WELCOME/INTRODUCTIONS

Tom Looft introduced himself. He then introduced Ray Lucero, new Regional Director of the Western sub-region and, Matthew Thomas, the new Director of The Training Advantage. Everyone else was then asked everyone to introduce themselves.

HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS

Wayne Bulander discussed travel reimbursement and asked that new members fill out the W9 form. The completed forms should be returned to Wayne or Joan.

DIRECTOR’S REPORT

Tom Looft gave an update on the transition of the Western sub-region from a county-operated to a State-run sub-region. The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment assumed responsibility for the administration of the sub-region July 1, 2002. Much had to occur for this transition to become a reality. All contracts and leases had to be changed from county to State; new personnel had to be hired and trained; computers needed to be purchased and installed; and all of this occurred while the Workforce Centers remained open for business. Tom thanked Upper Arkansas, Eastern, Mesa, Pueblo, Rural Resort, Montrose County and Administrative staff for their assistance during the transition. Without their assistance, the transition would not have occurred as smoothly as it did.

Montrose County Commissioner Leo Large also expressed his appreciation to everyone who helped during the difficult time. Greg Pope, Western Board Chair, stated that he believes the sub-region is in good shape, and will continue to improve with time. He also thanked Guy Pfalzgraff for all of his help during the transition.

Tom ended his Director’s report with a presentation regarding the structure of the Rural Consortium; the relationship of local sub-regions to the Consortium; funding streams and allocation processes; partnerships and the structure of the service delivery system in each sub-region; and the Consortium’s performance and budget.

Tom then introduced Drew Durham, Director of the Division of Employment and Training within the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. Drew discussed his background and thanked everyone for their support and hard work in the workforce system. He also expressed his support of the Workforce Development system in the State, and indicated that it would be a priority of his to ensure its continued success.

FAITH BASED INITIATIVE

Kathy Otten of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, and Jane Venohr of Policy Studies Inc. discussed the Faith Based grant that Colorado received. Colorado was one of only 12 States in the nation to receive one of these grants. The Department of Labor and Employment has partnered with Policy Studies Inc. and the Colorado Foundation for Families and Children to implement this project. Colorado received the 3^rd largest grant awarded, $1.3 million. The purpose of this is to increase the capacity of faith/community based organizations to partner with Workforce Centers to expand resources and access to services. The Colorado Foundation for Families and Children is conducting 13 learning circles across the State (focus groups) in local communities to determine gaps in existing services. Once these gaps are identified, local faith/community based organizations will have the opportunity to respond to an RFP that would enable them to strengthen their capacity to address those needs in partnership with local Workforce Centers.

A total of $360,000 is available for these capacity building grants, with a maximum award of $20,000 per grant. A committee has been organized to review the grant applications, and Regional Workforce Center Directors will also have the opportunity to review grants submitted from their Regions.

It is anticipated that additional funds will made available under this initiative in the coming year. These funds would be for direct services, and Colorado is hopeful that if this first phase is successful, it will be a candidate for the second round of funding.

Steve Groth of Rocky Mountain SER commented that he viewed this project to in direct competition with current community based organizations that have a successful history of delivering employment and training programs.

Mark Carmel of Pueblo County expressed concern that encouraging the development of new community based organizations or the expansion of existing local agencies could have a negative impact on local governments once the grants were over. Many of these organizations look to local governments for financial assistance when this occurs.

PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE

Mary Hillsman of “Creative Excellence” gave a presentation of the Continuous Improvement Management System that has been initiated by the Office of Workforce Development. This is essentially a mini “Baldridge” assessment, which will require Workforce Center staff to devote quite a bit of time and effort to. Each region will undergo a “Gap Analysis,” which identify areas where improvement could occur. Each region will then be required to develop an implementation plan to address areas of deficiency. The receipt of Performance Incentive dollars from the Office of Workforce Development will be tied to these plans.

FAMILY LITERACY

Paulette Church of the Southwest Workforce Board discussed the Family Literacy Program that has been developed in that region in conjunction with the Department of Education. She asked the Rural Consortium board to endorse a resolution proposed by the Southwest Workforce Board that recognizes the need for State financial support of family literacy programs in Colorado. Much discussion ensued regarding specific language in the resolution as presented. Commissioner Bill Wallace agreed to work with Paulette to modify language in the resolution so that it would be acceptable to the Consortium Board and Board of Local Elected Officials. Voting to support the modified resolution will be an action item during the Business Meeting in the morning.

BUSINESS MEETING DECEMBER 6, 2002

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Mark Warne made a motion to approve the minutes of the April meeting as submitted, which was seconded by Buzz Moore. Nancy Stahoviak made the same motion for the LEO Board, which was seconded by Bill Downey. Both Boards voted unanimously to approve the minutes.

Performance Awards – Chuck Steigerwalt announced that he and Joe Rall accepted an award on behalf of the Rural Consortium for outstanding performance from the Colorado Office of Workforce Development. The award was presented during a banquet that was sponsored by Colorado Office of Workforce Development. This was the second year in a row that the Consortium met or exceeded all WIA performance standards at the 100% level. In addition to the award, the Consortium was allocated $42,200 of Performance Incentive funds.

