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  • III. Operational Planning Elements

    The Unified or Combined State Plan must include an Operational Planning Elements section that supports the State’s strategy and the system-wide vision described in Section II(c) above.  Unless otherwise noted, all Operational Planning Elements apply to Combined State Plan partner programs included in the plan as well as to core programs.  This section must include—

III. b. 3. B. i. Membership Roster

Provide a membership roster for the State Board, including members’ organizational affiliations. 

Current Narrative:

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requires each state to establish a state workforce investment board to oversee workforce development activities.  The Governor’s Workforce Development State is charged with advising and assisting the Governor regarding compliance with the WIOA and the State’s overall workforce system efforts.  The Governor’s Workforce Development State Board has representation consistent with the provisions of the WIOA Section 101. 

Membership of the Governor’s Workforce Development State Board will consist of the following members, at a minimum:  

  1. The Governor.
  2. A member representing the Michigan Senate appointed by the Senate Majority Leader.
  3. A member of the Michigan House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House.
  4. The director of the state’s workforce development department/agency or their designee.
  5. A member representing high school career and technical education directors appointed by the Governor.
  6. The president of a local community college located within the state.
  7. The president of a public university located within the state.
  8. A member representing business who is also a member of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation Board.
  9. A small business owner appointed by the Governor.
  10. A member representing manufacturing appointed by the Governor.
  11. A member representing a mobility business enterprise appointed by the Governor.
  12. A member representing a minority business enterprise appointed by the Governor.
  13. A member representing a female owned business enterprise appointed by the Governor.
  14. A member representing a business employing veterans, returning citizens or persons with disabilities, appointed by the Governor.
  15. Three (3) at-large business owners appointed by the Governor.
  16. A member appointed by the Governor who is an apprenticeship coordinator of a joint labor management apprenticeship program.
  17. Three (3) members representing general labor appointed by the Governor.
  18. A local workforce development board administrator appointed by the Governor.
  19. Any additional members designated and appointed by the Governor. 

Note:  The members appointed in 8 thru 19 will be geographically diverse. 

The membership of the State Workforce Board will consist of the following members, at a minimum

1.  Governor Gretchen Whitmer

State of Michigan

(Governor)

2.  Jeff Donofrio, Director

Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity

(Director of the state’s workforce development department/agency)

3.  Representative Ben Frederick, State Representative

(R-Shiawassee & Saginaw Counties)

Michigan House of Representatives, 85th District

(Michigan House) 

4.  Senator Kevin Daley, State Senator

(R-Bay, Lapeer, & Tuscola Counties)

Michigan State Senate, 31st District

(State Senator)

5.  Steve Claywell, President

Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council

(Workforce and general labor)

6.  Awenate Cobbina, Vice President of Business Affairs

Palace Sports and Entertainment and the chair of the MEDC Executive Committee

(Business and MEDC)

7.  Robert Davies, President

Central Michigan University

(President of an institution of higher education)

8.  Mike Duggan, Mayor

City of Detroit

(Chief elected official of a city or county)

9.  Jennifer A. Geno, Executive Director

Career and Technical Education for Saginaw Intermediate School District

(Director of a Michigan high school career and technical education program)  

10.  Lee Graham, Executive Director

Operating Engineers 324’s Labor Management Education Committee

(Apprenticeship coordinator of a joint labor-management apprenticeship program)  

11.  Peter T. Hungerford, Chief Operating Officer

ADAC Automotive

(Manufacturing business enterprises)

12.  Russ Kavalhuna, President

Henry Ford College

(President of a community college district)   

13.  Leigh A. Kegerreis, Administrative Assistant to the President of the UAW

(Workforce and general labor in Michigan)

14.  Birgit M. Klohs,  President and CEO

The Right Place, Inc.

(Business)

15.  Rachel E. Lutz, Owner

Peacock Room Boutique, Yama, and Frida clothing stores

(Small business owner)  

16.  Dave Meador, Vice Chairman and Chief Administrative Officer

DTE Energy

(Business enterprises employing veterans, returning citizens, or persons with disabilities)

17.  Cindy Pasky, Chair

President and CEO

Strategic Staffing Solutions

(Female-owned business enterprises)   

18.  Patti Poppe, President and CEO

CMS Energy and Consumers Energy

(Business)

19.  Tony Retaskie, Executive Director

Upper Peninsula Construction Council

(Workforce and general labor)

20.  Jessica L. Robinson, Co-founder of the

Detroit Mobility Lab and Michigan Mobility Institute and the co-founder and partner of Assembly Ventures 

(Mobility business enterprises)

21.  Ari Weinzweig, Co-founder and CEO Zingerman’s Community of Businesses

(Business)

22.  Matthew J. Wesaw, Tribal Council Chairman

Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians and the Chairman and CEO of the Pokagon Gaming Authority Board

(Business)

23.  George Wilkinson, President

NorthGate

Pastor at Word of Life Christian Church

(Minority-owned business enterprises)  

24.  Martha Zehnder Kaczynski, Vice President Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn Corp., Bavarian Inn Lodge, and the Frankenmuth Cheese Haus

(Business)

Note:  The members appointed represent diverse geographic areas, as required by Section 101(b)(2).

The Governor’s Workforce Development State Board Membership Roster is included as Appendix III of this Plan, located under the Common Elements portion of the plan, Other Appendices section. 

In accordance with regional diversity requirements for state workforce development boards under Section 101(b)(2) of the WIOA, the Governor consults with representatives of each of Michigan’s ten Planning Regions as a part of the process of making appointments to the Board. 

The By-Laws, adopted by the new Governor’s Workforce Development State Board, provides the membership requirements; duties and operations; quorum, voting and attendance requirements; and conflict of interest requirements under the WIOA.