2023 NASWA SUMMIT Headshots & Bios
PLENARY SPEAKERS
Courtney Arbour, Director, Texas Workforce Commission, Workforce Division
Courtney Arbour is the Director of the Texas Workforce Commission’s Workforce Development Division where she oversees an integrated workforce development system that provides planning, oversight, policy guidance, technical assistance, and implementation of employment and training activities. With over $1 billion in funding administered directly or sub-granted, the activities are targeted to upskilling workers and supporting connections between workers and Texas employers. Local Workforce Development Boards, Workforce Solutions offices, Adult Education and Literacy providers, and Apprenticeship programs are primary partners in the work.
Joe Barela, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
In December 2018, Governor Polis appointed Joe Barela as the Executive Director of theColorado Department of Labor and Employment, a 1700-person state agency housing theDivisions of Unemployment Insurance, Workers’ Compensation, Labor Standards and Statistics,Vocational Rehabilitation, Employment and Training and Oil and Public Safety. Joe has more than 25 years of experience in workforce and human capital development and is seen as a local and national leader in the field. Joe is passionate about creating more opportunities for better career pathways for working all Americans. Under his leadership he has introduced the Office of the Future of Work, The Office of New Americans and the Office of Just Transitions as well as the Colorado Family and Medical Leave Insurance Division.
Before serving in the Polis administration, he was a Director for Skillful, a Markle FoundationInitiative. In 2015, Joe served at the U.S. Department of Labor as a Senior Advisor; he helped coordinate the USDOL’s implementation of the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) at state and local levels. In his current role as the Executive Director of CDLE, Joe serves on theBusiness Experiential and Learning Commission, the Education Leadership Council, the JustTransition Advisory Council and the Colorado Workforce Development Council. He also serves on the board of directors for the Center for Work Education and Employment, and the National Association of State Workforce Agencies as the chair-elect.
Mr. Barela is a Colorado native and a graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Stephanie Beckhorn, Director, Employment & Training, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity
For more than two decades, Stephanie Beckhorn has played an important and growing role in Michigan’s workforce and economic development.
Beckhorn has been lending her talents to Michigan’s workforce development efforts since 2001 when she joined the Bureau of Workforce Transformation. In 2013, she went on to serve as Director of Workforce Policy and Strategic Planning for the Michigan Workforce Development Agency and in 2019, at the beginning of Governor Whitmer’s first term, she served as the acting department director.
Since 2020, Beckhorn has served as the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s Director of the Office of Employment and Training, providing leadership and guidance for the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons, Michigan Rehabilitation Services and Workforce Development.
She approaches projects in an inclusive manner and seeks solutions that are effective and replicable. Whatever challenges Michigan has faced, Beckhorn’s collaborative, data-driven approach has enabled Employment and Training to adjust swiftly to evolving economic demands.
Under her direction, Employment and Training administers key workforce programs and systems that equips both employers and workers with resources critical for their success, including vocational rehabilitation to support individuals with disabilities with gaining or retaining employment.
Overseeing a staff of nearly 900 and an annual budget that exceeds $600 million, Beckhorn has developed a well-earned reputation as one of the nation’s most innovative and effective workforce development leaders. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Michigan ranks number-one nationally in reemploying workers who have lost their job. Michigan also leads all Midwestern states in adult employment and credential attainment, serving more participants than any other Midwest state.
Her emphasis on exploring innovative solutions has also led to Michigan being a national leader in the use of Registered Apprenticeship. Michigan ranks among the Top 10 states nationally in active and new Registered Apprentices, as well as program completers.
Beckhorn works directly with federal, state and local level partners to provide the connections, expertise and innovative solutions to drive continued business growth, build vibrant communities, and attract and retain key talent to fill Michigan’s vast pipeline of opportunities. This work is accomplished through federal and state programs focused on job preparedness, career-based education, worker training and employer assistance.
Beckhorn is a Certified Business Solutions Professional (CBSP) and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University.
Wendy Castle, Deputy Director, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity
Wendy Castle serves as the Deputy Director for the Florida Department of Commerce’s Reemployment Assistance (RA) Program. Mrs. Castle began her employment with FloridaCommerce in 2019 and she has been working in state government administration for more than 27 years. Since Mrs. Castle has been with FloridaCommerce, she has improved the delivery of RA services, resources, and opportunities through ongoing business process optimization. Prior to joining FloridaCommerce, Mrs. Castle served as the Deputy Director of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations’ Division of Service Operations where she analyzed business procedures that led to improved quality assurance and customer satisfaction. Mrs. Castle offers a wealth of knowledge and experience, including process improvement, policy analysis, regulatory review, and project implementation to better serve the agency and stakeholders. Mrs. Castle has been a member of the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Committee for the National Association of State Workforce Agencies and now serves as the vice-chair.
Elena Chávez Quezada, Governor Newsom’s Senior Advisor for Social Innovation
Elena Chávez Quezada is Senior Advisor on Social Innovation for Governor Newsom, where she spearheads the State’s partnerships with philanthropy to advance shared priorities. Prior to her role in the Governor’s Office, Chávez Quezada was Chief Impact Officer of End Poverty in California (EPIC), an effort led by former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, and spent a decade in philanthropy, most recently as Vice President of Programs at the San Francisco Foundation. She also worked at the Walter and Elise Haas Fund and Tipping Point Community. Before her time in philanthropy, Chávez Quezada worked on policy and programs related to economic opportunity at various nonprofits, including Single Stop USA and the Aspen Institute. Chávez Quezada earned her Bachelor’s and Master of Public Policy degrees from Harvard University, and lives in San Francisco with her husband and two sons.
John Colbert, Co-Founder, Capitol Hill Partners
John Colbert is co-founder of Capitol Hill Partners, a consulting firm dedicated to assisting nonprofit and workforce related programs. John served in the Clinton Administration as Chief of Staff of the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA).
Prior to becoming Chief of Staff, he was in legislative affairs for the Department handling a variety of ETA programs, including as a point person on the authorization and implementation of the Workforce Investment Act, Welfare to Work, and Older Americans Act, as well as a liaison to the Appropriations Committee.
An attorney in private practice before entering government, he has also served as Senior Counsel to both the National Center on Education and the Economy and Jobs for the Future, as well as an advisor to the former Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland, focusing on fostering the Irish peace process.
John is a graduate of Holy Cross College, was awarded the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick full scholarship for a Master's degree in Political Science from the Catholic University of America, and also holds a law degree from Georgetown University.
Nancy Farias, Director, California Employment Development Department
Farias, of Sacramento, is Director of the California Employment Development Department (EDD). Farias has served as Chief Deputy Director of External Affairs, Legislation and Policy at EDD since 2020. Farias was Director of Government Relations at SEIU Local 1000 from 2017 to 2020. She was Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of Senator Henry Stern from 2016 to 2017 and District Director at the Office of Assemblymember Mike Gatto from 2015 to 2016. She was Deputy Secretary of Legislation at the Government Operations Agency from 2013 to 2016, Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs at the California Department of Human Resources from 2012 to 2013 and Legislative Director at SEIU Local 1000 from 2009 to 2012. Farias was Senior Vice President at Smith, Ruddock & Hayes from 2008 to 2009 and an Associate at Wolkon & Pascucci LLP from 2002 to 2008. Farias earned a Master of Science degree in Political Science from Suffolk University and a Juris Doctor degree from Suffolk University Law School.
Heather Dennington, Associate Governmental Program Analyst, California Employment Development Department
Heather Dennington, MBA, MA Ed., is an Associate Governmental Program Analyst with California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) Unemployment Insurance (UI) program. Heather is a subject matter expert in UI, Disaster Unemployment Assistance, and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, and has led multiple projects across the three programs. She credits the power of teamwork as one of the primary factors in overcoming challenges and getting things done.
Outside of work, Heather has two small grandchildren and has been slowly relearning the most difficult language on the planet: Toddler.
Jim Garner, Administrator, Office of Unemployment Insurance, Employment & Training Administration, USDOL
Jim Garner currently serves as the Administrator of the Office of Unemployment Insurance in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration and has served in that role since July 2021. Previously, he served as Deputy Administrator of the Office starting in June, 2012. Prior to his federal service, Jim served eight years as the Secretary of Labor for the State of Kansas (2003-2011).
Jim grew up in the southeast Kansas town of Coffeyville and is a graduate of Coffeyville Community College. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Kansas and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Kansas, School of Law. In August 2016, Jim graduated from the Federal Executive Institute’s “Leadership for a Democratic Society” program.
Michael Harrington, Commissioner, Vermont Department of Labor and NASWA Board Chair, Association Year 2023-2024
Michael Harrington, was appointed to the role of deputy commissioner for the Vermont Department of Labor in 2017 by Governor Phil Scott. In 2019 Michael became interim commissioner and in 2020 he was permanently appointed commissioner of the Department. Prior to joining state service, Michael served as the Economic and Community Development Director for the Town of Bennington, VT. He has also held the role of chief student affairs officer for Paul Smith’s College, and director of client relations and training for the organizational development firm New Directions. Michael received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, and was named to Vermont’s 40 under 40 list in 2013. He currently serves as secretary for the NASWA Board and is the chair of the NASWA Equal Opportunity Committee.
Julie Hatch Maxfield, OEUS Associate Commissioner, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Julie Hatch Maxfield became the Associate Commissioner for the Office of Employment and Unemployment Statistics in 2019. She leads the strategic direction of production, development, and research for 13 programs focused on labor force statistics and time use in the United States. Her programs produce thousands of statistics for the nation and for geographic areas on employment and wages by industry and occupation, job openings and labor turnover, work experience over time, employment projections, time use, labor force status for demographic groups, and other topics. Her office produces close to 100 news releases each year, including the monthly Employment Situation, commonly called the Jobs Report. Her office also produces the Occupational Outlook Handbook, the Bureau’s most popular publication. Ms. Maxfield directs several projects on the future of work, including new statistics on working from home, measuring digital platform work, and worker mobility.
From 2015 to 2019, she was the Assistant Commissioner in the Office of Current Employment Analysis. Ms. Maxfield began her career at BLS in 1999 and worked for many years on the Current Employment Statistics program. Ms. Maxfield received Bachelor of Science degrees in Economics and Business from Mount St. Mary’s University and a Master of Arts degree in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University.
Erin Hickey, Deputy Secretary, Communications, California Labor & Workforce Development Agency
Erin Hickey serves as Deputy Secretary for Communications at the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency. In this role she leads the external affairs, media and outreach functions for the agency and its seven departments, boards and panels.
Buddy Hoskinson, Executive Director, Kentucky Office of Unemployment Insurance
Buddy Hoskinson has 33 plus years within higher education and workforce. Having worked for a public university, community college, post-secondary career in the for-profit sector and state government settings. He has had the pleasure to serve three Kentucky Governor’s. He is the Executive Director for Kentucky’s Unemployment Insurance and Chairman of the Unemployment Insurance Commission under the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet.
Stewart Knox, Secretary, California Labor and Workforce and Development Agency
Stewart Knox was appointed Secretary of the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency in December 2022. He brings 28 years of statewide experience in workforce and economic development.
Before his appointment, Knox was Undersecretary of the Labor & Workforce Development Agency since 2021 and previously served in this role from 2019 to 2020. He served as Senior Vice President of Calbright Community College from 2020-2021, Executive Director of the California Employment Training Panel from 2014 to 2019, Director of Health and Human Services for Nevada County in 2014 and Director of Economic and Workforce Development for San Mateo County from 2013 to 2014. Secretary Knox was Director of the Northern Rural Training and Employment Consortium from 2009 to 2013 and Executive Director of the North Central Counties Consortium from 2006 to 2008. He was Director of Workforce for the City of Glendale from 2004 to 2006 and for Yuba Community College from 1997 to 2004.
