Rob Asaro-Angelo
Chair, NASWA Board of Directors
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.
John Colbert
Co-Founder, Capitol Hill Partners, LLC
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.
David Eaves
Lecturer - Teaching Public Service in the Digital Age, Harvard Kennedy School
David Eaves is a public policy entrepreneur and expert in information technology and government.
In 2009, as an adviser to the Office of the Mayor of Vancouver, David proposed and helped draft the Open Motion which created one of the first open data portals in Canada and the world. He subsequently advised the Canadian government on its open data strategy where his parliamentary committee testimony laid out the core policy structure that has guided multiple governments approach to the issue. He has gone on to work with numerous local, state, and national governments advising on technology and policy issues, including sitting on Ontario's Open Government Engagement Team in 2014–2015.
In addition to working with government officials, David served as the first Director of Education for Code for America — training each cohort of fellows for their work with cities. David has also worked with 18F and the Presidential Innovation Fellows at the White House providing training and support.
With a background in negotiation, David also advises non-profits and advocacy groups on critical negotiations. He developed and helped implement collaborative strategies for open source communities such as Drupal and Mozilla. He served as a negotiation adviser to a coalition of Canadian environmental government organizations during two years of negotiations with the Forestry Products Association of Canada (FPAC) which helped cement the ground-breaking Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement. David subsequently served as a mediator and facilitator on critical implementation committees for the agreement.
In 2018, he was named one of 20 most influential on Apolitical’s "World’s 100 Most Influential People in Digital Government."
Jim Garner
Administrator, Office of Unemployment Insurance, U.S. Department of Labor, ETA
Jim Garner was appointed as Administrator of the Office of Unemployment Insurance in the US. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration in 2021 after serving as Deputy Administrator since 2012. Prior to his federal service, Jim served eight years as the Secretary of Labor for the State of Kansas (2003-2011). Jim is a graduate of Coffeyville (Kansas) Community College and 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. Following law school, Jim served a two-year appointment clerking for U.S. District Judge Dale Saffels. In August 2016, Jim graduated from the Federal Executive Institute’s “Leadership for a Democratic Society” program.
Lesley Hirsch
Assistant Commissioner for Research and Information, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Lesley is a research and public policy professional with more than 20 years of experience serving in senior technical, management, and advisory capacities.
John Ladd
Administrator, Office of Apprenticeship, U.S. Department of Labor, ETA
John Ladd became Administrator of the Office of Apprenticeship in January 2008. As the Administrator, John has responsibility for oversight and activities related to the National Apprenticeship Act as well as the management of OA staff in the National Office, 6 Regional Offices, and numerous field offices across the country.
Prior to his appointment as Administrator, John served as the Deputy Administrator for the Office of National Response and the Director of Regional Management in the Office of Field Operations. John has received numerous awards and honors while at ETA including being selected for the inaugural class of ETA's Excellence in Leadership Program. John also has extensive experience in ETA's Regional Offices having spent a number of years in the Boston Regional Office working with workforce development programs in New England. John first came to the Department of Labor as a Presidential Management Fellow in 1993.
John also has experience at the local level of the public workforce system having worked in Boston, MA, and Stamford, CT. A native of Boston, MA, Mr. Ladd received his bachelor's degree from Boston University and his Master's in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Dr. Tamika L. Ledbetter
Commissioner, Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Dr. Tamika L. Ledbetter serves as the Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Under her leadership, the department serves to provide safe and legal working conditions and to advance opportunities for employment.
Highlights during Commissioner Ledbetter’s tenure include prioritized training resources to Alaska’s at- risk youth population, consolidation of federal and state training grants under the administration of the Alaska Workforce Investment Board, and national recognition for Alaska’s premiere vocational training institution the Alaska Vocational Training Center (AVTEC). Recently named one of the best returns on investment in the country for outstanding workforce development programs, AVTEC offers a wide range of high demand career opportunities in programs of under one year.
Prior to Dr. Ledbetter’s appointment to the Office of Commissioner, she held several key positions with the department. She began her career with the State of Alaska in 2007 as a Career Development Specialist. After two years, she became Manager of the Mat-Su Job Center, a role she held for eight years. Most recently, she served as Regional Manager for the Anchorage/Mat-Su Economic Region. Her background as a community leader, dynamic public speaker, and human performance improvement consultant has complemented her experience as a workforce development professional for more than 15 years.
