Meet the Team
Michael “Mike” Schurr was the Education Director for the Finishing Trades Institute of the Mid-Atlantic Region (FTI) from 2006-2017. He oversaw all day-to-day operations of the FTI which covers a large geographic area over four states: Central/Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, Northern Maryland and all of Delaware.
The FTI is the official training provider for International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT)-District Council 21 and offers 5 registered apprenticeship programs: Architectural Glass & Metal Workers, Architectural Glassworkers, Commercial Painters, Drywall Finishers, Industrial Painters and Multi-Craft Decorators. The FTI is also fully accredited with the U.S. Department of Education and considered a post-secondary college.
Mike comes from a labor background; being a third-generation union tradesperson. From 1987-91 he served as an apprenticeship with Glaziers Local 252 in the Philadelphia area. After serving his apprenticeship he became a lead foreperson on several large projects. In 1996, he became a part time instructor for Glaziers Local 252’s Apprenticeship Program. He rapidly moved into the positions of Full Time Instructor, Glaziers Coordinator, Assistant Director, and then in 2006 became the Education Director of the FTI.
Mike has a multi-discipline bachelor’s degree in labor history, labor education studies, and safety and health from the National Labor College in Silver Springs, MD. He also has a Master of Science Degree in Organizational Development & Leadership from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Additionally, he has an abundance of experience in apprenticeship and education; serving as the Chairman for the Pennsylvania State Apprenticeship & Training Council, Chairman of the State and Southeast Region Chapter of the “Pennsylvania Apprenticeship Coordinators Association” (PACA), three year member of the Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board (PWIB), member of Pennsylvania’s Apprenticeship Action Planning Committee, member of the Strategic Planning and Liaison Committee’s for the Council on Occupational Education, member of several school advisory boards, and served on several other boards and committees dealing with apprenticeship, education, and workforce development.
Mike has dedicated his life to improving conditions for working people and has a deep-rooted belief that the labor movement and education are the key factors to improving the quality of life for working class people.
Jim Gentile was born and raised in the Washington, DC. Metropolitan area. He achieved a B.A. in Philosophy and Government from Georgetown University, and a J.D. from Catholic University. He served as both General Counsel and Director of Human Resources at the National Labor College (NLC). As part of his duties at NLC he oversaw the successful effort to achieve accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
He was responsible for drafting the formative documents regarding the structure and operation at NLC. He also taught courses in Arbitration, Negotiations, Labor Law, Business Law, and Ethics. He is currently a partner at PTM Consulting Group. At PTM he has written successful grant proposals for affiliates of the Communication Workers of America, and the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers, among many others. He has personally helped more than 10 labor-based training centers obtain accreditation as a post-secondary school, including the International Finishing Trades Institute.
Sam White was born and raised in northern Indiana. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in history and American studies from Purdue University and a PhD from Binghamton University (SUNY) where he studied US social and labor history, work organization, and comparative work systems. In his career, he has served as a professor of labor studies at Indiana University, the University of Missouri, and West Virginia University. More recently, he served as the director of education for an international labor organization.
Sam has completed a variety of grant- and contract-funded research and curriculum projects for local, state, and national labor and labor-management organizations representing the auto, steel, public sector, and construction industries. His areas of expertise include industrial relations, historical analysis, teaching, curriculum development, effective communication, policy analysis, partnership building, and strategic planning.
Schurr Bookkeeping, LLC is the third-party financial administrator for PTM Consulting Group. Financial questions or concerns for PTM Consulting should be directed to the Managing Partner, Mike Schurr. However, simple financial inquiries [i.e billing questions] can also be made to Sue Schurr at the contact information listed above.
Independent Staff & Partnerships
Besides its core partners, PTM has developed an impressive group of independent staffers that are called upon when projects involve these individuals’ fields of expertise. Besides independent staff, PTM has developed partnerships with several organizations that offer expertise in a wide array of topics, making PTM’s ability to tackle many different initiatives impressive and seamless.