Secretary Knox has been instrumental in transitioning several workforce development entities into productive, performance-based, and accountable organizations. With his broad multi-functional experience base in a large matrix of managed organizations, Secretary Knox has extensive knowledge of the complex interactions between workforce and economic development. His extensive leadership experience and knowledge of organization development concepts and theories provide him a solid foundation to assess and manage complex organizational issues such as strategic planning, team dynamics, and conflict management.
Secretary Knox is a native of Vina, California and earned a bachelor’s degree from Chico State.
Daniel D. Kuba, Deputy Secretary for Workforce Development, Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry
Daniel Kuba has accumulated a wealth of experience in both the strategic policies and on-the-ground operational aspects of the broad workforce development system. His work experience includes more than twenty-one years in workforce development with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry and the Pennsylvania Workforce Development/Investment Board. Mr. Kuba’s past responsibilities include advising, monitoring and reporting on the allocation of grants and funding for workforce research and implementation projects. He managed the workforce development components of signature administration initiatives like Job Ready PA and PA Smart, which include competitive grants like Industry Partnerships, Worker Training, Nursing Shortage Initiative, and other Notice of Grant Announcements.
Kuba’s early workforce experience includes frontline work as an employment interviewer and CareerLink specialist in the PA CareerLink® system. He served as a grant’s coordinator, deputy director of the Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board, and special assistant to the secretary. Mr. Kuba has held multiple Director positions within the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry that serve bothbusinesses and the citizens of the Commonwealth. This extensive front-line experience provides him with the operational insights that inform his current strategic responsibilities as Deputy Secretary for Workforce Development at the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.
Manny Lamarre, Senior Policy Advisor, USDOL Employment and Training Administration
Manny has vast experience at the intersection of workforce and education policy, research, and practice across federal, state, and local levels. He’s served as a Governor and now Presidential appointee leading on key workforce policies and strategies such as sector-based initiatives, registered apprenticeships, postsecondary pathways, industry engagement, and others. From 2015-2019, Manny led the implementation of Nevada’s workforce vision, with the passage of critical workforce legislation while serving as the Founding Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Innovation. He also managed and served as the Governor’s Designee on the State’s 33-member Workforce Board and led the revamping of the State’s Registered Apprenticeship system that saw a 45% increase in apprentices and expansion into 14 new occupations. Manny has represented the U.S. in Geneva at the International Labor Conference setting international standards on apprenticeships.
Manny holds a B.A. in Political Science with honors from Wittenberg University, and a Master’s in Education Policy and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Manny began his career as a classroom teacher and has led technical assistance efforts at organizations such as WestEd and foundations. He has authored several reports, studied, and presented on workforce nationally and internationally.
Jerry Nickelsburg, PhD, Faculty Director, UCLA Anderson Forecast; Adjunct Professor of Economics, Anderson School of Management, UCLA
“We develop a high-quality toolkit for analyzing business and looking at the world.”
Jerry Nickelsburg joined the UCLA Anderson School of Management and the UCLA Anderson Forecast in 2006. Since 2017, he has served as faculty director of the Forecast. Nickelsburg plays a key role in the economic modeling and forecasting of the national, California and regional economic forecasts. He has conducted special studies for the UCLA Anderson Forecast on manufacturing, trade, and labor markets.
He earned a PhD in economics at the University of Minnesota and was a Fulbright Research Scholar in Ecuador and Peru. His current research is on transportation economics focusing on the development of new data and the application of economic theory and statistical methods to sector-specific policy issues. Nickelsburg teaches economics in UCLA Anderson’s MBA program, with a focus on business forecasting and international business economics. He travels regularly with students to Asia as professor and advisor in global immersion courses.
Formerly a professor of economics at the University of Southern California, Nickelsburg has held executive positions with McDonnell Douglas, FlightSafety International and Boeing during a 15-year span in the aviation business. He developed forecasting tools for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors and has advised banks, investors, and financial institutions. From 2000 to 2006, he was the managing principal of Deep Blue Economics, a consulting firm he founded.
Nickelsburg is frequently cited in the national media. He has published more than 100 scholarly and popular articles on economic policy, monetary economics, statistics, labor economics and industrial organization. He is the author of two books on monetary economics and exchange rates.
Steve Playl, Jr., Assistant Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development
Steve Playl, Jr. was appointed Assistant Commissioner with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development in May 2021. In this role, Assistant Commissioner Playl oversees the Division of Workforce Services which is responsible for implementation of federal and state workforce development programs which support the Tennessee public workforce system, including Titles I and III of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
Over the course of his career, Assistant Commissioner Playl has served in various local and state leadership roles focusing on career education and workforce training. Playl is the former Senior Director of the Division of College, Career and Technical Education at the Tennessee Department of Education and Tennessee’s State Director for Career and Technical Education(CTE). He also previously served as Director of CTE and as a high school administrator for Bristol Tennessee City Schools in Bristol, TN, as the Northeast Tennessee Regional CTE Consultant for the Tennessee Department of Education, and as a high school educator and coach with Knox County Schools in Knoxville, TN.
Assistant Commissioner Playl is actively involved with national workforce andeducational boards, committees, and working groups, including NASWA’s Employment & Training Committee, where he serves as Vice-Chair.
A lifelong Tennessean, Assistant Commissioner Playl lives in Nashville, TN with his wife, Whitney, and their two sons, Grayson and Anderson.
Scott B. Sanders, President & CEO, NASWA
Scott B. Sanders has been the President and CEO of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) since October 2014. He manages the association of state administrators who handle workforce training, unemployment insurance, employment services, employment statistics, labor market information programs and veteran reemployment in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and US Territories. The association provides advocacy at the national level for a more effective workforce system, and engages with the US Department of Labor, employers and the public.
He previously served as Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) and was a member of the cabinet of Governor Michael Pence and Governor Mitchell Daniels. DWD managed and implemented training and employment programs for Hoosiers, collaborated on regional economic growth initiatives for Indiana, coordinated the adult education system, and oversaw the unemployment insurance system. He was also involved in the launching of JAG in Indiana in 2007.
Scott served on American Workforce Policy Advisory Board from February 2019-January 2021, and also serves on the boards of the LMI Institute (Chair 2020-2021) and the UWC Foundation.
Scott also has over 20 years of private sector experience prior to his role at DWD.
Scott earned his master’s degree in business administration from Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management and his bachelor’s degree from Miami University.
Julie Squire, Vice President, Policy and General Counsel, NASWA
Julie Ellen Squire is Vice-President of Policy and General Counsel with the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA), an Association of workforce agencies in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. NASWA provides policy expertise, shares promising state practices, and promotes state innovation.
Previously serving as Assistant Secretary for two Divisions with the State of Maryland’s Department of Labor, Julie is passionate about workforce development. Julie started working closely with workforce issues as an Assistant Attorney General in Maryland where she advised both the unemployment insurance and workforce programs for nine years.
A native Buckeye, Julie attended law school at The Ohio State University. Julie first came to Maryland to attend Goucher College, and has lived in Baltimore since 1990. Julie was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of the Job Opportunities Task Force, a non-profit focused on job opportunities for low wage workers and job seekers in Maryland
Kim Vitelli, Administrator, USDOL Employment and Training Administration
Kim Vitelli is the Administrator of the DOL Employment and Training Administration’s Office of Workforce Investment, where she oversees formula and competitive grant programs that help people find employment and advance in careers. Her office is responsible for over $4.7 billion annually in grants that implement the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and multiple competitive programs such as YouthBuild, the Reentry Employment Opportunities program, Strengthening Community Colleges grants, and the Indian and Native American Program.
Prior to joining ETA in 2004 as a Presidential Management Fellow, Kim worked as an Economist at the Bureau of Labor Statistics and an IT Systems Administrator at the British Embassy in South Korea. She has a B.A. in Economics and International Studies from American University, a Master’s in Public Policy from George Washington University, and completed executive education at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She lives in Maryland with her husband and two sons, and cheers for the Washington Spirit and D.C. United soccer club
Terri L Warren, UI Administration and Operational Support Director, Texas Workforce Commission
Terri Warren is a 34-year veteran of the Texas Workforce Commission, having risen through the ranks of the Unemployment Insurance (UI) division to become UI Administration and Operational Support Director (UIA&OS). The UIA&OS department manages the following programs: Trade Readjustment Assistance (TRA), Shared Work, Mass Claims, Employer Chargebacks, Combined Wage Claims, Military, Federal, Labor Dispute, and UI Benefits Timeliness and Quality. UIA&OS staff also provide system support to our call centers, test UI related programming prior to implementation, provide official program guidance to UI staff, manage, and create all UI correspondence, publications, and UI internet pages, and participate in Rapid Response events. In addition, for the last 16 years, Terri has served as the Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) coordinator for Texas and continues to do so.
WORKSHOP SPEAKERS
Muhammad Akhtar, Chief, Labor Market Information Division, California Employment Development Department
Muhammad Akhtar (Akhtar) is the Labor Market Information Division Chief at the California Employment Development Department (EDD). Akhtar has performed various leadership roles in Labor Market Information and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics programs at the EDD for almost two decades. Prior to joining the EDD, Akhtar worked as a Research Specialist at the California Integrated Waste Management Board; and as a Statistical Analyst at the Nebraska Department of Labor, where he administered the America’s Labor Market Information Systems (ALMIS) database. Akhtar holds a Ph.D. in Soil Science with a concentration in Statistics from the University of Nebraska.
John Albin, Commissioner, Nebraska Department of Labor
John Albin is the Commissioner of the Nebraska Department of Labor and has served in that position since 2014. He has been with the agency for thirty-three years starting as a Benefit Appeals Hearing Officer and then moved into the Office of General Counsel. He is a proud graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), serves on the Advisory Board of UNL’s Bureau of Business Research, and has been actively involved with NASWA over the years as a Board Director or Alternate, and most recently serves as NASWA’s Board Treasurer.
Byron Archer, Assistant Deputy Director, Office of Workforce Development/Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
Byron Archer currently serves as the Assistant Deputy Director in the Office of Workforce Development. Byron has worked for ODJFS for over 25 years and prior to his current position, he served as the Labor Market Information (LMI) Director and as theChief of the Contribution Section in the Office of Unemployment Insurance Operations. Byron holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, West Virginia. He loves to travel and spend time with his fami
Robert Asaro-Angelo, Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Robert Asaro-Angelo was nominated by Governor Phil Murphy to serve as the Commissioner of the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development in January 2018.
As Commissioner, Asaro-Angelo is proud to oversee the state’s diverse services to New Jersey workers. Due in part to the innovation he has spearheaded in New Jersey, in February, 2021, Asaro-Angelo was chosen by his counterparts across the nation as the Board Chair of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) for the 2021 association year.
From 2010 – 2017, Asaro-Angelo served as Eastern Regional Representative for the U.S. Department of Labor under the Obama Administration, managing the department’s regional activities and coordinating federal initiatives on the regional, state, and local levels.
Prior to his government service, Commissioner Asaro-Angelo worked for the Laborers International Union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the Service Employees International Union Local 1115 organizing and educating public employees, construction workers and nursing home employees about government and politics.
Asaro-Angelo earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Boston University and a master’s in Public Policy from the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. A proud, life-long New Jerseyan, he lives in Middlesex County with his family.
