People in the business community have been talking for months about how difficult it is to find employees right now. That being the case, shoring up the local workforce would seem to be a job requiring a seasoned and capable veteran.

The Greater Memphis Chamber clearly thinks it has found one in Amity Schuyler, its new senior vice president of workforce development.

Schuyler will be joining the chamber staff after a long career of service in nonprofit organizations, as well as state and local government.

Schuyler currently serves as chief of strategy and innovation for Shelby County Schools. Prior to that, she served as deputy commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Education.

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Before relocating to Tennessee, she served as the chief of staff and chief of strategic communications for the Palm Beach County, Florida, school district, where she successfully led two ballot initiatives in three years to provide $41 billion of tax revenue for the school district.

In that role, she also worked closely with the Palm Beach Economic Council to align policy and legislative priorities that strengthened and supported classroom to workplace pipelines.

In her new role, Schuyler will oversee the chamber’s workforce development team and create alignment between academic institutions and workforce development organizations.

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“Whether meeting with our existing businesses or recruiting new businesses to Memphis, the number one issue that is most often discussed is both our current and future workforce,” said Ted Townsend, the chamber’s chief economic development officer. “Amity brings to the role a deep understanding of the needs of business and industry leaders as well as the importance of systems and policy alignment as a crucial component in creating workforce and talent pipelines for a community.”

“I am beyond thrilled to join the team at the Greater Memphis Chamber and help to make Memphis the choice city to do business,” Schuyler said. “In order to build a strong workforce that meets the needs of our employers, solid alignment in our workforce ecosystem is a must. That means we must all be rowing in the same direction and desire the same outcomes. I am up for that challenge and excited to get to work.”

She begins her position July 1.