Closing Day Plenary 

SPEAKERS

Robert Asaro-Angelo, NASWA Board Chair 2021-2022 and Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Dr. Tamika Ledbetter, NASWA Board Chair 2022-2023 and Commissioner, Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development

Tracking Reentry Programs that Signal Success

With over 11 million open jobs, employers across the country are asking where they can find workers to fill the job vacancies. One possible solution is to look with fresh eyes at a sizable demographic that has been historically excluded from the workforce: justice-involved individuals. This group, which includes an estimated 70 million Americans with arrest or conviction records, face significant barriers to societal reintegration, but state efforts to assist former prisoners reconnect to the workforce have evolved in recent years. Indeed, employment is an important benchmark of reentry, and studies have shown that stable employment for inmates after their release correlates with reduced instances of recidivism. This workshop features several state Employment & Training and Communications Leaders, who will share innovative reentry program initiatives and the outreach strategies for these programs.

MODERATOR

Chris Cannon, Chief Communications Officer, Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development

PANELISTS

Courtney Arbour, Director, Workforce Division, Texas Workforce Commission
Chris Cannon, Chief Communications Officer, Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development
Lloyd Day, Director, Office of Workforce Development, Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning, Maryland Department of Labor
Holly McKamey Simoni, Administrator of Workforce Programs, Wyoming Department of Workforce Services
Christina West, Deputy Administrator, Wyoming Department of Workforce Services
Deniece Thomas, Deputy Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development
Mary York, Director, Outreach and Employer Initiatives Division, Texas Workforce Commission