduation
Preparing students for the workforce requires more than classroom instruction. Technical knowledge and academic achievement are essential, but long-term career success is also shaped by professional relationships, exposure to industry, and opportunities to engage with the business community before entering the workforce.

That philosophy is at the heart of the Springfield Chamber’s WorkReady initiative, a collaborative effort focused on strengthening the region’s education and workforce development ecosystem through partnerships with employers, educators, and community organizations.

Attendees get managerial training at Holiday Inn Express for the Chamber’s expanded Essential Skills Workshop

Springfield Public School students participate in mock interviews with Springfield Chamber member volunteers

Student Access Pass
One of those partnerships is the Chamber’s Student Access Pass program. Designed for students in degree and career technical education programs, Student Access Pass provides access to Chamber programs and events, allowing students to meet local employers, build professional networks, and gain a better understanding of career opportunities available throughout Lane County.

For Amanda Fallon, those opportunities complemented an already impressive leadership journey at Lane Community College. In addition to serving as vice president of the Associated Students of Lane Community College, she was a peer support specialist with Career Pathways and a writer for The Torch, the college’s student newspaper.

Her participation in Student Access Pass and Mentor Connect added another dimension to that experience by creating opportunities to connect directly with the local business community she hopes to be part of after graduation.

“Student Access Pass has really opened doors for me. It is a great way to learn about your community and local businesses, and meet people; and through my experiences with the Chamber, I have learned to communicate better with business owners without feeling intimidated.”

– Amanda Fallon, LCC Graduate and Mentor Connect and Student Access Pass participant

Where Education Meets Industry
The Chamber’s Mentor Connect program builds on those connections. A partnership between the Springfield Chamber, Onward Eugene, and Lane Community College, Mentor Connect pairs Lane students with experienced business and industry professionals for a six-month mentoring experience focused on career exploration, professional growth, and expanding students’ professional networks.

Amanda Fallon accepts her Associates diploma from LCC President Stephanie Bulger

Amanda Fallon and her mentor, Mary Ann Reilly, chat with Justin Chin, LCC’s Dean of Workforce Development

The program reflects a shared commitment to preparing students not only for graduation, but for meaningful careers in the region. Lane Community College equips students with knowledge, technical skills, and credentials. The Chamber brings together the employers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders who help students better understand workplace expectations, career pathways, and opportunities available in the local economy.

Together, those partnerships intentionally connect education and industry, creating relationships that often continue well beyond the formal mentoring experience.

Leadership That Comes Full Circle
If Amanda Fallon’s story represents the beginning of a professional journey, Tim Woolley’s reflects what those journeys can become.

As president and founder of IEQ Technology, Woolley has built one of Springfield’s leading technology companies while maintaining a strong commitment to growing talent locally. Rather than relying on remote hiring, IEQ Technology has prioritized building its team from within the community, recognizing that strong partnerships with organizations like Lane Community College help connect the company with emerging talent.

Distinguished Alumnus Tim Woolley speaks to the LCC’s 2026 graduating class during the commencement ceremony in June

Tim Woolley answers questions about business expansion at a recent Springfield Chamber Roundtable program

That commitment has also been evident through the Chamber. IEQ Technology was recognized as the Springfield Chamber’s 2024 Business of the Year, honoring the company’s growth, innovation, and investment in the community. Woolley was part of the 2025-26 cohort of Leadership Eugene Springfield, a coveted civic leadership program operated jointly by the Springfield and Eugene Chambers, currently in its 40th year.

“The Springfield Chamber – and in particular, Leadership Eugene Springfield – pushed me way out of my comfort zone, and that’s exactly what I needed. It got me more out there and taking on things that I probably would’ve talked myself out of before.”

– Tim Woolley, Owner, IEQ Technology and Leadership Eugene Springfield graduate (2025-26 cohort)

More recently, Woolley shared his perspective with Chamber members during the Chamber Roundtable, Breaking Ground: Considerations From Businesses Expanding Locally, where he discussed IEQ Technology’s continued growth, expansion into a new Springfield office, and the importance of investing in local talent as the company grows.

Returning to Lane Community College as the institution’s 2026 Distinguished Alumnus brought those experiences full circle – from student, to entrepreneur, to employer, to community leader encouraging the next generation.

Investing in Springfield’s Future
Stories like Fallon’s and Woolley’s demonstrate why partnerships between education and business matter. Students benefit from building relationships before they graduate; employers gain opportunities to connect with emerging talent earlier; and the community benefits by strengthening the pipeline between education and meaningful careers.

Those outcomes don’t happen by accident. They are the result of intentional collaboration between organizations that share a common goal: helping students succeed while ensuring local businesses have access to the workforce they need to grow.

Programs like Student Access Pass and Mentor Connect are made possible through partnerships with Lane Community College, Onward Eugene, and the Springfield Chamber’s Impact Investors, whose generous support helps expand workforce development opportunities throughout the region.