1. Home
  2. 2020 Veterans Conference

Conference Navigation

2020 Veterans Conference

WE'RE GOING VIRTUAL!

For the first time ever, the NASWA Veterans Conference can be enjoyed from the comfort of the nearest computer or smartphone!

Use the tabs above to view the draft agenda, registration information, sponsor information, and more!

 

The Weight of Honor - Special Access for Conference Attendees!

Poster of the Weight of Honor

 

All registered attendees of the 2020 Veterans Conference will receive special access to view The Weight of Honor documentary at no-cost.

The film will be the main topic for a conference plenary panel discussion and will include special guests: Linzi Andersen, one of the military spouses featured in the movie and Stephanie Seldin Howard, producer, writer, and director of the film.

Note: the film is for adult audiences and contains scenes of military combat

The Weight of Honor Conference Session Description

The Weight of Honor Trailer 

The Weight of Honor Website

 

 

 

 

 

Follow @NASWAORG and join the conversation on Twitter #NASWAVets20

 

2020 Veterans Conference Schedule

Zoom Tips & Tricks Featured Speakers & Presenters

Session recordings and presentations are available by clicking any session in the schedule below.

 

Sessions below are listed in Eastern Time.

Conference Opening Ceremonies

Welcome to the Seventh Annual NASWA Veterans Conference!
Plenary Room

USDOL VETS Conference Welcome

Hear a word from USDOL VETS' Assistant Secretary of Labor, John Lowry
Plenary Room

“Listening and Learning – What We Learned About Military Spouse Challenges During a Listening Tour of Washington State Military Installations"

Military spouses endure frequent career disruptions due to regularly mandated moves, known as permanent changes of station (PCS). The resulting chronic unemployment and underemployment is an affront to the dignity of military families, creates a national security risk by impacting military recruitment and retention, and generates economic distress in communities supporting low-income military families. View more...
Plenary Room

Virtual Break

A Word from our Gold Sponsors

Aetna/CVS Health, Comcast NBCUniversal, Grow with Google, LinkedIn, Management Concepts, Microsoft, and Prudential Financial
Plenary Room

“The Weight of Honor” - Panel Discussion

"The Weight of Honor" is the first comprehensive documentary to chronicle the lives of families caring for their catastrophically-wounded returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. View more...
Plenary Room

Virtual Break

And the Winner Is: Mark Sanders Award Announcement and Presentation

The 2020 Mark Sanders Award for Exceptional Service to Veterans, with special emphasis on Veterans with Significant Barriers to employment, recognizes the efforts of an entire one-stop career center whose efforts to serve Veterans go above and beyond the scope of mandatory service provision. View more...
Plenary Room

Grow with Google: Digital Tools to Grow Your Skills, Career, or Business

Grow with Google offers free training and tools to help you grow your skills, career, or business no matter where you are. In this session, we’ll share the tools that Google offers to help you access resources, build a career, and gain skills that can help you thrive in an increasingly digital environment. View more...
Plenary Room

View from His Home Office

Join NASWA Executive Director Scott B. Sanders as he discusses what has been happening in NASWA over the past year, with a focus on new initiatives, projects, and programs to benefit your state and its residents.
Plenary Room

A Word from our Silver Sponsors

Amazon, Geographic Solutions and JPMorgan Chase and Co.
Plenary Room

How Sweet it Is: Being Your Own Boss

Success is sweet for these entrepreneurs, who took advantage of the services available from the Small Business Administration’s Office of Veterans Business Development to start their own businesses and become their own boss.
Plenary Room

Virtual Break

Concurrent Breakout Session : The Top Ten Things Veterans Staff Should Know about Registered Apprenticeship

So how comfortable are you with your current level of understanding of Registered Apprenticeship (we’re not talking about Webster’s Dictionary ‘apprenticeship’ here)? View more...
Breakout Room 1

Concurrent Breakout Session: Suicide Prevention, Intervention and Postvention Tools & Resources

The goal of this training is to teach you how to recognize warning signs for suicide risk and how to connect Veterans in distress with help. Our hope is that this will empower you to be more “suicide aware” and to better serve Veterans in your community.
Breakout Room 2

