Andra Cornelius, CEcD

Senior Vice President, Business & Workforce Development
CareerSource Florida
Tallahassee, FL


Andra Cornelius is Senior Vice President of Business & Workforce Development for CareerSource Florida, the non-profit, public-private workforce policy board led by business and charged with developing strategies and policies for Florida’s workforce system. She advances CareerSource Florida’s mission to connect employers with qualified, skilled talent and Floridians with employment and career development opportunities to achieve economic prosperity. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Chamber Foundation have ranked Florida No. 1 in the nation for its workforce and training, recognizing the workforce system’s job-placement performance as well as its training grant program for new and expanding businesses—Florida Flex.

Since beginning her tenure within Florida’s workforce system in 1999, Ms. Cornelius has been instrumental in the provision of over $322 million in awarded grants used to train over 363,000 Floridians for jobs in key state industries. These grants help businesses grow and compete and employees gain skills and increase their earnings potential.

After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Vocational Rehabilitation and a Master of Science degree in Human Services, she completed work toward a Master of Science Degree in Environmental Sciences. A Certified Economic Developer, Ms. Cornelius is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma / Purdue University’s Economic Development Institute, a recipient of the Toni Jennings Workforce Development Professional of the Year Award, a co-founder of the nation’s first state Energy Workforce Consortium, sits on the National Visiting Committee of the Florida Advanced Technological Education Center, and is a member of Leadership Tallahassee. She is a member of the Florida Economic Development Council’s Board of Directors as well as Florida Makes. She is also a member of the International Economic Development Council’s Public Policy Committee and the Economic Development Research Partners. A native Floridian with family roots dating back to the early 1900s and a 47-year small business ownership legacy within her own family, she understands first-hand the important role of small businesses within the state economy and is passionate about promoting their growth.