Legislative Day – Chuck Steigerwalt announced that there will be “Day at the Legislature” on January 30, 2003, from 8:00-3:00. The Rocky Mountain Workforce Development Association is sponsoring this event. It will be an opportunity for Board members and staff to meet with Legislators and inform them about Workforce Development efforts in Colorado. This event will be held in the old Supreme Court Chambers at the Capitol. Anyone interested in attending should contact Chuck or Tom Looft.

National Association of Workforce Boards – Chuck also shared information about the annual NAWFB Conference, which will be held in Washington, D.C. March 1-4. The registration is $350 and it costs around $1200 for the trip. Chuck attended last year, and thought it was a very informative event. He will be representing the Consortium at this conference, as well.

Board Membership – The Board was asked to approve Board membership for Don Dunshee-Broomfield, Ray Mason-Pueblo and Judy Lohnes-Upper Arkansas COG, representing the Community Services Block Grant program. Cathy Calderwood moved for their approval, which was seconded by Ron Scott. Bill Downey moved approval for the LEO Board, which was seconded by Kevin Karney. Both motions were unanimously approved.

Joe Rall was unfortunately lost his bid for re-election to the Board of Fremont County Commissioners, and therefore, will not be able continue to serve on the Rural Consortium Board of Local Elected Officials, which he also Chaired. Discussion was held regarding the election of a new LEO chair. Nancy Stahoviak nominated Bill Wallace to position, and Kathy Hall seconded the motion. The Board of Local Elected Officials unanimously elected Bill Wallace as their Chair.

Tom Looft stated that there were five current members of the Board who have attended either none, or one Board meeting. He asked the Board of Local Elected Officials about their thoughts regarding these individuals. He asked if the Board thought they should be sent letters thanking them and politely informing them that they would no longer be on the Board. Leo Large made the motion for Tom to draft such a letter; and Mike Harms seconded it. The motion carried unanimously. Tom Looft will draft a letter and send it to Bill Wallace for signature.

Additionally, Tom mentioned that the Workforce Investment Act requires that certain organizations/programs be represented on the Board. Currently missing on the Board are 1) Parent of an eligible, current or former youth participant and, 2) a former or current youth participant. Tom asked the Board and staff to think about these two categories, and if they had ideas to let him know.

Adult Literacy Resolution – The language in the Adult Literacy Resolution was modified and shared with the Board. Cathy Calderwood made the motion to approve of the Board’s support of the Resolution, which was seconded by Tom Ivory. Bill Downey made the same motion for the LEO Board, and Leo Large seconded it. During discussion, the LEO Board amended the Resolution to include a signature line for LEO Chair. Both Boards unanimously approved the Rural Consortium’s support of the Resolution.

Recognition – Tom Looft recognized Joe Rall for his support of the Consortium, his leadership and tireless efforts. Joe will receive an award recognizing his contributions.

Cathy Hall was term limited this year and therefore was unable to run for Mesa County Commissioner again. Tom commended her for her superior representation of her constituents and her support of the Rural Consortium. In recognition of her contributions, she was presented with a beautifully engraved clock.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS: Tom Looft and Wayne Bulander provided the Board with a presentation of the Rural Consortium’s WIA Performance during this past year. Each standard was explained, as was the Consortium’s actual performance. Overall, the Consortium has done exceptionally well with respect to WIA Performance. It is the federally designated Workforce Region in Colorado that has met or exceeded all standards at the 100% level two straight years. In addition, it was explained that because of its size, the performance of the Consortium, has a corresponding impact on the performance of the State as a whole. Tom pointed out that the Consortium also assisted several other regions achieve their standards this past year. The Consortium raised its standards in several categories, thereby permitting other regions to lower theirs in order for them to meet their standards. Tom further mentioned that each of the nine Regions shared the Performance Incentive dollars equally, even though some regions did not meet their standard at the 100% level.

Tom Ivory mentioned that the state is negotiating with the federal government to have Colorado’s standards lowered based on the current status of the economy. Should this happen, then the State would re-negotiate with each of the nine federal Workforce Regions. Wayne gave Angie Oswalt much credit for helping the Rural Consortium achieve such high standards. Angie is responsible for managing the Consortium Management Information System, and without her efforts, the Consortium would not have done as well as it has. Tom also thanked her for her efforts, and also for the training she has provided for rural Workforce Center staff.

Tom Looft then discussed Wagner Peyser performance. The Rural Consortium received a customer satisfaction rating of 77.90%, which was the highest score of all nine regions. Tom also explained that 20% of Colorado business establishments are located in the Rural Consortium, yet Rural Consortium Workforce Centers were responsible for taking 56% of the job openings received by Colorado Workforce Centers during the past year. Of job openings filled during the year, rural Workforce Centers filled 68% of them. Tom explained that we are doing so well because of our dedicated staff, our positive reputation in our local communities; and due to the support and guidance of our local Workforce Board members.

Nancy Stahoviak, who is a member of the SWIS Committee of the State Workforce Council, asked the Board if they would like her to bring the issue of equal sharing of Performance Incentive funds, regardless of actual performance to her Committee. Bill Wallace also spoke in support of Nancy following through on her suggestion. After additional discussion, Nancy agreed to bring this issue forward to the SWIS Committee.