Sue Anne Athens, CIO, New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions
Sue Anne Athens has served as the Chief Information Officer for the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions since 2013 with responsibility for overall IT services and the modernization of various systems supporting the state’s Unemployment Insurance (UI), Workforce (WIOA) and Labor Relations programs. She has led and directed several technology improvements for the Agency, which includes a robust security program based on NIST, the adoption of best in class fraud detection tools sets, and the first use of predictive analytics in a government benefit program in the state. She has over 25 years of experience in the development, implementation, and management of Information Technology programs. She embraces the concept of continuous improvement and the synergy and power that results from aligning IT with purpose, people, and values. Her career began as public servant in the Peace Corps, and she is happy to continue that commitment to public service with DWS and the State of New Mexico. She currently serves on the Workforce ITSC Steering Committee and locally is a member of the New Mexico Technology Council, CNM Deep Dive Boot Camp Advisory Board and IT Apprenticeship Program.
Jolynn Badame, Chief of Programming, State of Utah, Department of Workforce Service Unemployment Insurance Division
Jolynn Badame is the Chief of Programming for the Utah Department of Workforce Services Unemployment Insurance Division. During her 17 years with the State of Utah, she has held a variety of positions including Unemployment Insurance Claims Specialist, Monetary and ICON specialist and Senior Business Analyst working on the department’s Comprehensive Unemployment Benefits System (CUBS) application. In 2017, she became the CUBS Manager and oversaw the completion of the CUBS .Net modernization project as well as the creation of several new benefits programs for the CARES act. When not at work, she likes to spend as much time in nature as possible hiking and camping with her husband Zane.
Meihui Bodane, Assistant Secretary for Policy, Research and Strategy, Labor and Economic Analysis Division of NC Department of Commerce
Meihui Bodane serves as the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Research and Strategy and oversees the Labor and Economic Analysis Division of the North Carolina Department of Commerce.
Meihui joined the Department in 2007 and has since taken on progressively more responsibility in various roles, supporting the Department’s efforts in business recruitment and expansion, workforce development, community planning, economic research and policy, and labor market analysis. In her current role, she oversees and manages over 30 research and technical professionals who carry out data collection and processing, research and analytics, program evaluation, career information, as well as LMI trainings, products and tools. Meihui also involves in many boards and committees that address topics related to employment statistics, workforce credentials, higher Ed, career system, and longitudinal data services.
Prior to her work with the State of North Carolina, Meihui served in various positions in multinational corporations in manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and financial services.
Adele Burnes, Deputy Chief, California Division of Apprenticeship Standards
Adele Burnes has spent her career in workforce development and economic empowerment. She has worked at this important issue from many angles including government policy work, tech startups to develop startup ecosystems, and leading strategy and operations for a non-profit, Year Up Bay Area, and as the first ever Regional Director of Apprenticeship for the Bay Area Community College Consortium. Today as Deputy Chief at DAS, Adele’s work is focused on policy and strategy to expand apprenticeships in CA to create a more equitable and accessible on ramp into a wide variety of careers from the building trades to healthcare, tech, education, public service and every sector of our economy.
Chris Cannon, Chief Communications Officer, Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Chris Cannon is the Chief Communications Officer for the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Cannon started working for the state of Tennessee in January 2016 after 20 years as a television news anchor and reporter.
Cannon began his television news career in Binghamton, New York. Over the next two decades, he made stops at TV stations in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and Evansville, Indiana, before coming to NewsChannel 5 Nashville in 2004.
At the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Cannon oversees the agency’s external and internal communications. This includes media relations, video and podcast production, social media, multiple websites, graphic design, and paid outreach.
Kristyn Carr, Administrator, Workforce & Commissions Division, Idaho Department of Labor
Kristyn has been with IDOL for 25 years. She got her start working in Employment Services at a local office. She has held many roles since then including in Supervision and Management at the local level, aswell as extensive experience at the central administrative office in a variety of roles supporting and overseeing the service delivery and of Idaho’s workforce grants and programs. In her current role she is responsible for several bureaus including Field Services, Workforce Programs Administration, Serve Idaho, and the Idaho Human Rights Commission.
Liz Carver, Workforce Development Director, Utah Department of Workforce Services
Elizabeth Carver is the director over the workforce development division at the Department of Workforce Services for the State of Utah. She oversees TANF, SNAP E&T, WIOA title I and III and is the liaison for the Governor’s State Workforce Development Board. She has a master’s degree in Educational Psychology and has over twenty years of experience working with the Department of Workforce Services in a variety of positions. Liz has successfully implemented many technical and policy driven projects to help improve workforce programs across the State of Utah.
Janice Cho, Designer/Researcher, Office of Innovation, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development
With Human Centered Design methodologies at the core of her practice, Janice Cho is a Design & Product Expert/Consultant, helping New Jersey reimagine their communication designs with claimants through human-focused design strategies, improved technical implementation, and new design team operations.
Janice is also an adjunct professor at the California College of the Arts, where she teaches students on design strategies. In addition to her work with New Jersey and academia, Janice is the founder/co-creator of Mise App, a minimalist recipe box designed for the everyday home chef. It is designed for quicker reading and easy editing as recipes change based on personal palate.
Janice holds a B.A. in Human Development + Visual Arts from UC San Diego and an M.A. in Arts Administration & Policy from the School of the Art Institiute of Chicago.
Nesha Christian-Hendrickson, Esq., Assistant Commissioner/Legal Counsel, VI Department of Labor
Nesha R. Christian- Hendrickson was born on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands on September 9, 1982, to Cora L.E. Christian, MD, MPH, and Simon B. Jones-Hendrickson, Ph.D. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Information Systems and Statistical Analysis from the Pennsylvania State University. She continued her professional studies at Vermont Law School where she completed a Juris Doctorate in 2008. She is barred in both the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia. She returned home and clerked for the late Honorable Francis D’ Eramo and then the late Honorable Julio A. Brady. At the end of her clerkship, she was hired as an Assistant Public Defender at the Office of the Territorial PublicDefender, where she remained for four anda half years. In 2016 she began to serve asLegal Counsel to the Virgin IslandsDepartment of Labor. Currently, AttorneyChristian-Hendrickson serves as Assistant Commissioner/Legal Counsel. Since 2008, Attorney Christian-Hendrickson has volunteered her time in a variety of capacities for the Virgin Islands Bar Association, including as Past President. Currently, she serves as the Treasurer of the Board of Governors. She is one of the founding members of the Bar Foundation Board of the V.I. Bar Association. Attorney Christian-Hendrickson also serves on the Board of Directors, for the National Association of State Workforce Agencies. She is also a member of the National Conference of Bar Presidents, the American Bar Association, and a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Council. Attorney Christian-Hendrickson is a former member of the Board of the Territorial Public Defenders. She also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Good Hope Country Day School, her high school alma mater. Attorney Christian-Hendrickson is on the advisory councils of the National Legal Mentoring Consortium and the Right to Democracy Organization. She is also serves as the Women’s Division Chapter Leader for the Virgin Islands Chapter of the Soka Gakkai International-United States which is a worldwide Buddhist organization. She is a lover of travel, dance, and amazing cuisine. Attorney Christian-Hendrickson is a proud product of the Virgin Islands.
Jessica Cunningham, Vice President of State Programs, Coleridge Initiative
Dr. Cunningham is the Vice President of State Programs where she helps lead the continued expansion of state engagement and collaborative research within the Administrative Data Research Facility. Dr. Cunningham served as the Executive Director and Labor Market Information Director at the Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS) from 2019 through 2022, formerly the Research and Analytics Director forthree years prior. Dr. Cunningham led the development, maintenance, and reporting for one of the nation’s leading longitudinal data systems (Kentucky Longitudinal Data System) and the Kentucky Labor Market Information. During her tenure, she led the Kentucky research through three biannual strategic agendas to inform policymakers, practitioners, and the public on topics related to program outcomes across education, public assistance, criminal justice, and workforce. She served as an executive committee member for the Southern Regional Collaborative, and she led the multistate collaborative effort for cross-state postsecondary education and workforce outcomes out of the MidWest Collaborative. She has a Doctorate in Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation from University of Kentucky specializing in Measurement and Statistics, as well as M.S. and B.S. degrees in Mathematics from the University of Kentucky and Georgetown College respectively. She brings with her experience in writing, managing, and evaluating state, federal, and philanthropic grants as well as teaching and research experience from her time as faculty in North Carolina and Kentucky.
Julia Dale, Director, Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency
Julia Dale was appointed director of the UIA in October 2021. She has more than 20 years of service to the residents of the state of Michigan in leadership and management roles throughout government.
Dale was director of the Department of Technology, Management and Budget when she was appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to lead the UIA. She previously worked as an Assistant Attorney General and Section Head of the Department of Attorney General's Business and Charities Section.
Prior to that, Dale served as Policy Specialist, Division Director, Deputy Bureau Director and Bureau Director of the Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing Bureau Director, Securities Administrator and Cemetery Commissioner at the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. She started her public service career as a Civil Rights Representative and Manager for the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.
Dale holds a law degree from Wayne State University and is a graduate of James Madison College at Michigan State University.
Christina Davis, Communication Director, Utah Department of Workforce Services
Christina Davis is the Communication Director at the Utah Department of Workforce Services. She has been with the department for seven years and has served as a strategic communication manager and public information officer. Davis has been particularly involved in initiatives related to employment, affordable housing and homelessness. Prior to joining the Department of Workforce Services, Davis spent more than 10 years in the private sector at strategic communication and marketing firms in Utah and California. She graduated from Gonzaga University with a bachelor’s degree in public relations.
Susan Dickinson, Director, UC Benefits Policy, PA Department of Labor & Industry
Susan Dickinson serves as the Director of Unemployment Compensation Benefits Policy for theCommonwealth of Pennsylvania. She has held numerous positions in the unemployment program since she began her career with them in 2006, being most heavily involved with interstate and federal programs, as well as IT matters. She has a bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing from Bloomsburg University of PA and an MBA from Penn State Harrisburg.
Susan grew up in the Pocono Mountains but now lives in Mechanicsburg with two sassy cats. She is always busy with home improvement work, playing soccer, running, dancing, traveling, volunteering, and of course working! She’s very happy to contribute to the conversation at these conferences and also learn as much as possible from her fellow states.
Dawn Dovre, Deputy Secretary, South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation
Dawn Dovre has served as Deputy Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation (DLR) since August 2019. She joined the department in October 2004.
Her responsibilities include directing media relations, constituent services, advertising/public relations efforts, and legislative task force; leading organizational development and strategic planning efforts; and overseeing the Labor Market Information Center.
Dawn was appointed Executive Director of the South Dakota Workforce Development Council in 2022, serves on leadership for the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) Communications Committee, and has volunteered as a teacher for Junior Achievement for 10 years.
Dawn holds a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from Minnesota State University Moorhead, a master’s in Administration from The University of South Dakota, and Executive Education certificate from Harvard Kennedy School.
She and her husband have five cats. She enjoys cheering for the Minnesota Twins and Vikings, reading, and camping along the Missouri River.
Janelle Duray, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Jobs for America’s Graduates
Janelle Duray has over fifteen years of experience in education and workforce development consulting and nonprofit management. She serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Jobs for America’s Graduates, a national nonprofit that has served 1.5 million youth since its inception 40+ years ago, and currently serves 75,000 youth across 1,500 communities. In her role, Janelle oversees JAG’s internal and external efforts and collaborates with national and state public and private sector leaders, to provide critical services to youth and young adults through the JAG programming.
