Highlights from NASWA’s 2026 Winter Policy Forum
More than 300 people from nearly all 50 states and territories recently gathered in National Harbor, Maryland, for NASWA’s 2026 Winter Policy Forum. The Forum brought together state workforce agency staff, congressional staff, federal officials, and industry partners for in-depth discussion on the policy, economic, and operational issues shaping the public workforce system in 2026 and beyond.
The Winter Policy Forum opened with welcome remarks from Cami Feek, Commissioner of the Washington State Employment Security Department and NASWA’s Board Chair, and Scott B. Sanders, President and CEO of NASWA. The opening plenary set the stage with a federal policy outlook from John Colbert, Co-Founder and Partner at Capitol Hill Partners, and an economic forecast from Michael R. Strain, Director of Economic Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. Speakers highlighted the evolving federal landscape, fiscal pressures, and labor market trends shaping state workforce agencies in 2026.
A federal leadership plenary convened senior officials from the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Led by Henry Mack III, Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, the panel focused on cross-agency priorities, implementation challenges, and opportunities to strengthen coordination between federal and state partners.
During the Winter Workforce Innovation Awards Luncheon, NASWA recognized states for excellence in technology, communications, labor market information, workforce and business development, and equal opportunity, underscoring state workforce agencies’ commitment to innovation and impactful service delivery.
The afternoon featured a bipartisan “Hearing from the Hill” panel, followed by a discussion on implementing new community engagement requirements for Medicaid and SNAP. The Winter Policy Forum concluded with a forward-looking plenary on strengthening workforce and education partnerships and an overview of NASWA’s 2026 legislative priorities. Board and Committee meetings also took place throughout the week.
Thank you to all the presenters, sponsors, and attendees for participating in this year’s Winter Policy Forum. Check out the photo gallery here. Slide decks are available for registered attendees to view here. (You must log in with the email address you registered with and your confirmation number.)
The 2027 Winter Policy Forum will be held on February 10 in Washington, DC. Visit our Save the Date webpage for more upcoming meetings and events.