AUDITS/MONITORING: Wayne stated that WIA requires that each region be monitored programmatically and financially on an annual basis for regulatory compliance. As a result of the monitoring that was conducted this past year, several items were identified that will require the attention of Consortium staff. Those specific items are as follows:

- Specific language needs to be added to all purchase orders

- A new cost allocation plan identifying how costs of various programs are charged needs to be developed for the Consortium as a whole, as well as for our Contractors

- The Consortium and its Contractors need to revise their Property Management process, as any item with a value of $500 or more needs to be inventoried

- WIA funds have a two-year life, and we encouraged to spend our older money first

- The Memorandums of Understanding with partner agencies in each of the sub-regions need to be updated, resource sharing agreements need to be developed and shared costs identified

Guy Pfalzgraff, the Consortium’s Quality Assurance specialist, is charged with conducting internal Consortium monitoring, and providing technical assistance to those sub-regions and staff when necessary to ensure that we are in compliance with both State and Federal regulations. He is planning to review five sub-regions during this year and 6 next year.

Karyn Baylon is the State Monitor for the Rural Consortium. She has completed the yearly review and will continue to provide technical assistance and training on WIA and Wagner Peyser. The State has developed a monitoring instrument, which will be shared with all Workforce Regions, so that everyone will be aware of the State’s expectations. Karyn will conduct her next review of the Consortium next Spring, and will be based on the first two quarters of PY 02.

Tom Looft also mentioned that the Legislative Audit Committee is conducting an audit of the Statewide Workforce Development system. These auditors have already visited with Tom and Wayne Bulander and will be scheduling visits to the majority of the sub-regions within the Consortium.

STAFF TRAINING SESSIONS: Karen Benker, Director of the Eastern sub-region discussed the recent staff training sessions conducted for all Rural Consortium staff this past October. Over 200 staff attended 2 separate training sessions in Vail. Topics included Customer Service, WIA Case Management, Career Assessment, Performance Measures, Automation of Workforce Centers and other important topics.

The sessions were very well received by staff, as evidenced by their overall rating of the sessions of 4.1 on a scale of 1-5. Based upon the success of this training, we hope to be able to conduct additional training of this nature again in the future. Tom Looft thanked Karen and her staff for all of their hard work in planning the logistics of the training sessions.

Janet Berg asked about cross training among staff. Tom Looft indicated that this training included staff from all partner organizations within the Consortium, and that all attendees attended the same workshops. This was intentional, as we wanted all staff, regardless of what program they were primarily focused on; to have an appreciation and overall general knowledge base of all the programs and services delivered through our Workforce Centers.

Western Youth Award: The procurement process for the delivery of the Youth Program in the Western sub-region was concluded and the evaluation committee recommended the awarding of the contract to deliver this program to The Training Advantage. The motion to approve the awarding of this contract to The Training Advantage was made by Tom Papin and seconded by Ed Morlan. The Board unanimously approved the motion.

Economic Update: Alexandra Hall, Direct of Labor Market Information for CDLE provided the Board with a statewide economic update, and discussed the various products and services available from her unit. She discussed the Job Vacancy Survey, and the usefulness of this tool in Workforce Development. She indicated that there are fewer job vacancies across the state. There are several different catalysts causing this including drought and fires. Inflation is expected to remain low but job growth is expected to go up in Spring 2003. She also explained that her unit has hired economists that will specifically focus on selected Workforce regions, and that anyone is feel free to call 303-318-8852 to speak to one of them.

Alex indicated that layoffs and unemployment have peaked, and there should not be anymore drastic declines in the near future. She felt that tourism should improve in 2003 but that snowfall, drought conditions and fire hazards could have a potential negative impact. Health care occupations continue to be in demand across the State.

Bill Wallace asked Alex to attend our next meeting and explain at that time how things have changed, and what the future projections are. Tom Looft informed the Board that Alex’s economists could be invited to local Board meetings to provide economic updates.

OTHER BUSINESS/WRAPUP

Karyn Baylon stated that there will be a USDOL Regional Youth Conference at the Westminster Westin Hotel on April 8-10 and encouraged members to attend.

Tom Looft indicated that the Annual Report should be completed by April. The next Board meeting will probably be held in April or May, depending upon the State receives its WIA and Wagner Peyser allocations. As a result of the Wagner Peyser allocation formula that was approved by the Commissioner’s Allocation Committee, a meeting of the Allocation Committee may be able to be done by teleconference this year.

Ed Morlan suggested that the next meeting be held in Grand Junction. The Board agreed that this would be an excellent location. Joan Bondelier will work with Sue Tuffin on the arrangements.

Greg Pope suggested that the Board consider alternate topics for the next meeting. Some suggestions included: legislation; more open comments from the Board concerning Workforce Development issues and priorities; best practices; and success stories from clients who have been through our programs. Tom Looft indicated that he would work with staff and the Board to develop an agenda that reflects these suggestions.

Chuck Steigerwalt asked if there was any further business-being none-Chuck adjourned the meeting.

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