Janelle has served in many roles at JAG since 2012. In January 2020, she was named Executive Vice President and subsequently led the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic making critical investments in technology, student engagement programming, Federal procurement infrastructure, and overall organizational development for the JAG National Office and its national network made of up of 39 StateAffiliates. Her leadership throughout the pandemic led the Board of Directors to adopt JAG’s Youth Opportunity and Outcomes 2024 Strategic Goals – the most ambitious goals in JAG’s history.
Prior to her commitment to JAG, Janelle has consulted with leading Fortune 500 companies and national nonprofits, including ADM, HCA, United Way Worldwide, the AARP Foundation, the National Urban League, and more, to grow their fund development, external affairs efforts, and overall strategy.
Janelle received her Master of Arts in Public Administration from George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government and her Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
Throughout her post-secondary education, Janelle held positions at the Association of American Law Schools and former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty’s office.
Outside of JAG, Janelle enjoys traveling, concerts, good wine, musing about the cosmos, and her first passion, playing piano.
Franklin Farmer, PMP, Transformation Officer, USDOL
Frank currently serves as a Transformation Officer for the Office of the Secretary (OSEC) where he leads the Identity Verification Program area for the Office of Unemployment Insurance Modernization (OUIM). As a Transformation Officer, Frank serves as the DOLs Senior Accountable Official for Transformation, with delegated responsibility for driving continuous, innovative programs and initiatives and leading high-level planning, coordination, and execution of new ways for administering agency programs nationwide.
Frank previously served as a Senior Digital Technical Product Manager at the USAA in the property & casualty insurance servicing space where he led the discovery and implementation of exciting new features including natural language understanding data models for chatbot optimizations, call containment solutions and content and design optimizations to improve and modernize customer experiences.
Frank has an extensive background in research development test and evaluation (RDT&E), project management, IT service management and adult learning / training development and has served in various technical and leadership positions supporting the DoD over the past 22 years. Frank has a proven track record of optimizing business processes within the DoD using the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) process improvement methodology and was awarded his LSS blackbelt in 2012. Frank believes that finding truth in data and converting information into intelligence via technology are the keys to understanding and improving processes, empowering people and meeting the challenges and opportunities of the information age.
With 8 years active-duty Army experience as an Intelligence System Maintainer, three years serving in the Air National Guard as an Emergency Manager, and over 9 years as a DoD civilian, Frank is no stranger to civil service.His passion for teaching, coaching and leading change have served him well throughout his career resulting in numerous awards. Frank is a devoted father and husband with three daughters (Hailey, Eva, and Willow). Although a native of Chattanooga, TN, Frank has resided primarily in southern Arizona over the past 20 years. In 2019 he relocated to Colorado Springs, CO where he enjoys hiking, yoga, and martial arts.
Frank holds AAS degrees from the Community College of the Air Force and Cochise College in Emergency Management and Electronics Technology (respectively) as well as a BS in Organizational Leadership from the University of Arizona. His key certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP), Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, ITIL V3 Foundations, ITIL Continuous Service Improvement, and ITIL Service Strategy.
Frank’s past roles include Digital Technical Product Manager, Senior (USAA P&C), Technical Program Manager (Missile Defense Agency), IT Cybersecurity Specialist (Defense Information Systems Agency), Lead Test Officer (US Army Electronic Proving Ground), Lead Instructor/Training Developer (US Army Intelligence Center), Emergency Manager (Arizona Air National Guard), SATCOM Shop Foreman (US Army), and Shadow Unmanned Aerial System Maintenance Section Leader (US Army).
Amy C. Faulkner, Chief Deputy Director, California Employment Development Department
On March 4, 2022, Amy Faulkner was appointed Chief Deputy Director at the California Employment Development Department (EDD). Amy had been Acting Chief Deputy of Operations at EDD since 2021 and was Deputy Director of the Department’s Policy, Accountability, and Compliance Branch from 2020 to 2021. Amy was also Chief of the Labor Market Information Division at the EDD from 2018 to 2020. Amy earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications at California State University, Sacramento in 2003. Amy lives with her family in Elk Grov
Cami Feek, Commissioner, Washington State Employment Security Department
Cami Feek (she/her) was appointed commissioner for the Washington state Employment Security Department (ESD) by Gov. Jay Inslee in June 2021. Prior to that, she served as ESD’s deputy commissioner and chief operating officer.
Cami originally joined the agency in 2017 to design and stand up the nation’s best Paid Family and Medical Leave program.
She got her start in state government 27 years ago through a non-permanent role working in a mail room. She rose to executive leadership through hard work, dedication to public service and living her values of teamwork and servant leadership.
Cami is also a member of the Washington state Office of the Chief Information Officer Technology Services Board and has also received her Certified Diversity Executive credential.
Cami earned her bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in business from The Evergreen State College, where she also obtained a 4-year varsity letter in soccer. She lives in Tumwater with her husband, Brad and her two amazing children, Emily and Jacob.
Andrea Follett, General Counsel, Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
Andrea Follett is General Counsel for the Missouri Department of Labor and IndustrialRelations. She joined DOLIR in 2016 and previously served as the Department’s EqualOpportunity Officer. Andrea has focused much of her professional career on issues that matter in the workplace. For several years, she provided human resource counsel to Missouri school districts, and she previously served as both a Missouri Assistant Attorney General and theCoordinator of Professional Development at the University of Missouri School of Law. Andrea received her BA and JD from the University of Missouri and a certificate in Labor Relations andCollective Bargaining Studies from Cornell University’s School of Labor and Industrial Relations.
LeAnn Fong-Batkin, Ed.D., Senior Project Manager, WestEd
LeAnn Fong-Batkin, Ed.D., is the Senior Project Manager for Intersegmental DataSystems for the WestEd Center for Economic Mobility.
She provides consultation and facilitation for the implementation of the California Cradle-to-Career Data System and other intersegmental data projects,including WestEd's Data Integration Support Center (DISC).
She has over 25 years of experience working for a variety of California’s State agencies, including Sacramento State, the California Department of Education, the California Community College Chancellor’s Office, and the California State Auditor’s Office.
She received her Bachelor in American Studies and Sociology from UC Santa Cruz, her Master of Business Administration from Sacramento State, and her Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy from UC Davis.
Kris Funk, UI Administrator, Wyoming Department of Workforce Services
Kris Funk is the UI Administrator for the State of Wyoming. She also serves as the Vice Chair of the UI IB Subcommittee. Kris started her career with the state as a tax field auditor in 2007. She then moved intothe tax division and served as the UI Tax Chief until 2021 when she move into the Administrator role. Kris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration as well as certification as a Certified Public Manager.
Raju Gadiraju, Chief Information Officer, NC Division of Employment Security, Dept. of Commerce
Raju is the Chief Information Officer at the North Carolina Division of Employment Security, Department of Commerce. Raju has over 25 years of experience in various technology leadership roles in both public and private sectors. Raju brings expert knowledge in digital transformations, business analytics, and cloud technologies. Raju helped IT organizations modernize and streamline systems and processes and embrace automation, self-service, and cloud adoption. Raju is a true collaborator with a passion to mentor, coach, and share.
Raju graduated with bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from India and master’s degree in Computer Science from Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, AL. Raju is a proud recipient of the 2020 Public Sector CIO of the Year Award by NC Tech.
Mindy Gensler, Legal Liaison, New Jersey Department of Labor
Mindy Gensler currently works as the Legal Liaison for New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, where she coordinates strategic enforcement and outreach, and helps the Department’s various program areas interact with the Attorney General’s office, other state agencies and governor’s counsel. Mindy also works on policy issues, focusing on employee misclassification, spearheading efforts to create a report of the Governor’s Task Force this past year. With 22 years of legal experience,she has worked in a variety of roles, including serving as a Deputy Attorney General for New Jersey, practicing at law firms, and working for insurance companies. She is a graduate of Rutgers University, where she obtained her bachelor’s and law degrees. She earned a master’s degree in Public Policy from the Eagleton Institute of Politics, where she was a fellow.
David Gerstenfeld, Director, Oregon Employment Department
David Gerstenfeld did private sector law, including a significant focus on employment law, before transitioning to public sector work. He has done various types of civil rights, wage and hour, and other enforcement work at the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, and spent several years as an Administrative Law Judge, then Presiding Administrative Law Judge, involved with many types of hearings including unemployment insurance benefits and tax issues.
For almost a decade, he was the Unemployment Insurance Division Director for the Oregon Employment Department, then, briefly, the Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Division Director. In May 2022, David was appointed the Acting Director for the Oregon Employment Department where he served until June of this year when he was confirmed as the agency’s Director.
Stephen Geskey, Associate Commissioner, Adjudication and Liability, New York State Department of Labor
Stephen M. Geskey is the Associate Commissioner for Employment Security, Adjudication and Liability Services, for the New York State Department of Labor. In this capacity, Mr. Geskey provides executive leadership and administration over employer, adjudication, and hearing issues for New York’s Unemployment Insurance program. Prior to joining the New York State Department of Labor, Mr. Geskey served in a variety of public sector legal and administrative roles including leadership over Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance program through the Great Recession, service as the Chair of Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board, Assistant Attorney General for the Michigan Department of Attorney General, and House Judiciary Counsel, for the Michigan House of Representatives. Mr. Geskey is an attorney and holds a law degree from the University of Detroit, School of Law and holds both a BS and MBA from Michigan State University.
Brett Gleason, Chief of Staff, Unemployment Insurance Agency
As Chief of Staff, Brett serves as a division administrator directing all communications, legislative, external, special projects, continuous improvement and employee engagement.
Brett previously served as the owner of the state’s continuous improvement methodology and portfolio of projects with the Department of Technology, Management & Budget (DTMB) Office of Continuous Improvement (OCI). He has accompanied many agencies through transformative change initiatives that align budget, technology, process and statutes to meet strategic objectives. Brett has played a key role in facilitating strategic planning sessions and helping agencies realign resources to mission.
For the past six years he has:
- Facilitated inter- and intra-agency collaboration and coordination.
- Prepared agencies and external stakeholders for the procurement and adoption of new technology.
- Designed scorecards and dashboards to monitor and track projects and process performance.
- Implemented centralized visual management tools to enable collaborative leadership decision making and project management.
- Developed workload management and capacity planning tools.
- Employed Lean, Human Centered Design, Agile, and Change Management strategies to optimize implementation efforts.
As Chief of Staff, Brett’s considerable experience supports the UIA by helping to secure accountable implementation of new UI systems and processes, and setting the standard for delivering high quality, innovative unemployment services to our customers.
Bryan P. Grady, Ph.D., Assistant Executive Director for Labor Market Information, South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce
Dr. Bryan Grady serves as the Assistant Executive Director for Labor Market Information at the SouthCarolina Department of Employment and Workforce. In this capacity, he oversees the production anddissemination of data and analysis on employment, wages, and related topics in collaboration with theBureau of Labor Statistics and Employment and Training Administration as well as the South CarolinaCoordinating Council for Workforce Development. Prior to his arrival at DEW in January 2022, he wasChief Research Officer at the South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority for threeyears. Dr. Grady holds a Ph.D. in planning and public policy from Rutgers University and degrees ineconomics from the University of Delaware and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Cher Haavind, Deputy Executive Director/Chief Communications Officer, Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
Cher Haavind joined the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment in 2007 and currently serves as the Deputy Executive Director and Chief Communications Officer for the 1600-person agency. Cher has nearly two decades of experience in public and media relations, strategic and crisis communications and government affairs. She has led public relations campaigns for government agencies and elected officials resulting in increased citizen engagement, policy advancement and enhanced media relations. In her current role, Cher oversees internal and external communications, public and government relations, strategic planning and policy development. Under her leadership, CDLE received national recognition for award-winning public relations and design campaigns, increased employee engagement through digital communications strategies and created the agency’s first ongoing Congressional outreach effort.