Concurrent Breakout Session: CNAS Research/Minority Needs Assessment

In this session, Kayla Williams of the Center for a New American Security will present findings from their Minority Veteran Needs Assessment. This research examined the challenges facing Veterans who are racial and ethnic minorities, women, and/or LGBT in New York State and nationwide through the lens of four life domains: health, housing stability, financial stability, and social support. View more...
Breakout Room 3

Concurrent Breakout Session: Power of Partnership

Everyone knows that two heads are better than one, so it stands to reason that two state agencies working together would provide double opportunities to make sure states’ Veterans are well taken care of. Check out this session to learn how the state workforce agencies and State Veterans Affairs in Indiana and Utah have pooled resources, talent, and services to serve their states’ Veterans and military families.
Breakout Room 4

Lunch Break

Concurrent Breakout Session: Advice and Insight from Recruiting Experts

This session will be an open discussion on tips and best practices for NASWA members advising veteran job seekers.
Breakout Room 1

Concurrent Breakout Session: PAVE Connect: Employment Support for Veterans When and Where They Need It

PAVE Connect meets Veterans with disabilities and their families with employment support when and where it matters. Our presentation will discuss why we developed PAVE Connect, lessons learned since the program launch, and how PAVE Connect can be a tool for NASWA members.
Breakout Room 2

Concurrent Breakout Session: Innovations & Challenges in Serving Homeless Women Veterans: Lessons from the Department of Labor’s Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program (HVRP) Grantees

This session will explore promising practices and challenges related to serving homeless women Veterans. These insights were gleaned from a series of listening sessions with DOL HVRP grantees as they work to provide employment assistance to Veterans with significant barriers to employment, many of which are associated with mental illness associated with trauma. View more...
Breakout Room 3

Concurrent Breakout Session: Discovering Your Purpose After Transitioning: Tools for Finding the Right Career Match

Veterans want to ensure that their career after military life is a good fit that provides them with a sense of purpose. View more...
Breakout Room 4

Virtual Break

Using LinkedIn for your Maximum Potential

Back by popular demand! Many of you asked for Sarah Roberts from LinkedIn to come back this year after hearing her workshop presentation in 2019. She will have updates on the latest tools and tips available from LinkedIn to help your customers make the most of their LinkedIn presence to connect with employers, service providers, and other Veterans.
Plenary Room

Virtual Employment Challenges and Opportunities

One benefit of the current pandemic is the growing realization that virtual work is “real work,” and a lot gets accomplished during the day (and night) in our home offices. View more...
Plenary Room

Virtual Break

Secrets of their Success: Recruiting, Hiring and Retaining Veterans

Employer members of this panel have all received the Hire Vets Medallion recognition from the US Department of Labor/Veterans Employment and Training Services. They will be sharing insights on how their companies successfully recruit, hire and most importantly, retain Veterans.
Plenary Room

Virtual Break

Impact of Recent Supreme Court Decision on Military Personnel

In a landmark decision, the U.S. ruled that the language of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on sex, also applies to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Please join us for a conversation on possible effects of this historic ruling and a brief primer on the service of LGBTQ people in the military?
Plenary Room

Virtual Break

Concurrent Breakout Session: Promising Practices for DVOPs

View more...
Breakout Room 1

Concurrent Breakout Session: Promising Practices for LVERs

View more...
Breakout Room 2

Concurrent Breakout Session: Promising Practices for Leaders

View more...
Breakout Room 3

Conference Closing Conference

Looking forward to seeing everyone next year in Washington DC. Mark your calendars for July 28-30, 2021, at The Grand Hyatt.
Plenary Room

You have not added any sessions to your schedule. To add sessions to your schedule, click on the star icon on any session.

Conference FAQs

How do I cancel my registration?

In the Registration Confirmation email you received from NASWA Meetings after registering for the conference, follow the instructions to modify your registration. You'll need your confirmation number and the email address used to complete the registration to modify your registration. Click, "Cancel Registration" and follow the instructions to complete your cancellation.

Attendees who cancel and do not transfer their registration will be charged a $50.00 processing fee for cancellations/refunds requested on or before 14 days prior to the start of the event. No refunds will be made for cancellation/refund requests received within 14 days of the event.

If you do not have your confirmation email, please contact NASWA-Meetings@naswa.org to request a duplicate.

How do I transfer my registration to someone else?