Dr. Ledbetter is a veteran of the United States Air Force Operation Iraqi Freedom. After she and her family transferred to Elmendorf Air Force Base in 2003, they decided to make Wasilla, Alaska home. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in History/Political Science, a Master of Arts in Education/Adult Education and Training, and a Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership.
Dr. Ledbetter has distinguished herself as an astute and skillful leader and has always worked to facilitate an environment which encourages career advancement and excellence of her team members. These skills were recently recognized by her election to the position of Chair-Elect of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA). Among her many achievements includes the distinguished honor of Alaska’s Top 40 under 40 for her leadership at the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. She is an active community member, and was recently appointed by US Secretary of Labor Martin J. Walsh to serve on the national Workforce Information Advisory Council
Commissioner Ledbetter and her husband, Fred, who is also a military veteran, are most proud of their children: their teenaged daughter and two sons who are active duty in the United States Armed Forces.
Bruce Madson
Senior Labor Policy Advisor, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
Bruce is the Assistant Director and is responsible for all Department of Labor funded programs operated by ODJFS including the Offices of Unemployment Insurance Operations, and Workforce Development which collectively employ about 1300 stat e staff. Bruce has had oversight responsibility for the Labor Programs for the past three state administrations. Bruce has been actively engaged in workforce development programs for over 40 years and has been elected to the Board of Directors of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies several times representing Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin as well as serving two terms as Chairman of the NASWA Unemployment Insurance Committee. In 2016 Mr. Madson was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Labor to a three –year term on the Workforce Information Advisory Committee (WIAC) which is a statutory advisory body for the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Employment and Training Administration.
Scott B. Sanders
CEO, National Association of State Workforce Agencies
Scott B. Sanders has been the Executive Director of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) since October 2014. 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. Prior to his appointment as Commissioner, Scott served in various capacities at DWD starting in 2006. He also served as the Chief Financial Officer for the Bureau of Motor Vehicles from May 2005 to November 2006. Scott was appointed to the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board in February 2019 and also serves on the boards of the LMI Institute and the UWC Foundation. Scott has many years of private sector experience prior to his role at DWD. Before joining state government, he was with First Commonwealth, Inc., a managed health care company, based in Chicago, IL. There he served as President from 2002-2004 and as Chief Financial Officer from 1995-2002. Following the purchase of First Commonwealth, Inc. by Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, Scott continued as Second Vice President. Scott earned his bachelor’s degree from Miami University and his master’s in business administration from Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of 26 August-2019 Management. </p>
Betsey Stevenson
Professor, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan
Betsey Stevenson is an associate professor of public policy at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, with a courtesy appointment as an associate professor of economics in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. She is also a Research Associate with the National Bureau of Economic Research, a Fellow of the Ifo Institute for Economic Research in Munich, and serves on the Board of Directors of the American Law and Economics Association. She served as the Chief Economist of the US Department of Labor from 2010 to 2011. Stevenson is a labor economist whose research focuses on the impact of public policies on the labor market. Her research explores women's labor market experiences, the economic forces shaping the modern family, and the potential value of subjective well-being data for public policy.
Kim Vitelli
Administrator, Office of Workforce Investment, U.S. Department of Labor, ETA
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 $4.6 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 Everton soccer clubs.
Martin J. Walsh
United States Secretary of Labor
Martin J. Walsh was sworn in as the 29th Secretary of Labor on March 23, 2021. A lifelong champion of equity and fairness, and a proud product of the City of Boston, Secretary Walsh leads the U.S. Department of Labor with a strong connection to working people, and a commitment to creating an economy that works for all.
As Mayor of Boston, Secretary Walsh made his mark as a labor leader. After following his father into Laborers Local 223 in Boston, he rose to head the Building and Construction Trades Council from 2011 to 2013. He worked with business and community leaders to promote high-quality development, and he created a program called Building Pathways that has become a model for increasing diversity in the workplace and providing good career opportunities for women and people of color.
Born and raised in the neighborhood of Dorchester by immigrant parents, Secretary Walsh is driven to ensure our nation's economy works for everyone. Secretary Walsh is a survivor of Burkitt lymphoma and is a proud member of the recovery community who has worked to expand addiction treatment throughout his career. While working full-time as a legislator, he returned to school to earn a degree in Political Science at Boston College.