Cher is past chair of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies’ Communications Committee, currently serves on the State Apprenticeship Council and is a current fellow in the Governor’s Executive Fellowship for State Leaders.
Daniel L. Hays, Director, Division of Legislation, US Department of Labor - Employment & Training Administration
Born and raised in north central Missouri Daniel. After graduating from Marceline High School Daniel went on to graduate from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri with a B.A. in Political Science. After graduating from Westminster College worked in the Missouri House of Representatives as a chief of staff with specialties of education and labor law. From there Daniel went on to work for Missouri’s Secretary of State in the Office of Elections and in the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations working in multiple capacities related to the state’s unemployment compensation program. In 2006 Daniel accepted a position with the United States Department of Labor as an Unemployment Insurance Program Specialist, eventually serving in his current capacity as Director of the Division of Legislation within the Office of Unemployment Insurance. Among his many professional activities Daniel is a past international president of the International Association of Workforce Professionals. Outside of work, Daniel is active in a number of nonprofit organizations focused on serving the LGBTQ+ community.
Chris Henderson, Chief Information Officer, Indiana Department of Workforce Development
Chris Henderson serves as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the Department of Workforce Development. He joined DWD in September of 2022 after serving the Indiana Office of Technology (IOT) as the Deputy CTO for Enterprise Architecture, Business Relationship Management, and Public Cloud Operations. He began his public service in 2002 and started his career with the State of Indiana in October of 2003.
During his time at IOT, Chris helped build out and formalize the Indiana’s approach to adopting public cloud technology services from both Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure, advocating for and supporting transitions to cloud native development. He built out the business relationship management (BRM) program that engaged technology and business leaders from across the largest state agencies to foster strategic planning and collaborative decision-making. Prior to joining IOT, Chris served as the IT Director for both the Indiana State Park Inns and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority as well as a systems analyst and systems administrator for both the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Indiana Department of Education.
Chris Henderson was born and raised in Indiana, a proud Hoosier. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Indiana University and a Master of Science from the Center for Information and Communications Sciences at Ball State University. His wife, Rachael, also serves in state government as the Webmaster for the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles and they reside in Lawrence on Indy’s Northeast side. In his free time, Chris enjoys reading, tabletop gaming, and exploring Indiana’s State Parks. Chris volunteers and supports both technology education and gifted education through Rooted School Indy and the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities.
Linda Hendrickson, Director, Benefit Operations Bureau, Department of Workforce Development
Linda Hendrickson is the Director for the Benefit Operations Bureau, Unemployment Insurance Division at the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. She has over 25 years’ experience in Wisconsin’s Unemployment Insurance Division where she began working as a claim specialist. As Director she oversees the Adjudication, Help Center, Training and Outreach, and Program Integrity units. She is an innovative thinker who loves a good challenge and looks for creative ways to improve processes within her bureau. Linda has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Amy Hiltunen, PMP, Director, Workforce ITSC, NASWA
Amy has over 20 years of experience working in a technical and management capacity in both the private and public sector. Amy joined the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) in 2018 as a Project Manager for the Workforce IT Support Center. In September 2022, she took over the Director position and has since been focused on building the Center’s team and expanding its offerings to support states in their data and technology efforts. Amy also serves as a staff lead for NASWA’s Technology Committee. Prior to joining NASWA, she worked for the State of Michigan for over twelve years in education and workforce development roles.
Amy values lifelong learning and knowledge sharing. In addition to an undergraduate business degree with majors in Logistics Management and Management Information Systems, Amy also holds a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Sciences and achieved her Project Management Professional Certification in 2020.
Brandon T. Hooker, Senior Research Data Specialist, California Employment Development Department
Brandon T. Hooker is the Senior Research Data Specialist for the California Employment Development Department’s (EDD) Labor Market Information Division (LMID). He has conducted economic research for federal, state, and local government agencies, private sector entities, institutions of higher learning, and non-profit organizations for over 15 years. Prior to joining the EDD, Brandon worked as a Research Analyst for the Connecticut Department of Labor’s (CTDOL) Office of Research. He holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of New Haven and a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Applied Social Relations from Eastern Connecticut State University.
Crystal Houser, Director, PA Department of Labor & Industry/Bureau of Workforce Partnership & Operations
Crystal Houser currently serves as the Director for the Bureau of Workforce Partnership and Operations (BWPO) within the PA Department of Labor and Industry. BWPO supports Pennsylvania businesses with their workforce needs by assisting individuals to build their skills and obtain family-sustaining jobs within Pennsylvania industries. The Bureau is responsible for providing programmatic guidance, knowledge-building and technical assistance to BWPO and partner staff working in PA CareerLink® offices across the state ensuring compliance with federal and state legislative and regulatory requirements.
Additionally, Crystal serves as the Chair of the Education, Employment and Workforce Development in the Governor’s Advisory Council for Veterans Services. In this capacity, she builds communication between federal, state and local agencies and organizations to share information about and work on joint initiatives that serve veterans across the Commonwealth.
Prior to joining the PA Department of Labor and Industry, Crystal served as the Regional Office Administrator for the Employer Service Center at the Public School Employers’ Retirement System. She oversaw the reporting of 777 Employers (School Districts, Universities, Community Colleges and Charter Schools) for their more than 250,000 active members into the retirement system.
Throughout the years, Crystal has coordinated work in the community to connect people out of shelter with the resources they made need. She has also written grants to sustain the project.
Crystal Houser received her B.S in Environmental Resource Management from Penn State University. Prior to going to college, she served in the U.S. Army as a Russian Linguist. She was deployed and served in Desert Shield and Storm during the Persian Gulf War,
Dr. Pamela Howze, Director, National Workforce Strategies, National Institute for Innovation & Technology
Dr. Pamela Howze leads the National Institute for Innovation and Technologies National Talent Pipeline Development Initiative, establishing workforce hub development throughout the U.S. including her home state of North Carolina. Pam is also focued on Veterans engagement and BioManufacturing related programs, helping to provide high-valure careers to transitioning service members.
Previously, DR. Howze lead Wake Technical Community College’s efforts to expand apprenticeship and work based learning. Prior to joining Wake Tech, she served as Program Director for the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, where she expanded apprenticeship and work-based learning programs. She was the statewide director of Apprenticeship, Business, and Veterans Services for the North Carolina Department of Commerce/NC-Works, and was instrumental in getting a state tuition waiver for community college youth that enter a registered apprenticeship while still in high school.
Dr. Howze has also worked on apprenticeship and workforce development for private industry, including Red Hat, Siemens and Merck. She has taught in both North Carolina and South Carolina community college systems for more than 20 years. She began her career as a U.S. Army Officer and served for seven years on active duty and in the SC National Guard.
Dr. Howze earned a bachelor’s degree from Western Carolina University and a master’s degree from Troy State University in Alabama. She was awarded a Doctor of Education degree in Adult Education and Community College Leadership in 2015 by NC State University, for her research in career technical education and apprenticeship.
Anna S. Hui, Director, Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
Anna Hui was appointed Director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations in March of 2017 and the Senate confirmed the appointment in January 2018, making her the first Asian American to serve in the governor’s cabinet in Missouri history. For over two decades, Anna has worked in numerous senior positions in both state and federal government.
Anna started her public service career working for Illinois Governor Jim Edgar as the Special Assistant to the Governor for Asian-American affairs and then for Governor George Ryan, as a senior-member of the Washington, D.C. policy management team. She then served as the Associate Deputy Secretary of Labor at the U.S. Department of Labor during President George W. Bush’s Administration. In that role, Anna spearheaded efforts to encourage diversity and the inclusion of historically underserved communities in the Department’s programs and Federal government management.
After leaving federal service in 2009 and until she returned to Illinois in 2015, she was Chief of Staff to former U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Elaine Chao. From 2015 to 2017, Anna served as Assistant Director and later as Acting Director of the Illinois Department of Labor, where she implemented major reforms in process and program efficiency and effectiveness.
Anna received a J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, a M.S.M. and a M.B.A. from the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) and B.S. in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). In April 2018, she was named the recipient of UIUC’s Outstanding Asian American Alumni Award from the Asian American Cultural Center for her dedication to public service. In November 2021, the St. Louis Asian American Chamber of Commerce named Anna the 2021 Connector of the Year for her outstanding accomplishments as a trailblazer to help connect the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) business/professional community, St. Louis and Asia.
Currently, Anna serves as the Secretary/Treasurer and previously as President of the National Association of Government Labor Officials (NAGLO); Chair of the Equal Opportunity Committee and past Board Chair of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) and sits on the NASWA Information Technology Support Center (ITSC) Steering Committee; She is Vice Chairperson of the U.S. Department of Labor Workforce Information Advisory Council; Board Vice President of the International Association of Industrial Accidents Boards and Commissions (IAIABC); Board member on the Family and Community Trust (FACT); Advisory Board member for the Missouri Science and Technology (MOST) Policy Fellows; Interim Executive Council Member of the Midwest Collaborative; Member of the Science and Technology Advisory Board for the Coleridge Initiative; Member of the federal Advisory Committee on Data for Evidence Building; and a graduate of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce 2018 Leadership Missouri Program.
Tara Hutchison, Communications Director, Alabama Department of Labor
Tara Hutchison has served as the Communications Director for the Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL) since 2008. She is responsible for internal and external communications for the department.
Prior to joining ADOL, Hutchison served as Press Secretary for Governor Bob Riley, where she assisted with the launch of the state’s award-winning pre-k program, First Class Pre-K. She also worked as an associate producer and capitol press corps reporter for Alabama Public Television’s news and current affairs programs, For the Record and Capitol Journal.
She has served as Chair, Vice Chair, and Vice Chair-Elect for the Communications Committee of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) and as a panel chair for the River Region United Way’s Allocations Committee.
Hutchison received her bachelor’s degree in English from Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama, and her master’s degree in Journalism from the University of Alabama.
Tasha Jenkins, Job Service Bureau Director, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development
Tasha Jenkins joined the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development in December 2019 and currently serves as the Director of the Bureau of Job Service for the Department. The Job Service Bureau is the largest customer facing side of the Division of Employment and Training with staff in job centers across Wisconsin. Job Service also manages other job seeker and employer related services, including Wisconsin's labor exchange system (Job Center of Wisconsin), re-employment services for Unemployment claimants, training for workers impacted by trade, migrant seasonal farmworkers, work opportunity tax credit, and fidelity bonding.
Tasha brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in creating policies and procedures at the state level in the Department of Health Services and the Department of Corrections, at the local level with the City of Milwaukee Health Department and at the federal level with the U.S. Census Bureau. In addition to her government experience, Tasha also has worked in the non-profit sector when she served as the Director of Fighting Back, Inc. in Milwaukee.
Grace Johnson, Public Information Officer, Nebraska Department of Labor
Grace Johnson is the Public Information Officer for the Nebraska Department of Labor. She has overseen agency publications and communications with the media since 2012. In her role with NDOL, Grace is coordinating Nebraska’s plain language initiative for UI communication materials. Prior to joining NDOL, Johnson was a reporter with the Nebraska City News-Press. She is a graduate of Peru State College.
Ms. Erin Joyce, Associate Director, Ohio Education Research Center, Ohio State University
Erin Joyce is the associate director of the Ohio Education Research Center (OERC). The OERC is a unit of the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University. In her role, she manages the operations of the Ohio Education Research Center and leads client engagement for the OERC and Ohio Longitudinal Data Archive Partnership. Ms. Joyce also works with NASWA to support the Multi-state Data Collaboratives initiative as Director of Programs. Prior to joining the OERC, Ms. Joyce worked the non-profit sector and in state government with the Ohio Department of Education. Her career has focused on using data to inform policy and program improvement. Ms. Joyce earned her MA in Government and International Relations from the University of Notre Dame.
