February Board and Committee Meetings
NASWA held meetings for the Board of Directors and Policy Committees in Washington, D.C. February 11-14, 2025.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The NASWA Board of Directors held a one-day meeting led by Board Chair, Joe Barela (CO). The meeting commenced with updates from President and CEO, Scott B. Sanders and Board Treasurer, Brad Barger (OH). The Board engaged in peer-to-peer discussions on a variety of opportunities and challenges. The next Board of Directors meeting will be on Tuesday, June 3, 2025 in Denver, CO.
ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE COMMITTEE
Twenty-five members from 19 states attended the in-person winter meeting. Members received an update on NASWA’s Open UI Initiative from the Initiative’s Director Allison Johnson, and NASWA’s Learning Director Amy Smith provided an update on the Grant eLearning project. Members engaged in extended discussions on topics of special interest including the status of members’ efforts to understand and comply with the FEMA Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) fraud and overpayment close-out efforts, and an overview of how states are dealing with establishing indirect cost rates and/or cost allocation programs. Members also discussed the status of UI Administrative funding and how states are supplementing federal funds by securing additional state funding. Other topics discussed included return-to-office directives and whether states were implementing them. Finally, members provided input into the planning of a future in-person training for state finance staff, such as the in-person training held in March of 2024 in Pittsburgh, now scheduled for the spring of 2026. The next in-person committee meeting will be on June 4-5, 2025 in Denver, CO.
COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
More than 10 members attended the Communications Committee meeting, representing 8 states. Committee Chair, Diane Watkins (DC) led a robust discussion on the committee’s strategic goals and AI in communications. Committee members held a roundtable discussion sharing communications challenges and successes. A virtual meeting is planned for March 20, 2025. The next in-person committee meeting will be on June 4-5, 2025 in Denver, CO.
EMPLOYMENT & TRAINING COMMITTEE
More than 50 attendees participated in the Employment & Training Committee meeting, representing more than 30 states. The meeting covered a range of topics, including providing workforce services as part of reentry programs, exploring new models of service delivery, and staff training practices, among others. The meeting also featured a guest presentation from Rob Jeffreys, President of the Correctional Leaders Association, about their organization and work on reentry, and a presentation from Jasmy Methipara of the U.S. Department of House and Urban Development on HUD Section 3 programs. In addition, the meeting included multiple open discussion sessions, providing opportunities for states to learn from each other and discuss recent policy developments in the workforce space. The next in-person committee meeting will be on June 4-5, 2025 in Denver, CO.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY COMMITTEE
Members of the Equal Opportunity Committee heard from nominees for the William J. Harris Equal Opportunity Award. This year’s winner, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, shared information about their Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund (ERAF) initiative. This fund provides Minnesota employers with financial resources to create necessary accommodations for individuals with disabilities. Since its inception in 2023, the ERAF has approved 124 applications, reimbursing employers more than $800,000 and removing financial barriers to support these hiring and retention practices. The DC Department of Employment Services presented on their HBCU Public Service Program. This initiative was designed to advance equal opportunity by creating clear pathways for graduates of HBCUs into meaningful public service careers. The program provides apprenticeships within District government, prioritizing access for historically underrepresented groups. Members also discussed their fireside chats, subcommittees and heard about activities in various states. Julie Squire, Vice President, Policy and General Counsel, provided an update on NASWA initiatives. The next in-person committee meeting will be on June 4-5, 2025, in Denver, CO.
TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
More than 20 members attended the Technology Committee meeting, representing 13 states. Committee members heard updates on the National Labor Exchange (NLx) Research Hub and heard from the National Association of State Procurement Officials about AI in public procurement. Communications Committee members shared insights on the Committee’s AI workgroup and AI in communications use cases. States also discussed UI IT modernization and heard updates from NASWA’s UI IT Support Center, Workforce IT Support Center and the Open UI Initiative. The next in-person committee meeting will be June 4-5 in Denver, CO.
WORKFORCE & LABOR MARKET INFORMATION COMMITTEE
More than 40 members attended the Workforce and Labor Market Committee meeting, representing 22 states. Committee members participated in an interactive poll, discussed generative AI and LMI use cases, and held a roundtable discussion. A storytelling with data and communications best practices session was also held.
