ADRIAN — For Ronnie Giles Jr., moving with his dad from Minnesota to Indiana in 2011 was “an opportunity for me to explore, academically and athletically.” And it put him on a path that led him to Adrian and eventually to becoming the Align Center for Workforce Development’s new executive director as of Sept. 1.

In Indiana, Giles was able to play high school football at a Division 5a school, which at the time was the state’s highest division. He was a standout all-conference player there.

“I was a good student, not great, but football brought it all together for me: sports, family, life,” he said, and the sheer fact of having moved to a state where he didn’t know anyone meant that his success was all about “hard work and talent, not favoritism.”

Giles said his dad, who raised him after his parents divorced, has “a very special place in my heart.”

“He raised me, he taught me how to be a man, he taught me how to take care of others, and he was always coaching me,” he said.

Graduating 75th out of 550 students in his school coupled with his skill at football got him recruited by Siena Heights University, where he played running back and nickel linebacker for the Saints and became an academic All-American.

Originally intending to study engineering because he was interested in architectural design, he ended up majoring in accounting and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Next, he pursued a master’s degree in accounting at Bowling Green State University.

SHU not only provided Giles with his undergraduate education, but it was also where he met his wife, Mykala, who was a fellow student. 

The pair first bonded over a book on Christian dating that he’d been discussing with a friend and that Mykala wanted to read. He loaned it to her, and through talking over the principles in the book the two became friends. They married in June 2020 and now have three children: Ronnie III, Ania, and James.

Mykala became the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ director of the Office of Justice, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in September.

Giles’ first job after college was as an accountant in the Jackson office of the professional advisory firm Rehmann. He soon discovered, however, that he wanted to do something different with his life.

“I appreciated accounting because of the skill set,” he said, “but my personality would not let me not pursue working with people, working for the betterment of others.”

He left that company for a job as an assistant director of philanthropy at Albion College, where he spent about three years. Then the development director’s position opened up at Siena Heights, and the opportunity to serve his alma mater “couldn’t be turned down,” he said.

But after a few months at SHU, he found himself searching for a deeper connection with the community. A career connections fair brought him into contact with Randy Yagiela of Lenawee Now, and that, in turn, led to Giles becoming a business development manager for the Align Center in May of this year.

Then, the search process for the center’s new executive director opened up and he applied. “I wanted to show my commitment to Align and show my commitment to Lenawee County,” he said.

Now that he’s at the helm, his first task is “helping the community understand who we are and what it is that we do,” he said. “We are a hub for workforce development, connecting companies and employees and educators.”

Community engagement will be at the heart of the process. “I want to work hand in hand with the community to come up with creative solutions that will benefit us all,” he said.

As the center has begun hosting events, “the word is getting out,” he said, “and I believe we’re starting to pick up momentum. The goal now is to explain the mission so people understand what we’re doing.

“Nothing’s going to happen overnight. It’s going to take time. But we think that we’re going to form good partnerships.”