Sam Keathley, Senior Workforce Analyst, Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS)
Sam Keathley produces and analyzes labor market data, serving as KYSTATS Senior Workforce Analyst. An Eastern Kentucky native, Sam holds a BA and MA in Sociology from the University of Kentucky.
Evan Kibbey, Unemployment Insurance Analytics Manager, Oregon Employment Department
Evan Kibbey joined the Oregon Employment Department in 2016 and has spent the last six years in various management and leadership roles within the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Division. Evan was a Senior Manager in Claims from January of 2017 through March of 2020 and was responsible for reducing call wait times, improving First Payment Timeliness and increasing the efficiency of workloads performed within the program. In 2020, Evan helped to establish two new contact centers in response to the pandemic. Since that time, Evan stood up the UI Analytics team focused on improving the availability of actionable information for leaders throughout the agency. Evan is currently the UI Analytics program manager and is responsible for the UI Analytics Team, the Equitable Access to Unemployment Insurance Unit, the Workforce Management Team, and the UI Navigator grant.
Angelina Klouthis Jean, Director of Strategy and Innovation, Bureau of Employment Services, Maine Department of Labor
Angelina Klouthis Jean currently serves as the Director of Strategy and Innovation in the Bureau of Employment Services at the Maine Department of Labor. She oversees the Healthcare Initiatives Program, Workers Fund, Peer Navigator Programs, and Progressive Employment programs funded by the American Rescues Act. She previously served as the Interim Director at the Offi ce of Economic Opportunity in the City of Portland, Maine. Angelina has expertise in language access policy development and implementation. She has over a decade of workforce development experience in India, Colombia, Niger, Haiti, Nicaragua, Cameroon, and in the US. Angelina holds an MA from the Universidad de los Andes in Organizations, Social Responsibility, and Development.
Beth Kuhn, Consultant, Workforce ITSC, NASWA
Beth Kuhn has over 30 years of experience creating and implementing innovative workforce, human service and health programs, leading collaborations among business, government, and nonprofit partners. Beth currently serves as Principal at Stonegate Strategies, a consultancy focused on futuristic workforce development strategies across sectors and organizations. Working with clients including the Workforce Information Technology Support Center of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Interplay Learning and Coastal Cloud, Beth’s focus is on workforce of the future and the human and digital transformation of organizations, people practices, and public services needed to support customers.
Beth was most recently Chief Engagement Officer at the Kentucky Cabinet of Health and Family Services, leading workforce policy and operational efforts to better serve customers and offer them multiple pathways to employment and stability. She served in both Democratic and Republican administrations as Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Workforce Investment and as Director of Workforce Development for the Vermont Department of Labor, collaborating across systems to provide employment, vocational rehabilitation, veterans, unemployment insurance, and other workforce services.
Beth has a BA in Public Policy from the James Madison College of Michigan State University, and a Master’s in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky and inVergennes, Vermont and is a dedicated Red Sox fan.
Matt LaPalm, Product Manager, Washington State Employment Security Department
Matt LaPalm leads Product Management at Washington State Employment Security Department. An experience obsessed product manager, Matt's path to public service started with marketing, user experience research, ecommerce, and technology solutions. Joining ESD in 2018 with the team launchingthe nation's best Paid Family and Medical Leave program, he visited every corner of Washington to directly engage stakeholders in the earliest phases of the program. Now in the Product, Planning, and Performance Division, he is building a cross-agency product team focused on innovation and delivering delightful experiences.
Jana Lazarewicz, Northern California District Manager, State of California, Employment Training Panel
Jana Lazarewicz is the Northern California District Manager for the State of California’s Employment Training Panel (ETP) and Lead for the Social Entrepreneurs for Economic Development (SEED) grant. She has been working at ETP since 2016 supporting ETP’s mission to partner with California businesses to create and retain high wage jobs while providing workers the opportunity to train for career advancement. Jana holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies with a focus in Organizational Communication from California State University, Sacramento.
Shahrazad Ledan, Director, Office of Benefit Appeals, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development
As the Director of Benefit Appeals, Shahrazad manages and directs all Appeal Tribunal program activities, specifically for Unemployment and Temporary Disability Insurance cases. She's leading the team on a comprehensive, human-centric redesign project for Appeal Tribunal paper notices, with the goal of lessening confusion around the appeals process and encouraging people to pursue their appeal rights with clear instructions written in action-forward, plain language.
Prior to becoming the Director of Benefit Appeals, she led the development and implementation of Salesforce, NJDOL’s current case management system, as well as leading the implementation of both online and telephone registration for Appeal Tribunal hearings.
Shahrazad also represented New Jersey at National Association of Unemployment Insurance Appeal Professionals (NAUIAP) conferences in Nashville Tennessee and Annapolis, Maryland. She was recently elected as a NAUIAP Board Member at Large and serves on the Communication Committee. Shahrazad’s career in NJ State Government spans over 30 years and she holds a BS in Administration of Justice from Rutgers University.
Adam Leonard, Chief Analytics Officer and Director of the Division of Information Innovation & Insights, Texas Workforce Commission
Adam Leonard is the Chief Analytics Officer & Director of the Division of Information Innovation & Insight (I|3) for the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). Adam envisioned and founded I|3 tohelp TWC leverage its most important untapped resource - its data – to help the agency and its partners better help employers, individuals, families, and communities achieve & maintain prosperity; #DataforProsperity.
I|3 gathers, publishes & analyzes Labor Market Information, develops & supports a modern Analytics Infrastructure, conducts advanced Analytics and Evaluation and works to leverage it for Business Transformation.
Adam works extensively with federal, state, and local partners to improve the use of data in both the education & workforce system (singular) in Texas and nationally and in the public sector more broadly. He serves on several National Association of State Workforce Agency committees and subcommittees relating to data, technology, and accountability as well as U.S. Department of Labor and Education Department work groups, the National Skills Coalition’s Workforce Data National Advisory Panel, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s JEDx Initiative, the P20W+ Community of Innovation, and Chairs the Executive Committee for the Southern Regional Data Collaborative. Other key recent partnerships have been with the Coleridge Initiative, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Conference Board.
Most recently, Adam has begun to focus on addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by AI with a goal of helping to develop AI standards & ethics to ensure AI is leveraged for the betterment of humanity.
Loree Levy, Deputy Director of Public Affairs, California Employment Development Department
Loree Levy was appointed Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the California Employment Development Department (EDD) in November 2002 after a year of leading the department’s Communications Office. The EDD is one of the largest departments in state government with approximately 10,000 employees statewide. Levy oversees three divisions including a Strategic Communications operation in charge of marketing and brand management, digital marketing and social media, and web content management. A second division provides media relations and creative services including video production and graphic development for all public information materials.
Levy developed a third division, Customer Experience (CX), to guide the department’s commitment to modernizing with a customer-centric focus. The team conducts customer research combined with user testing to inform and influence the design and development of an evolving service delivery model, manages a Voice of the Customer program to collect and analyze customer insights to identify pain points and inform solutions, and collaborates with various partners to ensure a positive, consistent, and user-friendly customer experience across all touch points of engagement with the department.
Levy works closely with Department leaders, California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, and the Governor’s Press Office to release information about EDD programs and policies to the general public and news media, as well as develop and implement large-scale public education campaigns.
Prior to her appointment with the state, Levy spent 15 years in television news starting in Reno, Nevada and then returning to the Sacramento area where she was an on-air reporter for NBC-affiliate KCRA-TV Channel 3 and a news anchor for “Good Day Sacramento” at KPWB-TV Channel 31. Levy is a native of Sacramento and holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from California State University, Sacramento.
Jessica Looman, Principal Deputy Administrator, Wage and Hour Division, U.S. Department of Labor
Jessica Looman was appointed as the Principal Deputy Administrator of WHD on January 20, 2021. WHD enforces worker protections and provides outreach and education about federal labor laws including minimum wage, overtime, child labor, and family and medical leave.
Before joining WHD, Jessica served as the Executive Director of the Minnesota State Building and Construction Trades Council, where she advocated to expand construction career pathways, protected the physical and financial health of union construction workers, and increased private and public investment in construction infrastructure.
Before joining the Building Trades, Governor Mark Dayton appointed Jessica to serve as Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Commerce. She also served as the Deputy Commissioner and the Assistant Commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry where she oversaw the strategic coordination of DLI’s five divisions. She has previously served as the General Counsel of the Laborers District Council of Minnesota and North Dakota.
Jessica is a graduate of George Washington University and the University of Minnesota Law School. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with her husband and two sons.
Kevin Lovellette, Chief Legal Counsel, Illinois Department of Employment Security
Kevin Lovellette graduated from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana in 1994 with a degree in political science. He received his Juris Doctorate from Loyola University-Chicago and began his legal career with the Office of the Illinois Attorney General in 1997, eventually becoming the supervisor of the Prisoner Litigation Unit, and later the supervisor of the Employment Litigation Unit. He specialized in defending civil rights, Eighth Amendment, and employment actions; medical malpractice claims; wrongful death suits; and claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act. In 2018, he became a Deputy Corporation Counsel in the City of Chicago Department of Law, supervising the Federal Civil Rights Litigation division which defended city employees in civil rights actions. He is currently the Chief Legal Counsel of the Illinois Department of Employment Security and works daily with state and federal unemployment insurance laws.
LeeAnn Madsen, Assistant Director over UI Benefits Operations, State of Utah Department of Workforce Services
LeeAnn Madsen is an Assistant Director over UI Benefits Operations for the Utah Department of Workforce Services. During her 22 years with the State of Utah she has held a variety of positions including Eligibility Specialist and outreach worker, Health Program representative, UI Claims specialist, UI BOP Collector, UI Adjudicator, UI Claims Center Manager, and UI Adjudication Manager. She has also served on the board for the Mountainland Head Start Program.
Richard ("Rick") Maher, Contractor, Workforce ITSC, NASWA and President, Adaptive Human Capital, LLC.
Richard D. ("Rick") Maher is President of Adaptive Human Capital, LLC. He is a veteran of the human resources industry, and a recognized leader in the fields of managing organizational change and the strategic management of human capital. Over a career spanning nearly 30 years, he has helped to guide many notable change initiatives for clients in both the public and private sectors.
Maher has been at the forefront of workforce training and education system transformation and policy guidance – working throughout the United States and internationally. He has been the keynote speaker at numerous conferences in the U.S. and abroad. His October 2012 presentation to a gathering of leaders from three (3) continents and twelve (12) countries at St. George’s College at Windsor Castle, England featured his ideas about "talent as the new global currency" and the importance of education inbuilding agile individuals, organizations, and communities.
In the private sector, Maher has consulted on talent development issues with some of the world's largest and most successful enterprises, including Goldman Sachs, Time Warner, Schering-Plough, AOL, TD Ameritrade, Cox Communications and more.
Following the sale of his management consulting practice, Maher & Maher in 2017, Rick set out to apply his uncommon experience as a change practitioner to leading Adaptive Human Capital’s important work to better understand the critical elements of agile human systems and help to develop skills in individuals, organizations and communities to help them thrive through uncertain times.
Mr. Maher is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC), the Association of Talent Development (ATD) and PSI CHI (the International Honor Society in Psychology). He has a BA from Seton Hall University and an MS in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Walden University.