In the Registration Confirmation email you received from NASWA Meetings after registering for the conference, follow the instructions to modify your registration. You'll need your confirmation number and the email address used to complete the registration to modify your registration. Click, "Transfer Registration" and follow the instructions to substitute an attendee. 

If you do not have your Registration Confirmation email, please contact NASWA-Meetings@naswa.org to request a duplicate.

How can I download a copy of my registration invoice/receipt?

In the Registration Confirmation email you received from NASWA Meetings after registering for the conference, click the link to view/print your invoice/receipt.

If you do not have your confirmation email, please contact NASWA-Meetings@naswa.org to request a duplicate.

I have a question about a NASWA event. How do I contact NASWA?

If you have a question about a specific NASWA meeting or event, please contact NASWA-Meetings@naswa.org.

What are the cancellation and refund policies?

Attendees who cancel and do not transfer their registration will be charged a $50.00 processing fee for cancellations/refunds requested on or before 14 days prior to the start of the event.

No refunds will be made for cancellation/refund requests received within 14 days of the event.

Contact Us

For more information, please contact: naswa-meetings@naswa.org

2020 Veterans Conference Presentations

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Military Spouse Listening Session

Session: “Listening and Learning – What We Learned About Military Spouse Challenges During a Listening Tour of Washington State Military Installations" | Wednesday August 12, 2020 | 5:30 PM
Presenter(s):
  • LeVine, Suzi - Washington State Employment Security Department
  • Alvarado-Ramos*^, Alfie - Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs

Supporting Veterans and Military Spouses

Session: Grow with Google: Digital Tools to Grow Your Skills, Career, or Business | Wednesday August 12, 2020 | 8:10 PM
Presenter(s):
  • Derella, Lily - Grow with Google

A View from Home Office

Session: View from His Home Office | Wednesday August 12, 2020 | 8:40 PM
Presenter(s):
  • Sanders, Scott - National Association of State Workforce Agencies

Thursday, August 13, 2020

OVBD - Veteran and Military Spouse Entrepreneurship Resources

Session: How Sweet it Is: Being Your Own Boss | Thursday August 13, 2020 | 3:05 PM
Presenter(s):
  • Kurtz*, Stan - Small Business Administration
  • Hall-Johnson^, Jilan - The Sassy Biscuit Company
  • Mandello*, Chelsea - Troopster
  • Roth*, Erinn - Ms. Jo’s Petite Sweets

Indiana - Power of Partnership

Session: Concurrent Breakout Session: Power of Partnership | Thursday August 13, 2020 | 4:10 PM
Presenter(s):
  • Douglass, David - Indiana Department of Workforce Development
  • Wimer, Dennis - Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Thompson, Mike - Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs

Utah - The Power of Partnership

Session: Concurrent Breakout Session: Power of Partnership | Thursday August 13, 2020 | 4:10 PM
Presenter(s):
  • Harter, Gary - Utah Department of Veterans & Military Affairs
  • Miller, Mike - Utah Department of Workforce Services

Innovations Challenges in Serving Homeless Women Veterans

Session: Concurrent Breakout Session: Innovations & Challenges in Serving Homeless Women Veterans: Lessons from the Department of Labor’s Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program (HVRP) Grantees | Thursday August 13, 2020 | 6:10 PM
Presenter(s):
  • Di Biase, Cori - National Veterans Technical Assistance Center
  • Hartgrove-Strubler, Carrie - National Veterans Technical Assistance Center

Slide 16 - Accessibility for All Video

Session: Concurrent Breakout Session: PAVE Connect: Employment Support for Veterans When and Where They Need It | Thursday August 13, 2020 | 6:10 PM
Presenter(s):

Slide 21 - Meet Charlie Video

Session: Concurrent Breakout Session: PAVE Connect: Employment Support for Veterans When and Where They Need It | Thursday August 13, 2020 | 6:10 PM
Presenter(s):

Slide 22 - Meet Paul VIdeo

Session: Concurrent Breakout Session: PAVE Connect: Employment Support for Veterans When and Where They Need It | Thursday August 13, 2020 | 6:10 PM
Presenter(s):

Friday, August 14, 2020

Maryland - Seamless Services

Session: Concurrent Breakout Session: Promising Practices for DVOPs | Friday August 14, 2020 | 6:50 PM
Presenter(s):

Photos

Thanks to Our Sponsors