The National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) Conference was well-attended this year, with NAWB President and CEO Ron Painter welcoming over 1,500 attendees. The conference was held March 23rd – 26th, 2019 at the Washington Hilton in Washington DC. Stark Tuscarawas Workforce Development Board (STWDB) Executive Director Jennifer Meek Eells shared that the conference, “…always provides an opportunity for workforce professionals from all over the country to convene, share best practices, and work together with NAWB to educate Congress on the importance of workforce programs serving employers and job seekers in our local areas.”
The STWDB and the Workforce Initiative Association were able to take their best practice sharing to task this year as they were selected to present a full workshop on the Business Resource Network workforce and economic development model and its expansion to Boards in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Matt Falter, BRN Project Director, served as the presenter and facilitated a discussion panel with Meek Eells, Workforce Initiative Association COO JoAnn Breedlove, and Jim Denova with the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, based in Pittsburgh. The Foundation’s role in the expansion project has been to support the workforce development boards with underserved areas in the West Virginia panhandle and in western Pennsylvania in adopting the BRN model as a fully integrated part of their Business Services programs.


(l to r) Matt Falter, Janelle Comstock (MidOhio Valley WDB Director, WVA), JoAnn Breedlove, Jim Denova, and Jennifer Meek Eells.