Ismaila (Ish) Maidadi, Director of Employment Connections, Washington State Employment Security Department
Ismaila "Ish" Maidadi has over 10 years of experience in workforce development and higher education.
As Director of Employment Connections at the Employment Security Department (ESD), Ish is responsible for the leadership, oversight, implementation, operation and performance of (10) federal reemployment and training programs administered by the Employment Security Department (ESD) in 36 offices throughout Washington State’s WorkSource system. These programs include: Trade Adjustment Act (TAA), Wagner-Peyser (WP), Jobs for Vets (VETS), WorkFirst, Migrant Seasonal Farmworkers (MSFW), Washington Service Corps (WSC), Reentry Services, Reemployment Services & Eligibility Assessment (RESEA), Basic Food Employment & Training (BFET), Strategies for Success (SFS), and WIOA Title I services, where contracted.
Ish also represents the State of Washington at the national level, advocating for policy and resources that best serves the state through organizations such as the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) and the National Governor’s Association (NGA).
Prior to accepting the role of Employment Connections director, he served as the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title 1 Manager at ESD. His duties included the strategic direction and enhancement of the state’s WIOA Title I-B program. He also was a critical point of contact for ESD's external partners throughout the state, maximizing how Title I-B programs served workers and employers. Prior to working at ESD, Ish was the assistant director of Service Delivery at Workforce Snohomish, and he was the Snohomish area local Equal Opportunity Officer.
He also worked in higher education at the University of Washington and facilitated pre-apprenticeships at the Seattle Colleges prior to joining Workforce Snohomish. He holds a master’s degree in policy studies from the University of Washington.
Ish immigrated to the United States from Cameroon as a young adult. He is fluent in English, French and Fulani. He lives in Seattle with his spouse and two daughters. They enjoy outdoor activities, traveling and sports.
Jess Maneely, Assistant Director for Process Innovation, American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
Jess Maneely leads the Process Innovation team on the American Public Human Services Association’s Influence Department. In her role, Jess is responsible for driving APHSA’s national efforts to advance modern platforms that create efficiencies and support informed decision-making within state and local human service agencies. She supports members who are implementing cross-program strategies to reduce hunger and helps lead our national policy work to accelerate process improvements that reduce barriers to accessing services and provide human-centered, equitable service delivery.
Prior to joining APHSA in July of 2021, Jess worked for over 5 years at Benefits Data Trust (BDT), where she led technical assistance projects with state agencies, managed process improvement and evaluation efforts, and developed publications on public benefit policy issues.
Jess holds a Master of Public Policy degree from Temple University and a Master of English degree from Tulane University, and well as undergraduate degrees in Gender and Sexuality Studies and English Literature.
Ben Mays, Policy Director, NASWA
Ben Mays is a Policy Director at NASWA, a national organization representing workforce agencies in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.
Prior to joining NASWA, Ben Mays served as a Policy Advisor within the State of Rhode Island’s Executive Office of Commerce where he advised the state’s first-ever Commerce Secretary. Prior to his time in Rhode Island, Ben held several roles in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, including as a Dukakis Fellow in the Office of Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval.
Ben received his undergraduate degree in History from Johns Hopkins University and his Master in Public Policy degree from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Suzan McKechnie, Deputy Director, Bureau of Unemployment Compensation, Maine Department of Labor
- Double major in Communications and English, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
- 14 years with the Maine Department of Labor, Bureau of Unemployment Compensation
- 2009-2010: Claims Representative
- 2010-2011: Claims Adjudicator
- 2011-2012: Interstate & Federal Program Coordinator for Maine
- 2012-2016: UC Team Leader Claims Center
- 2016-2018: UC Team Leader Training and Support Unit. Supported the launch of ReEmployME, part of the ReEmployUSA Consortium. In charge of all end-user training initiatives on the new application, as well as responsible for creating a technical help desk for the intake of defect and change request tickets from end users.
- 2018-2021: Benefits Division Director (Benefits chief) during the pandemic
- 2021 (September)-current: Deputy Bureau Director
In short: Multiple positions within the Bureau of Unemployment Compensation.
Mike Miller, UI Tax Chief, State of Utah
Mike Miller is the Unemployment Insurance Tax Chief for the Utah Department of Workforce Services. During his 26 years with the State of Utah, he has also served as the Director of Operational Excellence, Assistant Director of the Division of Adjudication and Appeals, Chief Administrative Law Judge, Administrative Law Judge, Initial Adjudicator, and Claims Representative.
When not at work Mr. Miller enjoys time with family, trail running, pursuing Rocky Mountain elk, and ice fishing.
Brendan Moore, Operations Research Specialist & Economics Ph.D Student, Washington State Employment Security Department
Brendan Moore is an Operations Research Specialist with the Washington State Employment Security Department, concurrently pursuing a doctoral degree in Economics at Stanford University. Within Washington ESD, Brendan oversees the Data Adverse Impact and Evaluation project, part of the USDOL-funded UI Equity Grant. Under Brendan’s direction, this project documents and investigates the sources of inequity in the unemployment insurance system. Brendan has also built a machine learning statistical model which uses mandated employer-reported taxable wage records to detect which Washington workers in are most susceptible to job loss.
Brendan’s academic and policy research examines the many consequences of job loss, including access to unemployment insurance, retraining at postsecondary institutions, and long-run wage dynamics.
Previously, Brendan worked for two years as a research analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York studying labor market dynamics and unemployment. Brendan graduated from Columbia University in 2018 with a BA in economics.
Michelle Morelli, Director of Labor Market Information, Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
Michelle Morelli is the LMI Director at the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. She has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Iowa’s Briar Cliff University. She specializes in collaborating with a variety of labor market and labor force data stakeholders. Michelle is a Colorado native and enjoys teaching cage class, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
Kathryn Mueller, Section Chief, Bureau of Job Service Program and Planning Section, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development
Kathryn Mueller is the Section Chief of the Program and Planning Section for the Department of Workforce Development's Bureau of Job Service. This section administers state and federal regulations that oversee the employment of agricultural migrant and seasonal farmworkers in Wisconsin. These regulations include outreach to migrant and seasonal farmworker to provide onsite employment services, the state of Wisconsin's migrant labor law, and the federal H-2A and H-2B visa programs. She also manages the call center that supports the state's free online labor exchange system, JobCenterofWisconsin.com.
Prior to her role as Section Chief, Katie managed communications and outreach for the Department's Division of Employment and Training and worked for the Department of Transportation and Government Accountability Board where she gained experience in grant management and implementing and administering state and federal regulations to local entities.
Jud Neer, Chief Technology Officer, Research Improving People's Lives
Jud Neer is the Chief Technology Officer at Research Improving People’s Lives (RIPL), where he champions the innovative solutions created by the product and engineering teams. He’s been a technologist for over 20 years, building both organizations and solutions that are secure, scalable, cost-effective, and most importantly, promote human flourishing. He has experience across the public sector, including defense, elections, unemployment insurance, workforce development, and education.
Prior to joining RIPL, Jud led the state and local government delivery practice for AWS Professional Services. He lives in San Diego, California, and when he’s not improving people’s lives, he likes to write open-source software, play bass guitar, and run, though not all at the same time.
Larry Parker, Digital Media Manager, North Carolina Division of Employment Security
I’ve been with the North Carolina Division of Employment Security since 2004. I currently serve as the Digital Media Manager where I oversee digital content creation, website design, and user experience enhancements. My previous roles at DES include Acting Public Information Director, as well as an Information and Communications Specialist. My career began as a Multimedia Specialist at GeneralParts Inc. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Broadcast Communications with a minor in Criminal Justice from Illinois State University.
Ben Peirce, Vice President, Technology Services & Programs, NASWA
Ben Peirce is the Vice President of Technology Services & Programs and a member of the Executive Team at the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA).
In this role, he oversees the State Information Data Exchange System (SIDES), Interstate Connection Network (ICON), and the Workforce and Unemployment Insurance Information Technology Support Centers (WITSC and UI ITSC).
Prior to joining NASWA in 2018, Ben served the citizens of Wisconsin for more than 25 years in various roles within the Unemployment Insurance Division at the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.
Maricar Pilotin-Freitas, Administrator, Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Workforce Development Division
Maricar Pilotin-Freitas is the Administrator of the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations’ Workforce Development Division. A first-generation immigrant with 30 years of progressive workforce development experience, Maricar’s passion is connecting people to jobs and unlocking their career potential. Maricar has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Jessica Pitt, Ph.D., Assistant Deputy Secretary of Healthcare Workforce, California Labor and Workforce Development Agency
Jessica Pitt joined the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency as Assistant Deputy Secretary for Healthcare Workforce in December 2022. In this newly created role, she leads the Workforce for a Healthy California initiative on behalf of the Labor Agency, a $1.4 Billion investment in expanding and strengthening the State’s healthcare workforce.
Jessica has held leadership roles in the nonprofit, philanthropic, and public sector for over 20 years where she has worked at the intersection of workforce development, education, and economic development with a focus on fostering collaborative, cross-sector partnerships to address challenging social and economic problems.
From 2015-2022, Jessica was the founding Executive Director of HealthPATH, a career development initiative of Alameda Health System, the safety net healthcare system serving Oakland, CA and the greater East Bay. In this role, she led the development and expansion of pipeline and other workforce development programs to build a diverse and culturally competent healthcare workforce. Previously, she served as the Director of the Bay Area Workforce Funding Collaborative at The San Francisco Foundation where she oversaw grant making throughout the Bay Area region to innovative workforce development programs, primarily focused in the healthcare and biotech sectors.
Jessica holds a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University and a BA from Wesleyan University.
Dana Politis, Associate Commissioner, Workforce Development, New York State Department of Labor
Dana serves as the Associate Commissioner for Workforce Development. In her role, she leads special projects and initiatives to support New York’s workforce. Her goal is to ensure all New Yorkers are empowered with the righteducation, training and skills for the jobs of the future.
Career Background: Prior to her role at DOL, she was the founding Director of Community Workforce Programs at Montefiore Medical Center, leading community workforce development strategy and implementation. She implemented new partnerships with the NYC Department of Education, CUNY, and other community-based organizations to design employer-led career readiness and workforce training programs in healthcare.
Education: A Bronx native, Dana is a first-generation Greek American who was the first in her family to graduate from college. She has a bachelor’s degree from Barnard College and a master’s degree in Public Health from the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University.
Jeff Robinson, Labor Force Statistics Manager, Washington State Employment Security Department
Jeff Robinson is a labor force statistics manager in the DATA branch of the Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD), with a focus on state level employment, unemployment, Unemployment Insurance (UI) and labor and employment policy. Currently, Jeff manages the Bureau of Labor Statistics programs in Washington State, which is responsible for several federal and state research and survey programs providing current labor market information. He has been part of several past labor market projects and has assisted on legislation around UI financing, UI trust fund analysis, UI benefit changes, and analysis for the newly established Family and Medical Leave program in Washington State.
Jeff has a strong background in labor market information having worked on Federal/State partnerships for the state of Washington with the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Department of Labor over the last twenty years. This included experience in the Current Employment Statistics program, Employment Projections, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wage program, Local Area Unemployment Statistics and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Racquel Robinson, Chief of UI Policy and Procedures Section, Georgia Department of Labor
Racquel Robinson is a career employee of the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) where she has worked more than 25 years. Her work experience includes re-employment services, adjudication, tax auditing, and serving as a lead subject matter expert on multiple UI projects. This career journey lead to her current role as Chief of the Unemployment Insurance Policy and Procedures (UIPP) Section which provides oversight of the UI program, benefits and tax, for the state of Georgia. In this role she has the pleasure and joy of leading a talented group of staff in the UIPP, BAM, and Customer Service Units.
