June 2025 Board and Committee Meetings
NASWA held meetings for the Board of Directors and Policy Committees in Denver, Colorado, June 3-5, 2025.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The NASWA Board of Directors Meeting was held on June 3, 2025. A record number of 35 states were represented at the meeting. Led by Board Chair Joe Barela (CO), the meeting featured updates from various committees, including Administration & Finance, Communications, Employment & Training, and Unemployment Insurance, among others. Key reports were delivered by NASWA leadership, including updates on the Integrity Center, UI IT Support Center, AI Workgroup, and the Multi-State Data Collaborative. The agenda also included peer-to-peer exchanges and discussions on emerging topics. The next Board meeting will be on September 9, 2025 in Dallas, TX, ahead of the SUMMIT.
ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE
More than 20 members attended, representing 17 states. During the meeting, members discussed a range of pressing administrative and fiscal issues. The agenda included updates on WIOA and UI grant statuses, challenges with HHS PMS delays, and planning for future in-person training events. Attendees also explored state best practices, legislative updates, and the potential use of AI for operational efficiencies. The meeting featured peer-to-peer roundtables, breakout sessions for training planning, and updates on NASWA’s eLearning initiatives. The next Committee meeting will be on September 9, 2025 in Dallas, TX, ahead of the SUMMIT.
COMMUNICATIONS
A total of 18 members attended, representing 14 states. Meeting topics included an update from state administrators in Colorado and South Dakota, workgroup updates, a facilitated discussion on mass layoffs, and strategic goals of the committee. Attendees shared promising practices in areas of outreach campaigns, social media best practices, media relations, new technology, and employee engagement and recruitment. Guest speaker, Justin Sasso, President and CEO of the Colorado Broadcasters Association, spoke on the value of partnering with state broadcasting associations to secure advertising at a reduced flat rate that maximizes ROI. The next Committee meeting will be on September 9, 2025 in Dallas, TX, ahead of the SUMMIT.
EMPLOYMENT & TRAINING
More than 50 individuals attended the meeting, representing 25 states. Attendees covered a range of topics, including potential impacts of proposed Medicaid work requirements, the current policy landscape, leveraging the CarreerOneStop site, and delivering workforce services to impacted federal workers. The meeting also featured a showcase from host state Colorado, updates from USDOL, presentations about the National Labor Exchange (NLx) and Multi-State Data Collaborative (MSDC), an AI training session and a roundtable discussion. The next committee meeting will be on September 9, 2025, in Dallas, TX, ahead of the SUMMIT.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
A total of 16 members attended, representing 16 states. Members of the Equal Opportunity Committee heard from state and federal officials at their meeting. Leaders with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (Civil Rights Division) gave an overview of their agency’s work, while other Colorado leaders showcased CDLE employment and training activities. California, a nominee for this year’s William J. Harris Award, shared information on their Language Office Initiative for Equitable and Inclusive Service, and officials from the USDOL Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) provided an update. Members also attended an AI workshop, shared news about their states, and discussed subcommittee priorities. The next committee meeting will be on September 9, 2025, in Dallas, TX, ahead of the SUMMIT.
TECHNOLOGY
Technology Committee Chair Annie Tietema (MN) and Vice Chair Amber Shultz (KS) welcomed members from 13 states to the meeting. Highlights included updates from Colorado and Montana on their recent deployments of workforce case management systems, a group activity focused on IT investments, budget challenges, staffing recruitment and retention, and data governance strategies such as data warehouses and data lakes. The committee also held a joint session on AI for state workforce agency leaders with the Employment & Training and Communications Committees. The next Technology Committee meeting will be held on September 9, 2025, in Dallas, TX.
WAGE & HOUR
Approximately 20 members from 13 state agencies attended. Colorado, Michigan, North Carolina, Oregon, and Washington, DC presented spotlights about their agencies’ wage and hour functions and shared innovative ideas. The Committee met for a joint session with the Equal Opportunity Committee for an artificial intelligence overview provided by Microsoft. Marissa Hashizume presented recent work from the National Labor Exchange Research Hub regarding pay transparency. Committee Members shared additional information and updates during the roundtable. Members also discussed plans for future meetings. NASWA’s Wage & Hour Committee will be meeting next on September 9 in Dallas, TX.
NASWA's Policy Committees help define policies on issues that are critical to state workforce agencies. These groups are active throughout the year and meet regularly in order to collaborate on key issues across the national workforce system.