Erma Robinson-Cook, Director, Office of Reemployment Assistance, Mississippi Department of Employment Security
Erma Robinson-Cook is employed with Mississippi Department ofEmployment Security. She has twenty (20) years of UI Experience. She is currently serving as the UI Director (all things benefits) and has been sinceNovember 1, 2020.She has oversight of the following programs and departments:
- Reemployment Assistance Benefits to include SIDES, SEAP, All FederalPrograms, Investigations and Adjudications
- Integrity/Benefit Payment Controls (BPC); and
- Reemployment Benefits Contact CentersShe serves as a representative of the ReEmployUSA Consortia ExecutiveCommittee which includes the following three states: Mississippi, Maine andConnecticut.
She serves on the Change Control Review Board for MSWorks and ReEmployMS.
She obtained a bachelor’s degree in Political Science at Rust College,Holly Springs, MS. She has a master’s degree in Business Administrationfrom Millsaps College, Jackson, MS.
Angel J. Rodriguez, Research Data Supervisor II, California Employment Development Department
Angel J. Rodriguez is a Research Data Supervisor II for the California Employment Development Department’s (EDD) Labor Market Information Division (LMID). He has over nine years of labor market information experience and has spent the past two years overseeing the development and dissemination of web-based labor market tools. Prior to joining the EDD, Angel worked as an analyst for the California Department of Water Resources and as a manager for the California Department of HealthServices. Angel holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from University of California, Davis.
Baron Rodriguez, CIPP-E, Executive Director of Information Technology & Privacy, WestEd
Baron Rodriguez is the Executive Director of Information Technology & Privacy and the Data Integration Support Center (DISC) at WestEd, a not-for profit research agency of nearly 1400 staff. Baron has been actively leading data integration efforts for public agencies including legislative, elections, criminal justice, and education for over 20 years with an emphasis on security, privacy, and quality data. Baron was the founding member of the U.S. Department of Education’s Privacy Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) which provides privacy, security and architecture expertise to every state and nearly every territory in the United States. Baron holds industry certifications in privacy (CIPP-E) and an MBA from George Fox University in Oregon.
Baron is an avid aviation geek (avgeek), swimmer, cat dad, and NFL fanatic (go Niners!) He is the father totwo girls and two boys, all age 23 and up! Most importantly, he enjoys weekend time with his first grandchild, Ellie, who lives nearby in the DC a
Nana Sasu, Senior Project Associate, American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
Nana Sasu is a Senior Project Associate on the Process Innovation Team at the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA). She manages projects that focus on helping state and local human services agencies implement initiatives that develop organizational readiness and drive customer-centered business process improvements.
Prior to joining APHSA, Nana worked at the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) as a Clinical Data Specialist for the NACHC CDC Million Hearts Project providing technical assistance as well as data and project management. Additionally, she worked at Capital Vision Services as the Systems Optimization Supervisor providing project management support in the development of robotic process automations and business process optimization initiatives.
Nana earned her Bachelor's in Community Health from the University of Maryland, College Park and is currently working on her Master's in Public Health at The University of George Washington Milken School of Public Health.
Nana is truly passionate about making a positive impact and is driven by her desire to utilize innovation and technology to enhance the quality of life for underserved populations.
David Schmidt, Chief Economist, Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation - Research & Analysis Bureau
David Schmidt is the Chief Economist for the State of Nevada, and manages the Research & Analysis Bureau for the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation. As the state’s labor market information director, he manages the four Bureau of Labor Statistics cooperative agreement programs as well as the Employment and Training Administration’s workforce information grant. In his five years as Chief Economist, R&A has twice been recognized with the Data Insights and Innovations award from the National Association of State Workforce Agencies for its efforts to modernize production of labor market information using R and efforts to share those innovations with other states. David has also served as a member of the Workforce Information Advisory Council as one of four representatives of labor market information directors, and currently serves as the state co-chair for the BLS OEWS policy council. In his 18 years with Nevada’s DETR, he has also served as an Economist, Supervising Economist, Deputy Chief Financial Officer, and Acting Deputy Administrator for unemployment insurance during the first three months of the COVID pandemic. David has a bachelor of science in Economics from the University of Nevada, Reno.
Dewayne Scott, Deputy Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Dewayne Scott is Deputy Commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development in Nashville, TN. He accepted this appointment in March 2021, and he oversees operations for all the Department’s business divisions which include Tennessee OSHA, Adult Education, Workforce Services, Workplace Regulations and Compliance, Unemployment Insurance, and Data Reporting.
Deputy Commissioner Scott has 30+ years of corporate executive management and entrepreneurial experience. He has helped guide the agency in moving its approach to delivering Workforce Development services to more citizens and businesses in the state of Tennessee. He has also been instrumental in galvanizing all business and service divisions within the agency as a collective force to advance workforce development and improve workplace safety.
Dewayne is a University of Tennessee Knoxville graduate in Economics and Business Management. The first 15 years of his career were at Kroger Company in the executive ranks followed by 17 years as President/CEO of SRS, Inc., a federal disaster response company. Before his appointment to the TN Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Dewayne was CEO of TDS & Associates, a consulting firm focused on leadership culture in organizations. He has also authored the book, “Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone” published in 2020.
Dewayne has been married to Kaye Scott for 39 years. They have 3 children and 4 grandchildren. He enjoys playing golf.
Becky Shaffer, Director of Communications, Kansas Department of Labor
Becky Shaffer is the Director of Communications at the Kansas Department of Labor. In her role she leads a team responsible for developing external, internal, and digital communications, strategic marketing, branding and corporate social responsibility.
Becky has over 10 years of experience in communications and marketing in government and private industry and is recognized as a leader in strategic development.
Becky is a graduate of Kansas State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Family Studies and Human Services and Master of Science in Academic Advising.
Andrew Stettner, Deputy Director for Policy, US Department of Labor, Office of Unemployment Insurance Modernization
Andrew Stettner is Deputy Director for Policy at the Office of Unemployment Insurance Modernization at the U.S. Department of Labor. Building on a 25-year long career in social insurance and workforce, Andrew is leading efforts to develop claimant-centered policies that improve access to benefits while protecting the program from fraudulent actors. Prior to joining DOL, Andrew worked at the NationalEmployment Law Project, where he spearheaded a decade long effort to realign the unemployment insurance safety net with the needs of the modern workforce, and atthe Century Foundation, where his research tracked and shaped the development ofpandemic unemployment benefits. He has published dozens of policy reports and been frequently cited in media outlets across the country. He is a graduate of Columbia and Georgetown Universities.
Lizabeth Thomas, Unemployment Insurance Modernization Project Manager, Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
Liz Thomas has decades of project management including oil and gas, other city and county agencies. She started for the state of Hawaii since 2019 managing projects Payroll, and before going to DLIR to manage the UI Mod Project in 2021, she managed the Safe Travels program for the State of Hawaii during COVID.
Lars Thompson, Associate Commissioner UI Claims Processing and Quality Review, New York State Department of Labor
Lars is the Associate Commissioner for Unemployment Insurance (UI) Claims Processing and Quality Review. He oversees the intake of UI claims, benefit eligibility reviews, and federal/state compliance assessments.
Career Background: Lars has served New York’s UI program in a variety of roles for the past 15 years.
Education: Lars holds a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Rhode Island.
William Trusky, Executive Deputy Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry
William Trusky has 31 years of PA state government experience. He started with the House Labor Committee. He was the Deputy Secretary of Unemployment Compensation Programs from Feb 2018 to June 2021. Since then, he has been the Executive Deputy Secretary overseeing operation of a 4700 person agency with a 1.46 billion dollar budget.
Anneliese Vance-Sherman, Ph.D., Chief Labor Economist, Washington State Employment Security Department
Anneliese Vance-Sherman is the Chief Labor Economist for the Washington State Employment Security Department. Prior to this role, she served as a regional economist for 13 years, covering the local labor markets in Northwest Washington and the Seattle area. Anneliese works closely with economic and workforce development partners, the media, and others providing labor market intelligence to inform strategic decision-making.
In addition to her work with the state, Anneliese serves on several boards and advisory groups including the Pacific Northwest Regional Economic Conference, the Seattle Economics Council, the Skagit Population Health Trust, the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University, and has served on several educational advisory committees for Washington K-12, colleges, and universities.
Prior to state service, Anneliese was a visiting fellow at the Border Policy Research Institute and instructor at the College of Business and Economics at Western Washington University.
Anneliese has a Ph.D. in economic geography and a master’s degree in economics both from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Robert Weinman, Director, Workforce Innovation, National Institute for Innovation & Technology
Robert Weinman is the Director of Workforce Innovation at the National Institute for Innovation and Technology, where he is responsible for program development intended to grow the nation’s talent pipeline for strategic industry sectors. A subject matter expert in the development and deployment of industry training programs and competency-based learning, Robert is a principal in the development of the NIIT’s National Talent Hub, a portal to connect talent with careers and education programs aligned with job competency requirements.
Robert has over 20 years of experience in technical workforce development with a specific focus in developing technicians for Advanced Manufacturing and the Electronics Design and Manufacturing Sector. He has worked for community colleges, universities, and industry employers, giving him the unique experience to fully understand how each entity operates internally and where are the best opportunities to facilitate a stronger intersection between employers, talent, and academia.
An innovator in workforce development programs, strategies, and enterprise level software platforms, Robert also has experience in grant writing, project management, instructional design, instruction for both technical and leadership development, collaboration and partnerships, and competency-based skills gap assessment and analysis.
Robert has served as a certified instructor and coordinator for the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council Certified Production Technician program and is a Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
Andrew Weller, Sr Data Analyst, Education Research and Data Center, WA State Office of Financial Management
Andrew is excited to share his experience working on Washington's Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) – specifically, his role in linking student outcomes to workforce outcomes. His portfolio includes developing cross-sector datamarts for researchers, fulfilling data requests for a diverse set of research partners, and developing public facing dashboards that explore the workforce outcomes of young adults in Washington.
Taylor White, Director, Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship & Postsecondary Pathways, New America
Taylor White is the director of the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship & Postsecondary Pathways for Youth at New America. In this role, she focuses on designing policies and systems to ensure young adults can transition successfully from high school into affordable postsecondary options and promising careers. She has worked on both K–12 and higher education policy issues at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and on behalf of the Australian Department of Education & Training in her role as the deputy director of education policy and research at the Australian Embassy in Washington, DC. Early inher career, White taught high school and college-level students in the U.S. and in Oslo, Norway,where she completed a Fulbright fellowship in 2010. White holds a master’s degree in educationpolicy and management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a bachelor’s degree with honors in English from Bowdoin College. She serves on several national advisory groups and in 2022 was appointed by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser to serve on the city’s Youth Apprenticeship Advisory Committee.
Julie Wirt, Assistant Deputy Director, Office of Workforce Development, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
Julie Wirt has over 33 years of experience working in various federal social service programs, including child welfare and employment and training, at both the county and state levels. For the past 15 years, Julie has worked with federal employment and training programs, overseeing the Workforce InvestmentAct (WIA) program monitoring, implementing Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) statewide activities, and developing WIOA and other state program policies. Most recently, Julie is the Assistant Deputy Director in the Office of Workforce Development at the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. In this capacity, Julie oversees the implementation and delivery of the three WIOA Title I programs, Wagner-Peyser Employment Services, Registered Apprenticeship, Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA), Trade Adjustment Act, Jobs for Veterans State Grant, and various DOL discretionary and National Dislocated Worker Grants.
